Why do you take yourself for granted?

What have you done today to make yourself feel good? In fact, how often do you do something nice for yourself? Why do you need a reason to show yourself some love and appreciation? Why do you take yourself for granted? Last year, I decided to track and analyse my own behaviour. Among other things, in my calendar, I put a red sticker on days where I did something nice for myself. It was an interesting revelation.

Have you ever noticed that we treat ourselves on a reward based system? It is as if we need an external reason, an occasion to enjoy ourselves. I have earned the right to buy myself something expensive because it is my birthday. I will treat myself to a spa because  I worked so hard. I will have a nice hot chocolate because the presentation went well. We ride and piggyback on the high created by external events, instead of generating them ourselves. What happened to random acts of kindness? Wouldn’t you agree that flowers or gifts received are much more appreciated when you least expect it? I know I will get a present on my birthday or on Valentine’s day. I’m grateful for that. However, going home to find that my loved ones or friends have cooked something special for me, brought me chocolate or simply remembered to pick up their socks always lift up my spirit.

At first, the concentration of red dots on my calendar were found mostly on weekends. This pattern will be familiar to many people. “Thanks God, it’s Friday”. We spend more time planning our weekends at the detriment of the remaining of the week. What can you do next Monday to make the day feel a little bit special?