{"id":2906,"date":"2018-08-14T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2018-08-14T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cms.smooth.com.au\/uncategorised\/5-ways-reward-yourself-no-regrets\/"},"modified":"2018-08-14T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2018-08-14T00:00:00","slug":"5-ways-reward-yourself-no-regrets","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cms.smooth.com.au\/lifestyle\/5-ways-reward-yourself-no-regrets\/","title":{"rendered":"5 ways to reward yourself (with no regrets)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Every now and then it\u2019s important to take your foot off the pedal, take stock of your achievements \u2013 or even your progress towards them \u2013 and reward yourself. And, believe us when we say you’ve well and truly earned it!<\/p>\n

So, what are we waiting for? Go on! Give yourself a treat. Go to the beach, see that movie, get that pedicure. Whoever thought that rewarding yourself could be good for you? Well, they were damn right because it actually is \u2026 if it\u2019s done in a positive and nurturing way, of course.<\/p>\n

So don\u2019t feel guilty for taking a moment for yourself \u2013 instead, remind yourself that it\u2019s an important part of your health and happiness. <\/p>\n

Here’s how rewarding yourself in 5 easy steps will have a positive impact on your life:<\/p>\n

1.  Finding a passion for self-compassion<\/strong><\/p>\n

While we live in a world of instant gratification \u2013 and most rewards certainly come with their dose of \u2018insta-happiness\u2019 \u2013 treating yourself to something special also plays a key role in a practice with longer lasting and deeper effects: the practice of \u2018self-compassion.\u2019 <\/p>\n

At its core, self-compassion is about being kind to yourself. It\u2019s different from self-esteem, self-pity or self-indulgence. As Jean Hailes clinical psychologist Gillian Needleman explains,<\/p>\n

\u201cSelf-compassion is treating yourself with the same kindness and care that you would treat a friend. It\u2019s about being gentle, caring and non-judgemental of yourself, thinking of yourself as part of a larger humanity.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Making self-compassion part of your daily life can be challenging; however, as Ms Needleman tells us, the benefits can be transformative. <\/p>\n

\u201cSelf-compassion and kindness are simple concepts, but are so difficult to practise consistently.”<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cCompassion is a gentle gesture, but when it becomes a regular part of the way you treat yourself, it can be such a powerful one. And remember, compassion shouldn\u2019t stop, even when you aren\u2019t 100% happy with something you\u2019ve done”, she explained.<\/em><\/p>\n

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2. Gear up for a positive cycle<\/strong><\/p>\n

Remember the saying.. Positive mind positive life? Well take note cause’ it’s here to stay team!<\/p>\n

While some of us think that we need to be hard on ourselves and cut out rewards to achieve our goals, research has shown that being kind to yourself does not lower your standards. In fact, self-compassion promotes good mental health and can actually help you to achieve your goals. <\/p>\n

By rewarding yourself in the now, you are reinforcing positive behaviour. So not only are you celebrating and acknowledging what\u2019s happening in the present, you\u2019re also helping yourself along to more rewards and positive outcomes in the future. We mean… it sounds pretty good to us!<\/p>\n

But as with most things in life, rewarding yourself is all about balance; how you choose to reward yourself is an all-important consideration. But how to reward yourself with treats that will make you feel good, not regretful you ask? Well, hold onto your hats… cause’ this brings us to our next step!<\/p>\n

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3. Striking a balance<\/strong><\/p>\n

When we think of rewards, we may automatically think of favourite foods or drinks; dessert, pizza, chocolate, chips, milkshake, wine, champagne or a favourite cocktail. And hey, it’s totally understandable!<\/p>\nBut as we all know, eating too many of these types of treats, too often, is not going improve your health or happiness levels; in fact, and it saddens us to say – it will have the opposite effect. \n \nJean Hailes accredited practising dietitian Stephanie Pirotta agrees that, while avoiding all treat foods (also known as discretionary foods or \u2018sometimes\u2019 foods) is the best for our body, it’s not realistic or fun.\n \n

