Tag Archives: Reward

How Do You Treat Yourself?

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I literally counted down until spring break arrived. I’ve actually had my Cancun getaway booked since February!!!

cat typing rapidly on keyboard

GIF Retrieved from GIPHY

Thatā€™s my thing: traveling.
I try to take a vacation and travel somewhere (not a ā€œstay-cationā€) at least three times a year. Sometimes my bank account is like ā€œGirl bye, you tried it!ā€, lol.

man looking at ATM Machine shocked

GIF Retrieved from GIPHY

So yea, lol, three doesnā€™t always make the cut, but at least two vacations keeps me satisfied. That is how I treat myself. I work hard, I study hard, so I make sure that I play TWICE as hard.

Traveling is more like a ā€œbigā€ treat for me. I do other small (and way less expensive) things for myself too. I LOVE Thai rolled ice cream and I reward myself with it any day that the temperature outside is above 55 degrees, like last friday for example.

photo of ice cream with toppings

Photo taken by Yours Truly at ICE NY !

Also, I love getting facials! It just so happens that my health insurance covers facials at the same place where I get physical therapy, and I make sure to use my benefits!!
None shall go to waste, lol.

cat laying down with cucumber on eyes like a spa

Photo Retrieved from Pinterest

But thatā€™s me. These are things that I personally like to do as part of my self care regimen. It’s not always easy to just pick up and make time for these things, so often we neglect self care. Iā€™m sure you can relate that it can be really easy to lose sight of yourself in the midst of all the things you are doing on a daily basis. Whether that includes work, school, taking care of someone else (child, family member, partner, etc), an internship, personal obligations, socializing, or whatever else. Too often what happens is that itā€™s not until you get to the ā€œbreaking pointā€ that you are then forced to stop and take some time to focus on you.

I just said to my mom the other day that sometimes I feel like Iā€™m just living the same day over and over and over. Do you ever feel like that? You wake up and you go from one place to the next; school then work-or vice versa. Then when you actually get home, neither of these things are actually in your rear view because youā€™re doing homework, or thinking about your next work shift. Then the next day comes and you repeat the same cycle.

Even if you arenā€™t working a job, Iā€™m sure you have things other than school that take up your time on a daily basis. So my question to you is how do you treat yourself? I mean that in literal terms like ā€œdo you treat yourself well?ā€, and also “treat yourself” as in reward yourself.

So the literal terms- thatā€™s things like do you get enough sleep? Do you eat properly and regularly? There was a point where I would be ā€œso busyā€ I would forget to eat the entire day and when I got home, I would have the absolute worst headache. I would moan and groan about how I think itā€™s because I didnā€™t eat. DUH it is! Thatā€™s like driving around all day ignoring the gas light in your car, and then complaining when you break down in the middle of nowhere.

man reacting to car gas tank being empty

GIF Retrieved from GIPHY

When was the last time you checked your ā€œtankā€ and made sure you were all filled up and good to go? The last person we should be ignoring is ourselves.
Do you put aside enough time for yourself with no outside distractions?

Ask yourself this one question: Am I treating myself the best I could?
If the answer is yes, congratulations!
It’s not the easiest thing to do so I commend you 100% for putting you first. šŸ™‚
If the answer is ā€œnoā€, or youā€™re unsure, then today is the day to start to think about what you can do to treat yourself better. Ā 

As students, ā€œI donā€™t have timeā€ is a common excuse we have when it comes to self-care.

woman stating she is busy during red carpet interview

GIF Retrieved from GIPHY

I know I preach a lot about self care, but thatā€™s because every day on campus I see too many of my peers looking worn out–probably from hours of staring at textbooks, working on papers, and trying to meet rapidly approaching deadlines. As our responsibilities pile up, itā€™s easy to allow our own health and sanity to take a backseat to feelings of restlessness. Sooner or later, the effects of excessive stress remind us that our personal well-being should never be overlooked, whether we ask for the reminder or not.

cat with hair sticking up looking stressed and angry

Photo Retrieved from Me.Me

Suggestions of ways to treat yourself/ care for yourself is different for everyone. Your friendā€™s self-care routine might include a 7 a.m. run or gym visit every morning, but for you, just thinking about doing anything at 7 a.m. might make you even more stressed out than you already are, lol. I get stressed every night when I remember I have an 8:30 class and I swear the whole semester goes by and I never get used to it! In that situation, maybe a short walk on afternoons or evenings would work better for you. The thing is self-care isnā€™t about what anybody else is doing; Itā€™s about what your mind, body and spirit are telling you that they need.

I want you to take this Self Care Assessment that we in Human Services use with our clients. With it we are able to get a better idea of how well a client is treating themselves and the things that bring them pleasure or happiness. We also use it ourselves to assess our own state. The assessment states that it ā€œprovides an overview of effective strategies to maintain self-care.ā€ As the directions on the assessment says: ā€œafter completing the full assessment, choose one item from each area that you will actively work to improve. This will at least give you an idea on where to begin and you can brainstorm idea on how you plan to improve your self care in that area.ā€ Ā Taking this test is a big step to changing or improving how you treat yourself because awareness is always step one. Iā€™m excited for you!

