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Lauren Long (she/her/hers), Low Entropy Volunteer Blog Writer

How do you reward yourself for a personal victory? I think this is different for everyone. For example, if you’ve just landed your dream job, maybe you treat yourself to a self-care treatment, or buy something you’ve had your eye on for a while. 

I reward myself in different ways for various things. Sometimes it’s not even a reward, it’s an impulse, and it’s good to treat yourself once in a while. When I landed a good freelancing gig, I treated myself to my favourite candy and chocolate. I always buy Skittles when I go to the movies with my friends, and that’s what I bought myself when I began my current job. My mom is an artist and in the last year she’s gotten into pottery, so not only do I have some of her paintings in my office, I also have a bowl she made that I use for candy. 

I also love sushi, and sometimes after my counselling appointments, I’ll call my favourite sushi restaurant and place a pickup order to get on my way home. I don’t do it often, but there are days when I crave dynamite and California rolls with a side of spicy mayo. Yum! A weird quirk about me: I only eat sushi in the spring, summer and early fall, I can’t eat it once winter arrives! 

Another way I reward myself is reading or colouring. I’ve always been a reader, and I’ve started keeping books on the bookshelf in my office because the bookshelves in my bedroom are getting very full! Escaping the real world and losing myself in a book is a reward in itself, and there are days where I prefer the company of the characters found in novels than that of the company in the real world. It’s the same with colouring: I can lose track of time and just colour. 

I’ve started colouring in the evenings to shut my brain off and help me de-stress from the day. I make a habit of exercising daily, but sometimes you need a little bit more than that to fully de-stress and make it possible for a good night’s sleep so that you’re ready to face the next day. 

Colouring as a reward actually began when I was in university. In addition to going to the gym, I would colour to further de-stress from my classes, particularly around exam season, midterms and finals alike. But it soon became a part of my routine at home when I went back for breaks and summer holidays.

During one of my summer holidays, there was a point where my depression and anxiety were really bad, and my mom knew I was having a tough time. One day, she came home and surprised me with a Disney princess colouring book devoted completely to Cinderella, who was my favourite princess when I was a kid and who still holds a special place in my heart as an adult. 

Finally, if I’ve had some lengthy workdays and have had to cut my exercise time short as a result, I’ll treat myself to a longer session on the weekends. That might seem like a strange reward, but I don’t see workouts as a chore (although I’m aware that some people feel that way), I see them as a way to give yourself a break from whatever’s going on in your day and reconnect with yourself. My workouts are my “me time,” I don’t take my phone downstairs and I shut off notifications on my computer so I don’t get distracted. 

I think personal victories and rewarding them are important, because it’s self-validation and recognition that you achieved your goals. So go ahead, buy that outfit you’ve been eyeing. Get your friends together for a home-cooked meal and let the drinks flow and the good times roll. Whatever you love to do to reward yourself, do it. Life is too short not to enjoy the little things and small victories, because so very often, those become the big things. 

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Lauren Long is from Quesnel, BC, where she was born and raised. When she’s not writing, you can find her on the training mats or curled up with a good book. She is a strong advocate for mental health and overall wellbeing.