\u201cA state of a happy medium that promotes positive mental health<\/a>, having a good relationship with food and enjoying a balanced diet is the best result”.<\/em>\n \n\u201cLet’s face it, \u2018sometimes foods\u2019 can be yummy! It’s all about moderation, for everything”, she says.<\/em>\n<\/blockquote>\nMs Pirotta says physical activity levels are also key when it comes to discretionary foods.\n \n\u201cIt\u2019s best to aim for the daily recommended amount of 30 minutes of moderate physical activity.”<\/em>\n \n“If you are not meeting this on most days, it is best to keep discretionary foods to a minimum, with a maximum of one serve every few days, especially if you\u2019re actively wanting to lose weight,” she explained.<\/em>\n \nIf you are meeting your recommended activity levels, and not trying to lose weight, then 1-2 serves of \u2018sometimes\u2019 foods every few days is acceptable. Examples of one serve include:\n\u2022 <\/span>2 scoops of ice-cream\n\u2022 <\/span>5-6 small lollies\n\u2022 <\/span>60g of fried hot chips\n\u2022 <\/span>200ml of wine. \n \n

“However, every person is unique, It\u2019s best to speak to an expert to really know how many serves of discretionary items are recommended for you to meet your goals and needs”, says Ms Pirotta.<\/em><\/p>\n

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4. Go-to alternative rewards<\/strong><\/p>\n

So with all this in mind, it\u2019s a good idea to have some go-to alternative rewards up your sleeve, so you can keep the good times and benefits flowing, without the unhealthy drawbacks. Here are some suggestions because ‘Me time’ is not only supported, it’s encouraged:<\/p>\n\u2022 <\/span>Take some \u2018time out\u2019, just for you \n\u2022 <\/span>Give yourself permission to take a nap\n\u2022 <\/span>Visit the library or bookstore for an afternoon all by yourself\n\u2022 <\/span>Get a babysitter for the kids and spend the time doing something just for you\n\u2022 <\/span>Pamper yourself, run a bath, do an at-home manicure\/pedicure, light some candles\n\u2022 <\/span>Read a book\n\u2022 <\/span>Have a movie\/Netflix marathon night\n\u2022 <\/span>Buy or pick yourself a bunch of flowers\n\u2022 <\/span>Be a tourist in your own town; visit the museum, the zoo, the gardens, the waterpark\n\u2022 <\/span>Take an annual leave day from work to do whatever you want!\n \n\"\"\n\n

5. Taking it back to basics<\/strong><\/p>\n

Yep. Rewards don’t have to be extravagant… they can be as simple as thoughts y’all!<\/p>\n

Ms Needleman recommends taking the time to recognise a \u201cwin on the inside<\/em>\u201d, even if it\u2019s a small one.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s as simple as taking the time to actually notice that there are things you have achieved; ask yourself, what exactly was it that you did, what was the skill, what are you proud of, what does it say about you? All this adds important fuel to confidence and self-esteem building,” she said.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

So the next time you have a win \u2013 be it handing in an assignment, going for a walk, making it to work on time or just scraping through a tough week \u2013 pat yourself on the back, or find your inner cheerleader and pass her the megaphone! She deserves to be heard, loud and clear. <\/p>\n

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Lead Image\/ <\/i>Thalita Mouro C\u00f4co \/ EyeEm \/ Getty<\/p>\r\n\r\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Cause’ we all need some TLC…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":28,"featured_media":2912,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[417,201],"tags":[],"geo_market":[],"class_list":["post-2906","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health-beauty","category-lifestyle"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n5 ways to reward yourself (with no regrets) - Smooth<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/cms.smooth.com.au\/lifestyle\/5-ways-reward-yourself-no-regrets\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"5 ways to reward yourself (with no regrets)\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Cause' we all need some TLC...\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/cms.smooth.com.au\/lifestyle\/5-ways-reward-yourself-no-regrets\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Smooth\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2018-08-14T00:00:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/cms.smooth.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/gettyimages-748351437.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"2048\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1365\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Rosanna Lamotta\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Rosanna Lamotta\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/cms.smooth.com.au\/lifestyle\/5-ways-reward-yourself-no-regrets\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/cms.smooth.com.au\/lifestyle\/5-ways-reward-yourself-no-regrets\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Rosanna Lamotta\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/cms.smooth.com.au\/#\/schema\/person\/3021640a08ebbfdb24a0579768ab9027\"},\"headline\":\"5 ways to reward yourself (with no regrets)\",\"datePublished\":\"2018-08-14T00:00:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2018-08-14T00:00:00+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/cms.smooth.com.au\/lifestyle\/5-ways-reward-yourself-no-regrets\/\"},\"wordCount\":1126,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/cms.smooth.com.au\/#organization\"},\"articleSection\":[\"Health & Beauty\",\"Lifestyle\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/cms.smooth.com.au\/lifestyle\/5-ways-reward-yourself-no-regrets\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/cms.smooth.com.au\/lifestyle\/5-ways-reward-yourself-no-regrets\/\",\"name\":\"5 ways to reward yourself (with no regrets) - 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