How do you reward yourself?

[Seņora Savings]

I agree with everyone that you should already be doing everything in your life because it will make you happiest and that going off your routine for a reward will only make your life worse in the long run.  But I'm also human, so I give myself carrots (not literally, gross) from time to time.  Usually when I'm trying to get grading done on Friday.  Sometimes it will be a break after I've done a certain amount of work (I'll play the harp or play with my dog) and sometime I'll buy something that I was already planning to buy.  So if there's a book that you want and you know that you're going to get it eventually and the library doesn't have it, you can hold off on getting it until you've done the thing that you wanted to do.  Basically I reward myself with things that I would be doing anyways but I'll do them at a different time to make it feel like a reward.  I also try to give myself a logical reward.  I grade so that a) I will have free time later and b) I will continue to get paid for doing my job.  So I reward myself with free time and spending money. 

If you're exercising for health I think that it's off to reward yourself with something unhealthy.  So pick something healthy that you enjoy (a picnic! the zoo! a charity 5k!) and do that.  If you're exercising for looks, then head to the thrift shop and buy yourself a something fun, or just try clothes on to see how good you look.

[DeltaBond]

My amazon list could definitely stand to be shortened.  I don't often feel any need to "reward" myself - I guess it depends on what I feel the need to reward.  I'm very zen about things, and I tend to feel greatful for my life as it is, but the times I feel I need to be comforted, I think that is the closest answer to what you're asking - and yes, its taken me this long to really think about that...

When I have to endure a LOT of bs at work, or anywhere, I try and balance out those tensed up brainwaves by treating myself to something I've been waiting to buy.  I don't like to reward myself with food, so its typically a book, cd, clothing, something like that.  Sometimes I reward myself with 20 lashes for even thinking about a reward!

I'm still laughing at the "women workout because..." argument ;)