{"id":42102,"date":"2016-08-12T19:36:07","date_gmt":"2016-08-13T03:36:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/?p=42102"},"modified":"2017-05-27T08:48:52","modified_gmt":"2017-05-27T16:48:52","slug":"6-gifts-to-give-yourself-everyday-because-you-deserve-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/6-gifts-to-give-yourself-everyday-because-you-deserve-it\/","title":{"rendered":"6 Gifts To Give Yourself Everyday"},"content":{"rendered":"<div style=\"margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;\" class=\"sharethis-inline-share-buttons\" ><\/div><p><strong>There are about 20 major holidays in the U.S. alone<\/strong>, not counting special and cultural holidays. That means you have 20 opportunities to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/4-steps-acquire-gift-giving\/\">give and receive gifts<\/a> in a year. That\u2019s a LOT of chances to get something nice. But what if you knew that it\u2019s normal to accept gifts every day? <em>Would you allow yourself to be spoiled that much?<\/em><\/p>\n<p>According to professor of Psychological and Brain Sciences, <em>Susan Krauss Whitbourne, Ph.D<\/em>., people are often <a href=\"https:\/\/www.psychologytoday.com\/blog\/fulfillment-any-age\/201501\/6-ways-take-better-care-yourself\" rel=\"nofollow\">reluctant to take care of themselves<\/a>. This explains why you won\u2019t think twice before giving your kids an expensive toy, but you\u2019ll feel guilty buying yourself new shoes.<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s not to say that you\u2019re not being practical or that you\u2019re selfish. Rather, learning to give \u2018gifts\u2019 to yourself everyday will help you become a more balanced individual. <strong>When you\u2019re better in tune with yourself, there\u2019s more love to share with those around you.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>But what sort of gifts should you give yourself? <em>Ultra-comfy fluffy slippers? How about a self-stirring mug?<\/em> Stuff is nice \u2013 but it\u2019s best to invest in gifts that won\u2019t change or deteriorate over time. Give yourself these six gifts that cost little to none, but should make each day more special.<\/p>\n<h2>1. The gift of pause.<\/h2>\n<p>Life today has become busier than ever. Work for eight hours, hang out with friends, catch up on the Web before midnight, wake up by dawn, take care of family on weekends, rinse and repeat. Day turns to night and you wonder about another trip that didn\u2019t push through, or another call that you didn\u2019t return.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s certainly not practical nowadays to simply leave it all behind. But you owe it to yourself to TAKE A BREAK \u2013 even if for just a few minutes. <strong>The gift of pause should clear your mind, helping you make better decisions<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Stuck between deadlines at work? Pause, breathe in, and slowly exhale.<\/li>\n<li>Full schedule ahead? Wake up slowly instead of immediately reaching for your mobile.<\/li>\n<li>Stressed with your spouse? Enjoy a warm cup of coffee or tea before things get out of hand.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>You don\u2019t need to hop on a plane to give yourself a well-deserved break. Often, just <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/how-to-stop-worrying-and-take-charge-of-your-life\/\">stopping to smell the flowers<\/a> is enough.<\/p>\n<h2>2. The gift of music.<\/h2>\n<p>When you\u2019re stressed or angry, the last thing you can think of is to listen to music. But before you continue work on a foul mood, there are scientific studies that suggest music can have beneficial effects on individuals. In <a href=\"http:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC3734071\/\" rel=\"nofollow\">one research<\/a>, listening to soothing sounds has helped participants recover faster from stressful stimuli.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Don\u2019t underestimate the gift of music. Use its power whenever you need to<\/strong>:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>be productive at work.<\/li>\n<li>de-stress after a long day.<\/li>\n<li>increase self-esteem.<\/li>\n<li>reduce burnout and the blues.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Simply turn up the volume and sing \u2013 or dance \u2013 your troubles away! Not at home? No problem. Simply pop on your headphones and hum to your own tune. There\u2019s no reason for you not to enjoy your favorite songs every day.<\/p>\n<h2>3. The gift of laughter.<\/h2>\n<p>You already know how things like proper diet, exercise, and meditation are good for you. But what about something as simple as laughter? Although research about its <a href=\"http:\/\/www.webmd.com\/balance\/features\/give-your-body-boost-with-laughter?page=2\" rel=\"nofollow\">mental and physical effects<\/a> is still vague, you\u2019ve no doubt felt better after a few seconds of genuine hilarity. Whether you\u2019re giggling from a friend\u2019s joke or chuckling over a funny sitcom, it\u2019s usually enough to turn a bad day around.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Laughter may not be the best medicine (yet), but it sure can foster good relations as it helps us connect with the people we share giggles with. <strong>Don\u2019t deprive yourself of the gift of laughter<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Play with your kids or partner.<\/li>\n<li>Watch a funny movie or video.<\/li>\n<li>Read witty articles or comics.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Use the web to quickly get your daily dose of fun.<\/p>\n<h2>4. The gift of nature.<\/h2>\n<p>Trees, flowers, mountains, and hillsides not only look great, they also promote health and wellness. There are <a href=\"https:\/\/www.asla.org\/healthbenefitsofnature.aspx\" rel=\"nofollow\">numerous studies<\/a> that support how nature is good for us: from inspiring people to take on more active lifestyles, to helping patients cope with various health conditions. <strong>Even if you live in the urban jungle, you deserve a bit of greenery to brighten up your days<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Visit your local park or garden whenever you feel the need to de-stress.