Melanie Jimenez, Reflections Head
During quarantine, it can be difficult to find the motivation to do everyday activities. Many of us are tempted to waste away the day in bed or on the couch, watching TV reruns, browsing the internet, or checking social media. But, as many of you may know, doing this for a prolonged period of time is not healthy at all.
Over the course of the past few months, I’ve found that rewarding myself with “treats” after completing a specific goal or series of goals is a great way to keep my day moving smoothly. For example, after doing all my house chores, I’d treat myself to a scoop of ice cream. It gave me a reason to want to do the chores, and encouraged me to complete them in a timely manner.
Studies have shown that this positive reinforcement actually boosts your mood, motivation, and mental state. It makes you feel cared-for, hence the term: self-care. It can help you in establishing healthy habits and, later on, you may find yourself not needing the treat at all.
“Treats” can be anything from a small snack, indulging yourself in an hour of free time, or even just something that brings you pleasure. If you don’t think you can find something that makes you happy, reassess your surroundings. A “treat” could be thirty minutes of watching cat videos on YouTube. It could be takeout from your favorite restaurant. It could even be a short nap after you’ve completed all your hard work. Bryn Donovan, a blogger and book author, wrote this list of 50 ways to reward yourself.
Positive reinforcement can be used to reinforce healthy habits like doing chores, exercising, practicing, and it can also be used to break bad or unhealthy habits like smoking, drinking alcohol, or another “addiction” (even if the addiction is watching Netflix all day).
So try applying this mindset to your life. Find motivation in tiny little “treats”, and reward yourself for doing good. You work hard and do many things that deserve a present. Treat yourself a little!
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