How to Reward Yourself
5 suggestions. Hint: They’re not edible.
by Jake Palumbo
Goals of this article
- Feel good about your accomplishments so far
- Think of your own non-edible rewards you can treat yourself to
- For the psych nerds: Learn why we tend to relapse by rewarding ourselves with the forbidden
You’ve come a long way already
Now that you’re in the second week of the CleanStart challenge, you’re probably starting to feel the benefits of your hard work. As your body adjusts to the healthy swing in your behavior patterns, you might notice that you’re sleeping better, you have more sustained energy throughout the day, and you’re recovering more quickly from exercise. You might also find that your tastes are beginning to change as well. This is because your body is making the shift and relying on fat for energy instead of simple sugars. Instead of craving useless empty calories, you might find yourself hankering for some more high octane fuel like fresh fruit, chopped vegetables, or grilled chicken that will help boost you through your next workout. As you begin to feel healthier, your body will start to crave the foods that are making you feel that way.
Although the routine is starting to feel more natural at this point, it’s possible that those destructive cravings might return from time to time. If you’re not careful, they could send you reeling backward on the progress you’ve made. Don’t let your mind play tricks on you. Remember that every successful day that goes by adds to the strength of your healthy habit the same way each set on the bench press builds the strength of your muscles.
It’s important to take the time to reward yourself for all the progress you’ve made. You deserve it! Just remember to steer clear of rewarding yourself with something edible. After all, you’re a human, not a dog. To help you treat yourself without treating your sweet tooth, we’ve listed five non-edible suggestions you can use to pat yourself on the back for your impressive achievements!
- Get a massage
- Get a 10 pass to a yoga studio
- Tell your friends on Facebook about how the challenge is making you feel
- Get some new clothes that will fit those new found curves
- You’re sleeping like a baby, so treat yourself to some luxury bed sheets
You get the picture. This list could go on forever.
Why do people relapse?
Your brain may be conning you into rewarding yourself with a forbidden “treat” as a prize for being so “good” so far. This phenomenon of self-deception is known as Restraint Bias. You should be on the constant lookout for this dirty snake in the grass. The con goes like this: You’ve been working hard, you’re discipline is unmatched, you’re highly impressed friends are saying you look great, you haven’t touched the cookie jar in weeks and it’s already paying off. You’re starting to feel pretty good about the whole thing, like you’ve got everything under control, and that’s just when Restraint Bias strikes, exactly when you think you’re self-control is good enough to let your guard down. You think, “I’ve been doing so well, what harm could just one cookie do?” It’s the same hubris that brought the Roman Empire to its knees. Well, maybe not that intense, but an over inflated sense of self control has thrown many a fastidious player back into the sugary pit of relapse.
Most studies on habit research show it takes about 1-2 months to etch a new habit in stone. So while the 10 days you’ve been a loyal warrior to the cause is commendable, don’t be fooled into thinking you’ve turned over a new leaf quite yet. The new habits will form, but only with time and commitment. So keep your head down, keep grinding away, and leave the relapsing to the rock stars.
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