Life is no fun, just working all the time. Every so often we need to reward ourselves and play a little. For people like me who subscribe to the school of perpetual hard work and discipline, a little pampering, even the occasional indulgence, is healthy, and little can go a long way.
So after weeks of intense work and studying for my TCM finals, my boyfriend and I decided to get away from LA. Our reward was a weekend in Santa Barbara’s Wine Country. We hopped from vineyards to wine bars, sipping artfully crafted wines under the oak trees of the beautiful rolling hills…
It was relaxing, delicious, sensual and blissful. Life is good, and fresh again!
So how can you reward yourself without breaking the bank? I have been pretty frugal these days, but the point of rewarding yourself is to do something nice that you wouldn’t normally do. So you need to get creative!
Here are the 10 ideas I came up with:
1. Get a nice bottle of wine.
Make some yummy snacks and have a picnic with your loved one – a romantic getaway someplace marvelous. Or you can opt for a social theme with a group of your favorite peeps.
2. Go on a shopping spree with reward points.
Today I cashed in my Amex rewards points for a shopping spree at the Saks Fifth Ave. Do I normally shop there? No. Do I know what I’m going to get? No. All I know is that I’ll have fun shopping there, and I’ll get myself something nice!
3. Get a massage or a yummy body scrub.
At a local spa or DIY at home, pampering yourself with aromatic candles, bath salts, sugar scrubs, essential oils and rose peddles. Make it an extravagant and sensual experience.
4. Dine at your favorite restaurant.
Order anything you like without looking at the price tag.
5. Sign up for a cooking class
or something else just because it interests you, inspires you or intrigues you.
6. Get a makeover
at your favorite cosmetic counter. Many brands offer free makeovers by their makeup artists. It’s fun and you’ll look different, but fabulous nevertheless!
7. Get away for a weekend. If you don’t want to spend a lot of money, just drive to some place nearby, where you’ve never been before. Explore and discover.
8. Go on a retreat.
When I was single, my favorite reward was to join a meditation or yoga retreat. It always helped me renew and reconnect with what was important for me in my life.
9. Plant some flowers.
It’s springtime! Plant some gorgeous flowers or delicious herbs. Let them nourish you with their beautiful energy.
10. Buy yourself something beautiful,
whether it’s a piece of jewelry, a scarf, or a handcrafted ceramic bowl, even something simple like a bouquet of fragrant flowers like stargazer lilies that will fill your world with beautiful aromas. Let it remind you how wonderful and precious you are, and life is.
So what do you think? What are some other ideas you have?
K. says
August 1, 2015 at 2:42 pmI’ve got to agree with Lulu Superba I’m afraid. (a small detail.. rose petals, not peddles). Thanks for the article nonetheless though, I enjoyed the read and the basic idea is valid enough.
christenpotts says
November 7, 2012 at 10:32 pmawesome, inspiring article.
Jing says
April 29, 2012 at 12:35 pmThanks for your reminder Lulu! I decided to take a day off this coming Thursday and have a mini retreat at the peaceful Deer Park Monastery 🙂
http://deerparkmonastery.org/
Jing says
April 29, 2012 at 10:47 amLulu, you’re right. I very much appreciate your ideas away from the consumer culture. For me, the most rewarding things do not cost much money at all, such as going for a walk on the beach, reading an inspiring book, doing yoga or meditating. What I was thinking when I wrote the post was to do something special that I don’t normally do on a daily basis 🙂
As to the meditation retreat, I admit that my priority has shifted somewhat since I’ve been in a relationship. When I have a few days off which is rare these days since I went back to school to study Chinese Medicine, I want to spend time with my boyfriend and share our experiences together. I do meditate, practice yoga and qigong daily to reconnect with myself. But I do miss going on a longer retreat. Thanks for reminding me. I’ll need to schedule it and make it happen!
I do really appreciate your perspectives. Thank you so much!
Lulu Superba says
April 29, 2012 at 9:33 amI’m disappointed. 8 out of the 10 things you suggested, though theoretically rewarding, would break my bank. They also are very focused on consumer culture. I’m inundated constantly with messages telling me to spend my money. Usually your site offers an alternative to that. So how about less consumer-oriented rewards, like trying a yoga or chi gong video on YouTube? Going for a hike? Finding a bench overlooking a beautiful view? Checking out a new kind of music at the library? Making some art?
Also, I’m curious why going on a retreat was something you stopped doing once you got in a relationship. (“When I was single, my favorite reward was to join a meditation or yoga retreat. It always helped me renew and reconnect with what was important for me in my life.”) Now that you’re in a relationship, is it no longer important to reconnect with what is important?