What is your instant gratification thang?
July 2, 2024 1:14 PM Subscribe
What activity, or thing lifts your spirits instantly?
It can be an activity, pastime, food,etc. Mine is ironing clothes. I'm an elder and have loved doing it since my teens. I go deep. I like a starched item when applicable. I used to do liquid starch, wring them out, but have switched to spray starch. And steam setting is a must. How great is it to watch the wrinkles disappear and be replaced by a beautiful flat surface. I admit I might not find it as pleasurable if I had to do it 3 times a week for a family, but this is strictly for myself. Sheets can be a drag too. I'll do a quick swipe on those. So where do you find pleasure and gratification in some activity? I mention this to friends occasionally, and am usually met with silence.
It can be an activity, pastime, food,etc. Mine is ironing clothes. I'm an elder and have loved doing it since my teens. I go deep. I like a starched item when applicable. I used to do liquid starch, wring them out, but have switched to spray starch. And steam setting is a must. How great is it to watch the wrinkles disappear and be replaced by a beautiful flat surface. I admit I might not find it as pleasurable if I had to do it 3 times a week for a family, but this is strictly for myself. Sheets can be a drag too. I'll do a quick swipe on those. So where do you find pleasure and gratification in some activity? I mention this to friends occasionally, and am usually met with silence.
Walking my dog. Also petting my dog. Giving him treats makes me really happy as well. If I really think about it all I have to do is look at my dog and I am flooded with joy.
Food is another thing that brings me a lot of pleasure. Preparing and serving food to people I love and eating all the delicious food mmmmmmm.
posted by RobinofFrocksley at 1:34 PM on July 2 [10 favorites]
Food is another thing that brings me a lot of pleasure. Preparing and serving food to people I love and eating all the delicious food mmmmmmm.
posted by RobinofFrocksley at 1:34 PM on July 2 [10 favorites]
Singing. Even vocal practice exercises. Do re mi fa so la ti do!
posted by Sauce Trough at 1:37 PM on July 2 [4 favorites]
posted by Sauce Trough at 1:37 PM on July 2 [4 favorites]
Riding an e-bike, even a short little distance like the 5 block round trip to the grocer. It's a bike ride, which is already great, but with a fun little boost. Puts a smile on my face every single time.
If we are talking about getting stuff done, vacuuming a carpet is a solid activity.
posted by AgentRocket at 1:40 PM on July 2 [3 favorites]
If we are talking about getting stuff done, vacuuming a carpet is a solid activity.
posted by AgentRocket at 1:40 PM on July 2 [3 favorites]
Getting in to water. A pool, the ocean, an ice cold river, a hot shower, doesn't matter what. Works every time.
posted by saladin at 1:43 PM on July 2 [12 favorites]
posted by saladin at 1:43 PM on July 2 [12 favorites]
A bike ride, every time.
posted by mhoye at 2:03 PM on July 2 [3 favorites]
posted by mhoye at 2:03 PM on July 2 [3 favorites]
I love ironing, too! So satisfying. Also walking, petting, treating, and looking at my dog. And any kind of swimming.
I will add:
-In the summertime, taking a coolish bath and putting on a clean nightie and sliding into a freshly made bed with cool, crips, clean sheets. Clean clean clean. (And my pillowcases are ironed!) Sleeping like this with the windows open and waking up to the cool, clean morning air. I stretch and feel the cool part of the bed with my feet and oh, it's heaven!
-Picking raspberries. I had a big raspberry patch for many years that was sacrificed for a new deck and now I have replanted and this is the first year that I'm getting a real harvest. It's just so great to find a ripe one hiding.
-Scrubbing my feet clean. I love having clean feet. Totally underrated. I learned this from my uncle of all people, when he was chastising my cousin for having smelly feet and told her to go wash them. "Every day after work I change my clothes and wash my feet before coming back downstairs" he said. Huh, thought teenage me. This must be the way of adults. I have been doing it ever since and it is a true pleasure.
posted by HotToddy at 2:04 PM on July 2 [5 favorites]
I will add:
-In the summertime, taking a coolish bath and putting on a clean nightie and sliding into a freshly made bed with cool, crips, clean sheets. Clean clean clean. (And my pillowcases are ironed!) Sleeping like this with the windows open and waking up to the cool, clean morning air. I stretch and feel the cool part of the bed with my feet and oh, it's heaven!
-Picking raspberries. I had a big raspberry patch for many years that was sacrificed for a new deck and now I have replanted and this is the first year that I'm getting a real harvest. It's just so great to find a ripe one hiding.
