The Psychological Benefits of Self-Gifting
The idea of self-gifting might sound silly at first glance. How do you give yourself a gift when most of the things you buy are for yourself? The answer lies in the context in which the self-gifting happens. A self-gift must be special and premeditated, which distinguishes it from everyday, utilitarian purchases.
The idea of self-gifting might sound silly at first glance. How do you give yourself a gift when most of the things you buy are for yourself? The answer lies in the context in which the self-gifting happens. A self-gift must be special and premeditated, which distinguishes it from everyday, utilitarian purchases.
When we give gifts to other people we are communicating something to them ("I'm proud of you," "You are special to me," etc.). So, too, we are communicating to ourselves a message when we self-gift. Those communications might be "You are worthy of a gift," "You've worked really hard," "You've had a tough week." etc.). These are all examples of positive self-talk, which the Mayo Clinic says can help with stress management and improve your health.
Psychological studies define self-gifting as a “personally symbolic self-communication through special indulgences that tend to be premeditated and highly context-bound." Scientific studies have shown that the two main contexts that self-gifts occur within are reward and therapy.
Setting a reward for goal achievement is a great way to feel motivated to get started, keep working, and reach the end; enjoy your success; reinforce good behavior, and build new habits. If you are hoping to run a half-marathon, making an agreement with yourself that you will buy yourself something that you want but don't need (like a new TV) will help give you the motivation you need to make it through your training. Should you complete the marathon, the reward you receive will help reinforce the behavior of training for and running marathons.
Self-gifts can also be a kind of therapy. When we give ourselves a gift after a tough time (perhaps we lost our job or lost a loved one), we are showing ourselves self-compassion or self-empathy. Scientists have found a positive correlation between self-empathy and psychological wellbeing. Ravi Shah, who practices psychiatry at Columbia University Medical Center, believes self-compassion is critical for healthy self-esteem and resilience.
Finally, there are the more obvious positive effects of self-gifting. There is excitement in anticipation of receiving the gift (we all need things to look forward to). There's also fun to be had in the unboxing or opening of the gift. There may also be positivity in what the gift does for you. For example, gifting yourself a subscription to Design Decor Box means that you'll need to make room for new decor pieces in your home.
This will likely help you declutter your space and perhaps get rid of outdated decor pieces. Finally, there is the gift of beautifying your home. You'll enjoy your Design Decor Box subscription item every time you enter the room.
Give yourself the gift of a subscription to Design Decor Box as a reward for meeting a goal or a way of showing yourself empathy. Either way, it's the self-gift that keeps on giving!
