Ways to Deal with Stress Using a Rewards Based System

Have you ever faced a deadline and felt like you were about to crumble under the weight of responsibility? How did you get through it? Did you focus on the goal or what you would accomplish once you hit the goal? You may need to learn how to deal with stress.

Rewards-based systems work, especially when it comes to ways to deal with stress. You can choose from almost all stressful tasks and create a reward to help you through the process. But first, you should know why rewards work.

Why rewards work.

Why do companies use a rewards-based system to help customers and employees reach goals? The reason is that motivation is a strong force. When we are highly motivated to act, we associate the reward with the activity and the feelings of achievement that follow when we reach a goal.

For example, one weight loss organization rewards customers who reach milestone weight loss with a small charm representing the weight lost. This behavior motivates the customer to continue their weight loss journey to collect more charms and gain confidence in pursuing the goal.

Another company runs virtual challenges where people can run, walk or cycle in virtual races. When the customer completes a virtual race, they receive a medal. The medal from the virtual challenge and the charm from the weight loss organization are tangible rewards. In addition, the rewards strengthen the customer’s resolve to continue healthy behavior.

When we implement a rewards-based system, we want the prize. We want to push ourselves slightly past our comfort zones. The prize may be the reward, or you may reward yourself a little along the way. Everyone is different, so choose or create a system that will keep the motivation from waning too soon and help you to develop healthy habits.

Rewarding ways to deal with stress.

Now that you know what a great asset rewards can be as one of the ways to deal with stress, what kind of rewards should you seek? Since everyone is unique, you may find that you prefer a monetary type of reward. Or maybe you want something you can hold in your hand, or the recognition is enough to keep you on track.

Think about the types of rewards you like to receive. You can always combine or alternate reward types.

Monetary rewards.

Monetary rewards can be various payments or prizes. For example, a company might reward a Grand Prize Winner with an all-expense paid trip to New York City. Although the winner may not see the money, the company has paid for the transportation, hotel, and meals for the round trip to NYC.

Other companies give away cash. For example, you may have entered a contest in the hopes of winning $5000 in cash as the Grand Prize winner. You can also think of other forms of currency as part of this reward system. Some companies reward points for specific actions; you can redeem them for cash or a tangible prize when you have accumulated enough points.

So how can you use the monetary rewards system to reach your goals? First, think about the amount of the reward you would like and how you will track your actions to reach your goal. For example, let’s say you want to lose 40 pounds in one year. You could place $500 cash in an envelope as your Grand Prize, then put the envelope in a safe place.

As you track your weight loss on a chart, you realize you need smaller monetary goals to keep you motivated as you build your new healthier habits. Assign envelopes with smaller amounts for every ten pounds lost. You might make sure there is enough for a new exercise workout or running shoes.

Self-discipline comes into play to keep you from getting into the envelopes before you have reached your goals. Keep pressing and looking forward to reaching those milestones.

Tangible rewards.

Some people do better with tangible rewards and are interested in something other than monetary prizes. Tangible rewards are those you can handle or display. For example, have you ever won a trophy? That tangible reward may have spurred you on to continue the action that earned you that trophy.

When we receive rewards, the part of our brains in charge of happiness makes the connection that if we do the action again, we will receive another prize. For example, you might join a reading challenge that rewards you with virtual ribbons for every book you read. Although this is a virtual challenge, your brain recognizes the reward system. You become excited to finish a book and collect your ribbon.

How can you use a tangible reward system? It depends on the goals you want to achieve and how much creativity you put into them. For example, do you want to join a challenge where the rewards come to you? Or would you rather purchase your own when you hit a goal? Examples of tangible goals include medals for finishing races, trophies for completing projects, memberships or subscriptions for hitting a milestone, or the finished product from hours of work.

You can always ask a friend to pick a reward for you when you reach specific milestones to achieve your goal. By having a friend pick out your prize, a surprise factor will be involved, which may increase your excitement.

If your goal includes working with an organization, like a gym, weight loss company, library, or another group, ask about their incentive programs. You might be surprised to learn that the gym offers free memberships when you reach your goal, the weight loss company might give out merchandise when you hit a milestone, or the library may have an exclusive mug for members that reach a specific number of books read over the summer. It never hurts to ask.

Recognition rewards.

Some of us need recognition for our hard work. Did you love the end-of-year ceremonies in school when the administration presented students with certificates for their achievements? Some companies continue this reward system with employee-of-the-month and employee-of-the-year plaques. Ask yourself:

• What type of recognition do you like?
• Do you want your name on a company or organization’s website?
• Would you rather have a certificate you can frame and display in your office?

These rewards increase social proof. Social proof tells people that a product or service is excellent; the same applies when we see our names on a website. When someone publicly acknowledges us for our hard work, it makes us feel good, and we want to continue the work that brought us praise.

There is something to be said about placing too much worth into the opinion of others. If you base your worth on whether you receive recognition, you may be setting yourself up for heartache. Expectations of an outcome outside of your control can leave you reeling and depressed if it doesn’t work out the way you hoped.

Instead, work toward the title, but give yourself other rewards along the way. For example, choose a monetary or tangible reward throughout the year as you work toward employee-of-the-month.

The biggest reward you will receive is by becoming the person needed to gain that title. That person is more than likely diligent, works with excellence, displays integrity, thinks of others, and practices kindness. Work toward being that person, and accolades and recognition will follow.

Finding support.

There are many ways to deal with stress, and developing a rewards-based system customized to your specific situation on your own may not be enough support. You might need a professional to help you with personal development.

Complete the contact form on our website to schedule an appointment with a counselor. We would love to talk with you and brainstorm new rewards to motivate you while creating healthy and productive habits. You will find that as you work toward goals and receive the rewards based on your journey that your stress will seem manageable.