December 27, 2014　=========
☆ luxurious　贅沢な
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Have you ever tried starting and continuing a new habit? Sometimes it can be very easy to do so, but other times it’s hard and we need strategies to help us. One strategy is “treats”. Giving yourself “treats” might sound a little too luxurious or self-indulgent, but it’s not! Forming good habits can be really tiring for our brain, and so treats can be very useful while we are in the “forming a new habit” stage.
When we give ourselves luxurious treats we feel energized and contented, which boosts our self-command, which can help us maintain our new habits. On the other hand, when we don’t get any treats, we begin to feel burned-out and resentful. And when we feel like that, we tend to say things like, “I need this” or “I deserve this”, so instead of continuing with the good habit, we feel that it is OK to break the habit.
Do you give yourself treats? For me, I give myself treats, but I don’t call them treats! So I need to start calling them treats – they can be something as simple as a special blend of tea, or some music from iTunes, or they can be much more luxurious treats like a massage or even a hot springs trip. They key is to realize that they are treats and to call them that – that way, we can spend more time really noticing our pleasure and enjoying the treat.
If you’re finding it hard to maintain the habit of studying and using English, can you think of some luxurious treats that might help? How about a nice new pen for writing with? Or a special notebook? Or even a DVD could be a nice treat – and if you watch it without subtitles, it can be good for study too. 🙂
Bye,
Chris