You Deserve A BREAK Today February 18, 2013
Posted by nrhatch in Fun & Games, Gratitude, Happiness, Health & Wellness.Tags: Fun & Games, Gratitude, Happiness, Health & Wellness, Reward
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The busier our days, the more we benefit from breaks and breathers to keep ourselves sharp and on the ball.
Think of it as a short Intermission in the midst of a concert.
Giving ourselves small (and large) rewards as we move through jam-packed days pays dividends in productivity, mood, and stress levels.
* After a meeting or completing a dreaded phone call, you might fix a cup of coffee or a pot of tea and enjoy it away from your desk.
* After wrestling and wrangling with the laundry, you might put your feet up and read a chapter of a delicious book or put on music and close your eyes.
Other mini-rewards: a 15-minute power nap, a soothing bubble bath, a brisk walk around the block, a refreshing smoothie, meditation, yoga, sitting in the park, stretching, cycling around the neighborhood.
Other ideas? What mini-indulgence would you choose?
Share below.
Larger multi-day tasks, once completed, call for more elaborate rewards and rituals. Something that will make you smile for 2-3 hours.
* After completing and filing your income taxes, you might browse in a bookstore or enjoy an art exhibit at a local museum.
* After cleaning out the attic, garage, or your closets, you might schedule time for a massage at the local Spa.
* After painting the living room or scraping barnacles off your boat, you might get tickets to a play.
Other 1/2-day rewards: a picnic lunch with wine, cheese, and pastries, a trip to the zoo, a movie matinée, a sunset sail, dinner at a new restaurant you’ve wanted to try, or maybe just curling up in front of a roaring fire with the latest best seller.
Other ideas? How would you choose to spend 2-3 hours rewarding yourself?
What about monumental tasks? What type of reward would you enjoy after landing a new job, moving into new digs, finishing your first (or fifth) novel, reaching your goal weight, or training for and competing in a marathon?
How about a short cruise . . . on a boat that doesn’t catch fire and drift around the Gulf of Mexico for days without adequate food and facilities. Or maybe a weekend get-a-way at a cozy bed and breakfast with your significant other. Or perhaps you’d enjoy a Stay-Cation to see the sights in your own backyard.
What’s that?
Yes, of course, completing the task is its own reward.
Give yourself a carrot anyway.
You’re worth it.
You deserve a BREAK today!
Aah . . . that’s better!
My life hasn’t been too hectic lately but I am good at giving myself little breaks and rewards..
I love to stroll into the kitchen for a devil’s food cookie………..
And I love a short nap in the afternoon after listening to a little Smokey!
That’s a great reward . . . a short nap after a little night music (or a cookie).
Great suggestions! Most of the time, I feel energized just by completing an unattractive to-do list item. My reward is usually chocolate
I’m still procrastinating on taxes…Maybe tomorrow? I have chocolate on hand just in case!
Crossing the item off our To Do List feels good . . . but chocolate TASTES good.
I think a mini indulgence would have to be a Cadbury’s chocolate flake
I’ve heard of Cadbury eggs . . . but never chocolate flakes. I’ll have to give it a google.
Cadbury’s flakes melt in your mouth….
That sounds like snowflakes . . . only BETTER!
I just googled it . . . YUM!
If I had a few hours I’d go walk on the beach. If I didn’t have time for the drive I’d take a walk in my neighborhood – the gardens always have a gift for me. At this time of the year the spring blossoms are magnificent.
A walk on the beach is such a treat . . . as is watching the blossoms bloom. Thanks, Rosie.
The cruise sounds good, Nancy (without the added extras) as does a trip to the zoo!
Really. The Carnivale Triumph cruise that just limped into port in Alabama is NOT the cruise for me. I want more than 5 bathrooms available for 3,000 passengers.
We’re looking forward to a trip to Lowry Park Zoo in Tampa . . . well rated zoo with natural habitats.
My explorations are my rewards. they give me plenty of goodwill to take with me into difficult situations in my life.
That’s a great point . . . when we LOVE what we do, the work becomes PLAY.
Oh I like this post. I never have a nice brew away from the p.c. or phone. Tomorrow I will. Thanks Nancy!
I guess chocolate and walking the dog are breaks
I think that stepping away from the keyboard gives us the changed perspective we need to “refill the well.”
Chocolate is definitely a sweet treat for me. Walking the dog is a “reward” on some days . . . and nothing but a soggy mess on others. Of course, if we take time to splash with care through the puddles, even rainy days hold appeal for our inner child.
When I finished the latest revision of my novel, I shared a bottle of Veuve Clicquot with MTM. It was exquisite.
Lovely reward and celebration, Andra. Especially when we have a drinking partner par excellence!
I’m much more likely to complete a self-assigned task if I offer myself a specific reward upon completion. Great post.
Thanks, NC. I’ve been focused more on taking breaks and giving myself rewards and I notice real benefits in terms of productivity and HAPPINESS.
