Whether it’s that sinful dessert you’ve been denying yourself or that spa treatment you’ve been yearning for, occasionally rewarding yourself can be a great way of celebrating the small milestones that comprise a semester.
Pukstas are well-aware of the stresses of University life and it can sometimes feel that the immediate and often intangible rewards of academic achievement do little but point you to the next obstacle or task to be overcome. Stressing over a paper or studying for that big test? Sometimes setting up a self-reward system can become a great motivator and help give you that extra boost to the finish line. Not only can these little pleasures become a small respite from the rigor, but they also serve as a means of you honoring the most important person in your life. Because if you don’t love yourself then how can you love and help others?
Tips on Treating Yourself:
Make Achievements Realistic-Try not to become focused on achieving the highest GPA in the class or the best grade for an assignment. Students sometimes set themselves immediate goals that seem far in excess of true success in retrospect. Nobody is an instant expert, so don’t put the weight of the world onto yourself to be perfect. Remember that you’re a human being and humans are imperfect. This isn’t to say that striving for greatness is bad, far from it, but we can sometimes believe that we have to run before we learn to walk. Superheroes are great for print and film, but real superstars have many setbacks and obstacles along their paths and many even have failures when they’ve achieved what others consider perfection.
Spread Things Out-Don’t just plan a reward for getting an A at the end of the semester, decide on some smaller rewards that are significant enough that they’ll motivate you through the weeks and months until winter/summer break. Maybe getting your nails done for finishing that big assignment or that game for getting an A on that daunting test? Save getting the full spa treatment day, the new game system purchase, or maybe taking that trip for when the semester is over and you can truly rest your mind for a month, really relax, and appreciate what you’ve accomplished.
Make it Personal-Tell yourself that you love yourself with something that really matters. Have you been craving that really good sushi from your favorite restaurant or denying yourself that pair of shoes that would really make you feel like you shine? These are great ways of applying a little self-congratulation for all the hard work that only you know you’ve been applying.
For more on the benefits of treating yourself visit Psychology Today at:
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/what-mentally-strong-people-dont-do/201510/6-reasons-treat-yourself-better
