Happy Holidays everyone!

I’m Laura from Becoming The Odd Duck here today to talk about stressful times. We all have them don’t we? I know right now is an especially stressful time for people like Cynthia – who are busy with work. Others, like myself, are wrapping up their semester and facing finals. And then there is everyone else who is caught up in the hustle and bustle of the holidays and facing a little more stress than they are used to.

Did you know that stress can be both negative and positive? It’s true! So even though Cynthia is really busy helping people who are less fortunate enjoy the holiday season, and she’s doing a TON of good for society, she is still facing stress. This is really just a reminder that no matter what we have going on, good or bad, we all have stress in our lives and it all needs to be dealt with.

There are a ton of coping strategies for dealing with stress. Some people journal, others exercise, and unfortunately some turn to vices like food. Whatever your own personal coping strategies are – I’ve got another simple, but effective strategy to add to your regimen. I think we all need to reward ourselves for making it through stressful times.

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Rewarding yourself can help you boost your spirits and stay happy, especially during times that are stressful. And it’s just as normal as anything else in life, but it’s often an over-looked strategy. Generally we put our own personal desires and needs last when we are slammed with external obligations and projects. And for some, it’s hard to reward ourselves due to financial constraints or because we don’t feel we deserve it.

So I propose you introduce small rewards into your life. These can be given daily, weekly or sporadically as needed to help you get through a stressful time. Give yourself a small reward as a bribe to get through a particularly difficult project. Surprise yourself with a spontaneous reward when you’ve gotten through an especially hard few days. There really are no rules to follow – other than I would discourage food rewards, as those tend to cause problems for some people.

And if I may, let me offer a few ideas for some small rewards you can give yourself right away and tweak to fit your own needs.

1. Gift Cards. Gift cards are awesome aren’t they? They are also the perfect reward to give yourself during stressful times. Sometimes I get a gift card and spend it immediately – other times I hold onto it for months waiting for the “perfect item” to buy. Here are three quick options for rewarding yourself with a gift card.

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1A. Allow yourself to spend a gift card you already own. Last Christmas I was given a $50 gift card to Victoria’s Secret. I am on a weight loss journey and didn’t want to spend it until I was down a size, otherwise the clothes would be “wasted”. However recently I hit a pretty important weight loss goal and decided to buy new underwear using the gift card. Seriously, I can’t believe I’m as excited as I am over something like new underwear, but they are AWESOME! I’m so glad I decided to spend the card!

1B. Use a gift card as a bribe: Recently I missed a few days of school because I was sick. I had all my missed work plus current work due and was really upset about it. I convinced my boyfriend to bribe me with a $20 Kindle gift card that I could use to buy books to read when my work was done. It worked like a charm and I got all my work done ahead of my deadline to make sure I got that gift card!

And seriously bribing works for all of these, so keep that in mind. If you can’t bribe yourself – convince someone else to bribe you. Sometimes I’ll PayPal $10 to a friend and tell her what my goal is. If I reach it, she’ll send me a $10 surprise gift. It keeps me working.

1C. Get a gift card for continuous use. Give yourself a $20 gift card to your favorite coffee shop, and use it on those days that are especially busy or need a pick me up. As a bonus, use it to give yourself a “treat drink” every now and then – a drink you wouldn’t particularly order but enjoy. For me, it’s an unsweet green tea lemonade from Starbucks!

2. Pick your favorite media. Media is another great reward because it’s either free or very cheap and something we all enjoy. You can give yourself a new book, magazine or app for your phone and ipad. If you have limited TV and movie time – give yourself the treat of watching a new episode of your favorite show or go see that new movie that’s out in theatres now.

3. Get out of the house, for free. One of my favorite things to do is relax with a book in Barnes and Noble and just read. Somehow at home when I try to read, I just get distracted or fall asleep as I’m reading in bed. Giving myself a free hour to read that book at Barnes and Noble makes my day. Don’t read? You could take your laptop to Starbucks and read blogs, window shop at the mall or just simply people watch. Get out of the house and give yourself a little free time.

4. Pick something pretty. Do something special for yourself that makes you feel beautiful. I promise it will leave you feeling like a million bucks! It could be as simple as getting your nails painted or buying yourself new earrings. You could wear a particularly cute outfit, or even spend extra time on your hair one day. Doing something simple to make yourself feel pretty is easy, cheap AND will leave you feeling awesome all day long.

5. Gift yourself something useful. Think of something simple that would make your life much easier, day to day, and gift yourself that. Not only will it lighten your daily stress, but each time you use it – you’ll feel happy!

Need some ideas? What about a spill-proof travel coffee mug? A new lunchbox? A water bottle with a handle? Noise-cancelling ear buds? A pretty headband? A new day planner?

There are so many options for when it comes to giving yourself rewards. Whatever you choose, make sure it’s something meaningful that is really going to make you feel better and get you through that stressful time.

Tell me what is your favorite reward? When is the last time you gave yourself a reward? What gets you through the stressful times?