<\/li>\n<li>No park nearby? Try growing your own garden at home, or bringing a cute potted plant to work.<\/li>\n<li>Absolutely pressed for time? Simply look outside your window and scan for something green.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>5. The gift of health.<\/h2>\n<p>One of the reasons why you need to take care of yourself is so that you\u2019ll have more energy to give your friends and family. You can\u2019t spend time with them if you\u2019re tired or sick. So <strong>investing in your health may be one of the best gifts you can give yourself<\/strong>. There are the basics like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/afford-eating-clean-healthy-food\/\">balanced nutrition<\/a> and exercise; but don\u2019t forget other things you can do to look and feel better, such as:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Meditating.<\/li>\n<li>Visiting a spa or sauna.<\/li>\n<li>Getting a massage from a loved one.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>6. The gift of love.<\/h2>\n<blockquote><p><strong>\u201cWhen we love, we always strive to become better than we are. When we strive to become better than we are, everything around us becomes better too.\u201d<\/strong> \u2015 Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Love certainly is what makes the world go round; what makes us get up in the morning, and the reason why we pursue the impossible. If you want to give more love to the world, there\u2019s no better place to begin than with yourself. Every day, each of us is given multiple chances to take care of ourselves.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/21191751\/girl-laughter-gifts.jpeg\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p>But often, modern expectations trump over this principle. We push ourselves beyond our limit, we lose sleep and appetite, we neglect the activities we enjoy. This leaves us feeling depleted. By the time our friends and family come to us for a shower of love, we can barely give a drop.<\/p>\n<p>But the beautiful thing about this gift is that it doesn\u2019t keep count. Our loved ones forgive us, and we\u2019re free to begin again. <strong>Don\u2019t rob yourself of love: talk to friends and family whenever you can, spend time with your kids, write in your journal, or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/3-reasons-we-should-embrace-solitude\/\">enjoy the solitude<\/a><\/strong>. This is the least expensive gift of all: yet it pays for itself tenfold.<\/p>\n<p>You deserve priceless gifts. It may not be shiny pearls, or an expensive car \u2013 but trust in these gifts to make every day more beautiful.<\/p>\n<p>\u2014<br \/>\n<em>Cristina Antonio is the EIC of scoopfed.com and a writer of all things related to world news, movies, real estate, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.laser-review.com\/\" rel=\"nofollow\">health<\/a>, or social media. She\u2019s currently focused on helping healthcare workers find better career opportunities through Locum Tenens. Cris also enjoys painting, collecting toys, reading German novels, and lurking the Web.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Giving yourself gifts doesn&#8217;t have to cost money. Choose priceless presents that keep on giving &#8211; making each day more special. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/6-gifts-to-give-yourself-everyday-because-you-deserve-it\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11028,"featured_media":42105,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0},"categories":[32,6],"tags":[5370,3910,5369,4641,637,46,280,51,66,387,4629,5368],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v19.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>6 Gifts To Give Yourself Everyday<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Giving yourself gifts doesn&#039;t have to cost money. 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Choose priceless presents that keep on giving - making each day more special.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/6-gifts-to-give-yourself-everyday-because-you-deserve-it\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/pickthebrain\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:author\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/cris.antonio.127\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2016-08-13T03:36:07+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2017-05-27T16:48:52+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/gifts-box.jpeg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"800\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"483\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@pickthebrain\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@pickthebrain\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Cris Antonio\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/\",\"name\":\"Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement\",\"description\":\"\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/6-gifts-to-give-yourself-everyday-because-you-deserve-it\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/gifts-box.jpeg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/gifts-box.jpeg\",\"width\":800,\"height\":483,\"caption\":\"6 Gifts To Give Yourself Every Day\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/6-gifts-to-give-yourself-everyday-because-you-deserve-it\/#webpage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/6-gifts-to-give-yourself-everyday-because-you-deserve-it\/\",\"name\":\"6 Gifts To Give Yourself Everyday\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/6-gifts-to-give-yourself-everyday-because-you-deserve-it\/#primaryimage\"},\"datePublished\":\"2016-08-13T03:36:07+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2017-05-27T16:48:52+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/d32d6ee2c921f7c8937fa1eeca358024\"},\"description\":\"Giving yourself gifts doesn't have to cost money. 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