I’m hard on myself in a lot of areas in my life, but especially exercise. When I don’t go for a run or hike on a day when I’m “supposed to” (I generally go every other day) I mentally beat myself up for it so hard. Even if I’m just having trouble motivating myself to get dressed and go I can bring myself to tears over it.

This happened yesterday evening. I felt like crap, but managed to get dressed and go for a run—a good one at that. I realized that afterward, driving home, I hadn’t given myself any sort of “props,” or pat on the back. I hadn’t told myself “Good job for going on a run even when you didn’t feel like it.”

If I’m so hard on myself when I don’t go, should the praise when I do go be equal? Can anyone offer any tips of maybe how I can reward myself or simply commend myself in a suitable manner? And maybe stop beating myself up so much as well?

Topics: psychology, rewards, self-help, praise, self-discipline