We have to take care of ourselves along with taking care of our responsibilities. Self-care is not always the easiest thing to implement and be consistent with, especially while striving for success during your academic undergrad journey. Iā€™m definitely still learning to nurture, and take care of myself while gaining a satisfactory level of student-work-life balance. Itā€™s difficult at times, especially during midterms, and finals, and hectic times at work-but I know how important it is.

Like the well known quote says ā€œIf you donā€™t love yourself, who will?ā€; Itā€™s the little pleasures that get us through our everyday grind. Lunch from our favorite place, sweets and treats to seal a long day, getting your eyebrows done, or kicking back and watching the game. Donā€™t wait for your next day off, or your next planned vacation. Remind yourself that you deserve to live a satisfying life and enjoy yourself on a regular basis by doing little things that make you happy. What things from the assessment did you score lower on and would like to improve? What are you doing really well? Tell me about it below.

 

Love ya, Neffi

quote photo

Photo Retrieved from HerCampus

Ā 

Work hard, Party Hard

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two cupcakes with frosting flowers on top

Photo Taken By: Cherishe Cumma

When this current semester began I thought that I would be in for a treat seeing as I only had class for two days a week. In my mind I imagined all the sleep I would get during my time away from school, as well as how easy it would be to manage my classes since my workload decreased in comparison to previous semesters. It wasnā€™t until my first day of class, that I realized this semester would actually turn out to be the most complex semester since the beginning of my academic career.

As I began to come to terms with the fact that I had misinterpreted how my semester would pan out, I decided to find a balance between my academic and social life. You may be wondering: what is this ā€œbalanceā€ word that people often speak of, which seems to be non-existent in academia? My answer to you is very simple, the way that I find balance during the semester is to practice positive reinforcement, meaning I work hard and party hard.

The process of using positive reinforcement is simple, and if completed properly can promote a positive college experience. All one has to do is to work hard during the semester, and get the highest grades possible on their assignments/exams. After executing each task and receiving a great grade, the student should then reward themselves in whatever fashion they choose. In my experience, the most fulfilling moments of life are the ones that are either spent with my loved ones, or consuming a treat that will send AMAZING sensations throughout my body. However, there are some cases where a simple outing or treat from a well-known bakery isnā€™t enough, and more appropriate rewards are necessary. If that is the case, I suggest rewarding yourself with an unforgettable experience such as an epic night out on the town, or a vacation during spring break that youā€™ll remember even when you reach the seasoned age of 100!

I decided to share this tactic, my personal tactic, with you because Iā€™ve noticed how gloomy students tend to look while I walk through the halls of City Tech. Students move slowly through the hallways looking exhausted, and often drag into class, plop down in their seats, and let out a sigh of despair. What most people fail to realize is that the success of your academic career solely depends on your attitude towards your studies. If students go into class with a negative mindset, they wonā€™t absorb the knowledge the professor is providing them with. However, if students go into class thinking ā€œIā€™m going to do my best so that I can get good grades, and treat myself to cupcakes at Magnolia Bakery when I ace this classā€, then they are setting themselves up with a positive mindset that will definitely benefit them in the long run.

My suggestion for students who find it difficult to complete a semester with great grades is to set up a reward system at each major milestone throughout the semester. For example, last semester I took a Professional Editing and Revising course, with a professor that required students to complete a specific amount of assignments during the semester. I set up my semester in a way that every time I finished an assignment I would go to a restaurant that had food I absolutely loved. In the following weeks after handing in the assignment, I would go back to working hard, and once I received my passing grade, I would reward myself by going to get a pastry from Betty Bakery. I continued this process of working hard, passing, and then rewarding myself for the whole semester, and at the end of the semester, I got the A that I deserved.

In retrospect, I would say that the reason I was able to do well during the semester is because I propositioned myself with something I love, so that I could ultimately get good grades, which I also love. By giving myself an incentive to look forward to, I pushed myself to do the best I could on every assignment so that every reward was well deserved. I feel that as college students we often find it difficult to balance our lives, so much so that we often drown in a sea of anxiety, assignments, and examinations. However, the best way for students to get the most out of their semester is too work hard and reward themselves in the process. Students must give themselves reasons to do well, just like back in elementary school, when teachers gave out prizes for passing the infamous spelling quiz. Do you remember how great it felt to get a gold star on your test when you got a 100? Well great! Now apply that same logic to your current academic life, and Iā€™m sure that you will be successful.

Take your studies seriously, get good grades, and then reward yourselves with something that will bring you great happiness. College is about learning as much as you can so that you can get good grades, and ultimately a great career. However, college is also about enjoying your freedom , taking advantage of your twenties, and most of all living your life to the fullest. Just remember to go into class with a positive mindset, then work hard, and after you pass your classes donā€™t forget to party hard!