I’m getting my flu shot for the first time on Thursday. I hate several aspects of this, but I hate that I have never had it before even more.
Nevertheless, doing this means I need to put in self care and “who’s a good doggie” type rewards for myself in order to get through without bailing. I’m thinking the promise of visiting a nice park and doughnuts afterwards.
What do you tempt yourself with to get through stuff you really, really want to bail on?
Fancy coffee, from the fancy coffee place.
New music on iTunes.
Almost always fancy coffee, because it’s not that expensive but I get so much more joy out of it if it’s a treat that I earned (yes, I know that’s possibly problematic…)
The other one is nachos for dinner, and watching youtube while I eat it. I try not to treat food as a reward, because I need to eat it to live, but nachos are a ritual that symbolizes “a night off” after a long project - so nachos. And then watching trash youtube.
If it relates to some sort of fear, tbh, bragging? If I do something that scares me, I will be like “LOOK AT ME CONQUERING THAT FEAR, YEEEEAH” for at least a day afterwards…
If I don’t want to do it because it’s a bore/just not my thing, honestly no bribe works. Never has. 
I refuse to use food as a reward (my relationship with it is dicey enough without that complexity thrown in) and I’m never going to restrict my reading or knitting time.
Sometimes getting to hatch Habitica pets or hitting my Habitica sparklepoints habit helps on boring/routine stuff. That’s about it.
Yea, boring self-care things like stretching and skin care (stuff I don’t really enjoy doing but I know helps me in the long-term), habitica is the only thing that works right now. I like pets.
If it’s something I have to do outside my house, I usually use it as an excuse to enjoy the area I’m going to. When I started therapy in college, there was a really good fried chicken place right by the office, so I’d go there after. Other times it’s a new Indian restaurant or a cool coffee shop or what have you.
Enamel pins. There are basically an infinite amount of them that I’d like to own, but they’re too frivolous for me to just buy in impulse. Doing something that causes a lot of anxiety? TOTALLY worth a new enamel pin.
Food, takeout, hot chocolate, pop. Books. Coffee shop reading. Sleep. Makeup. Bath products. Baths. Not having to leave the house. Leaving the house.
Tbh I reward myself for basically everything.
Thought of another one: books on audible.
Very late to the party but in our household … ice-cream!!