Candy Chronicles: Unwrapping the Brain-Boosting Magic of Token Economies
The Delicious Art of Self-Bartering to Achieve Excellence
Do you remember in Kindergarten the power that gold stars held over you? What you wouldn’t do for that gold star… or when you did something extra good and your teacher gave you a piece of candy from the bowl on her desk?
You were taking part in a token economy, where your teacher would reward good behavior and academic performance. But what about adults? Could we also benefit? How can we use token economies in our own lives?
Should you have a wall where you give yourself gold stars like a five-year-old? Should you reward yourself with candy? How about a trip to the day spa?
The key is to write a list of things that would motivate you, things you love, ways you like to treat yourself. Honestly, that could be with a wall of gold stars. It all depends on what you think would work for you. My personal rewards are candy, television shows, and pedicures. Yours could be:
- Candy or sweets
- Social media break
- A night out at the movie theater
- Hobby supply shopping trip
- A spa day
- TV or movie time
- Reading session
Like many ADHD adults, I face challenges in resisting sweets, motivating myself to tackle difficult tasks, and practicing consistent self-care. After a week of dieting, I would spiral and find myself stumbling off to 7-Eleven for a midnight snack binge.
To address this, I decided to allow myself candy. If I earned it! I devised a token economy system using jars filled with favorite candies and a separate jar with pennies, representing non-food-based rewards (like an episode of TV) or larger food-based rewards (like a piece of pie).
It was beautiful, and the process was simple. For every act of self-care, completion of a challenging task, or five minutes of exercise, I’d either place a penny into an empty jar (6 pennies equaled 30 minutes of TV), enjoy a piece of candy, or set it aside for later indulgence. If this resonates with you, it’s worth a try, but proceed with caution.
Keep in mind that this system may not suit everyone, so start gradually. Resist the urge to buy candy in bulk, as I did once.
What does token system breakdown look like in a world where you now have a drawer full of your favorite candies? It looks like adding 25 pounds to your waistline. Trust me, I learned the hard way.
Despite my missteps, I remain an advocate of token economies, but with a caveat: done cautiously and with intention.
Not everyone can resist having jars of candy readily accessible without succumbing to temptation. Surprisingly, I could (for a time), driven by the visible reward and the relatively easy process of earning it.
A second warning: the effectiveness of this method might diminish over time.
If you find it challenging to motivate yourself for that piece of candy or token or find yourself more and more tempted to take a piece without earning it, it’s a sign your brain has grown accustomed to the system.
The brain tends to lose excitement when rewards become expected.
To combat this, consider these ideas:
- Put a die next to your candy or token jars, and roll the die every time you earn a reward. If it rolls a one or two you get no candy, a three or a four and you get one candy, a five or a six and you get two candies.
- Create a wheel with different rewards on it that you spin
- Phase the token system out for a while if you start to feel it completely losing efficacy. Bring it back at some random interval of time later. Weeks or months. Give your brain a break from the system
I hope these ideas resonate with you, offering an exciting and fun way to reward yourself with the things you love while being more productive and taking better care of yourself.
If you decide to give it a shot, share your experiences with me! This marks my inaugural article for Medium, and I’m thrilled for the journey ahead.
Follow me or The ADHD Spot for more actionable advice focused on what we ADHD-ers can actively do to enhance ourselves and work collaboratively with our unique brains. Much love to my fellow creatives!
I would also like to shout out Ohitsjustsue over at the Neurodivergent publication who posted this article that touches on how ADHD medication changed their relationship with candy altogether.
My therapist and I are planning for me to (re)start ADHD medication myself in January, and I will revisit this article at a later date if my relationship with sugar experiences a sizable shift.
Disclaimer: I am not a medical professional. Please seek medical advice from a medical professional for all mental health topics. If you feel like something I write about would work for you, I highly encourage you to consult your therapist and make a plan. All of my articles are posted from my perspective as a neurdivergent adult about what has or has not worked for me.