Tonight, I finished a book that “needed” to be read . . . and then danced around the living room to the latest Patchouli CD:
Anything is Possible!
Now, I’m glowing and eased out all the kinks.
One of the ways in which I reward myself is to write for my blog, and to read the posts of others. I enjoy reading for a while too – and sometimes even watching an episode of my favourite TV show.
When we really ENJOY what we’re doing, we succeed at life. No matter what happens.
Today, I have been busy cleaning the bathrooms, offices and doing laundry and…. I just finished taking my favorite break which is to sit in a recliner chair, stare into space while sipping tea and munching on dried pineapple and almonds.
That sounds LOVELY, Marie. When we’ve engaged in physical endeavors, taking a break by putting our feet UP is just the thing.
In contrast, I’ve been sorting through books to donate to the Library Book Sale. I’ve bagged up about 20 so far. It’s a task that I enjoy at one level, but it has caused me to SIT quite a bit.
So I took “reward breaks” today (after each book went into the bag) by moving and grooving to FUN tunes.
A short cruise sounds like just the thing I would love to have at the moment, Nancy. Unfortunately, my reward will probably just be a trip to the mall
How’s the house move coming along? Last I heard, it would be rolling down the highway sometime around Valentine’s Day.
It’s on the truck as we speak – but still stationary. We’re just waiting on the police (to escort) and electricity authority (to check power lines). HOPEFULLY – it will be rolling down the road in the next few days!
Woohoo! All that’s standing in your way is bit of bureaucracy and red tape.
Well, that and electric lines.
Have a smooth move!
I’ve decided to tidy out the garage. I must go and reward myself right away. Let’s see, chox? Wine? Ice cream?
… What? It doesn’t work like that? Oh, blow.
I see no reason to deprive yourself of Pre-Rewards . . . think of it as an advance on your paycheck.
The TEENSY problem is that I then don’t get round to doing the actual work …
Then you must assume the role of ENFORCER . . . and demand payment to recover the return on your investment.
There is some strong evidence that this is beneficial. I’ve been reading lately about the optimum length of meetings. Oh how we need a break!
There is LOTS of evidence about the beneficial nature of breaks but I didn’t bother rounding up any links for two reasons:
(1) Experience and experimenting is the best teacher. When people try it, they’ll like it. And they’ll go back, Jack, and do it again!
(2) It was time for me to go on break.
A meeting has gone too long when eyes start to glass over.
Out of all these things, a power nap sounds the best. I didn’t sleep too well last night :\
I rarely nap. Yesterday I dozed off on the deck while “meditating.” Aah . . . that’s better!
I was just thinking the other day how I dozed off on the back porch one time. My mouth was hanging open and I was…seen. :\
Well, let’s hope you weren’t DROOLING.
I’d settle for a break from back pain. Usually, though, I try to mix what I don’t want to do with what I don’t want to do. That often involves listening to music while I have to clean, work, drive somewhere, etc.
Back pain, neck pain, headaches make everything that much more of a challenge . . . which adds stress to our stress levels, which often increases the pain.
Have you tried alleviating the back pain with accupuncture? accupressure? massage therapy? meditation? visiting a chiropractor? yoga? stretches? It’s worth exploring and experimenting with these options to see if you can get that relief.
Unfortunately, it’s a pinched nerve, which is tough to treat. Stretching often makes it worse (even the book that promises to alleviate back pain through stretching). Accupressure seems to work the best, but the pain flares up randomly and goes away by the time an appointment is available. Then there’s the expense of it. It’s easy to say, “It’s worth the money if you feel better,” but that implies I already have the money and don’t want to spend it. Insurance companies seem to think pills that cause suicidal thoughts are worth reimbursement, but not treatments that aren’t pharma-approved.
It’ll be better by next week and I’ll stop whining until the next time it decides to strike.
You are so right about health insurers and what they will and won’t cover. It boggles the mind.
And, yes, some of these treatments are expensive . . . which is great if they work (and you can afford them) and not so great if they don’t work (or you can’t).
Hope this flare up dissipates in due course.
I like the advice! I’m pretty good about taking the time to celebrate the little things and making time for myself. I run at quite a pace in between, but I have learned the hard way that I “flame out” if I don’t give myself little rewards of time!
Most of the “work” I do also constitutes “play” at some level . . . but, still, it is good to tear ourselves away and regain a different perspective.
Lately, I’ve been putting on a CD and really listening to it until a spark of inspiration leads me one way or the other.
A carrot????? Come on – ice cream at least!
It’s a metaphoric carrot . . . you get to choose whatever flavor reward appeals the most (with the time available).
I am very fond of carrots…. Usually to play with my needlework – only when I complete a task. If I spend the day washing the kitchen tiles – ceiling to floor – I have a full day off and try to get out of the house for a few hours.
Excellent! There is nothing like putting a bit of FUN back into our lives to make us feel ALIVE!