-Scrubbing my feet clean. I love having clean feet. Totally underrated. I learned this from my uncle of all people, when he was chastising my cousin for having smelly feet and told her to go wash them. "Every day after work I change my clothes and wash my feet before coming back downstairs" he said. Huh, thought teenage me. This must be the way of adults. I have been doing it ever since and it is a true pleasure.
posted by HotToddy at 2:04 PM on July 2 [5 favorites]
Putting envelopes in the mail machine at work is so fun to me. I put them in the little slot thing on the left and they zip through the machine and come out the other end stamped and ready to be mailed out. I like it so much that sometimes if I hear someone else starting the machine in the work room I'll go over just to watch them put the letters in.
I also use one of these things a lot at work, for folding programs and cards and such. I love drawing the straight line down the page with the little plastic knife. Sometimes I'll also use this thing to get a stack of folded papers really flat. That's especially satisfying to do as the last step in a task, so I like to save it for the end.
posted by birthday cake at 2:10 PM on July 2 [4 favorites]
I also use one of these things a lot at work, for folding programs and cards and such. I love drawing the straight line down the page with the little plastic knife. Sometimes I'll also use this thing to get a stack of folded papers really flat. That's especially satisfying to do as the last step in a task, so I like to save it for the end.
posted by birthday cake at 2:10 PM on July 2 [4 favorites]
Shaving my legs and getting into a bed with crisp clean sheets
Making quality coffee and pouring it directly over ice in the summer (not cold brew)
Making my bed
Folding laundry
Washing dishes
posted by greta simone at 2:12 PM on July 2 [2 favorites]
Making quality coffee and pouring it directly over ice in the summer (not cold brew)
Making my bed
Folding laundry
Washing dishes
posted by greta simone at 2:12 PM on July 2 [2 favorites]
When hummus went over $5 for a small pot, I got a small food processor and started making my own. Now I look forward to the process of roasting garlic, assembling the other ingredients, and whizzing up a week's supply.
Brushing the cat is also satisfying, especially this time of year when I can get an entire extra cat's worth of fuzz from her undercoat every couple of days.
posted by zadcat at 2:14 PM on July 2 [2 favorites]
Brushing the cat is also satisfying, especially this time of year when I can get an entire extra cat's worth of fuzz from her undercoat every couple of days.
posted by zadcat at 2:14 PM on July 2 [2 favorites]
I mention this to friends occasionally, and am usually met with silence.
I have a guess of what activity they are thinking about and understand why they might be a little reluctant to share it.
posted by Mr.Know-it-some at 2:22 PM on July 2 [6 favorites]
I have a guess of what activity they are thinking about and understand why they might be a little reluctant to share it.
posted by Mr.Know-it-some at 2:22 PM on July 2 [6 favorites]
Cup of tea. Nap. Lovely coffee.
I’m looking for ones that aren’t snacks personally but I love a good snack.
posted by lokta at 2:42 PM on July 2 [2 favorites]
I’m looking for ones that aren’t snacks personally but I love a good snack.
posted by lokta at 2:42 PM on July 2 [2 favorites]
Riding a stationary bike, going for a walk, silly dancing and off-key singing to my favorite songs, deep cleaning the entire apartment. Also a new one, but I've been going through tons of old family pictures and decided to try and colorize some of them, so now this is also on the list as I'm spending too much time in Photoglory colorizing old images and happily humming about it, haha!
posted by torturedpoet at 3:04 PM on July 2 [2 favorites]
posted by torturedpoet at 3:04 PM on July 2 [2 favorites]
Getting up early and weeding and pruning by hand without any motorized tools, while listening to podcasts.
posted by caviar2d2 at 3:12 PM on July 2 [3 favorites]
posted by caviar2d2 at 3:12 PM on July 2 [3 favorites]
I also love ironing, specifically the cloth napkins I make by hemming fat quarters. None of my napkins match but they are all delightful.
posted by The corpse in the library at 3:22 PM on July 2 [3 favorites]
posted by The corpse in the library at 3:22 PM on July 2 [3 favorites]
Eating ice cream
Doing embroidery
Painting my nails
posted by sugarbomb at 3:36 PM on July 2 [2 favorites]
Doing embroidery
Painting my nails
posted by sugarbomb at 3:36 PM on July 2 [2 favorites]
Response by poster: the corps in the library. Now I want to learn how to sew on a sewing machine. I can't imagine the pleasure of hemming a rough edge. I would do handkerchiefs I think.
posted by Czjewel at 3:40 PM on July 2 [1 favorite]
posted by Czjewel at 3:40 PM on July 2 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: birthday cake. That one rolling tool resembles what is called a brayer, used in printmaking. I have one, but it is made of hardwood.
posted by Czjewel at 3:44 PM on July 2
posted by Czjewel at 3:44 PM on July 2
Sorting. I absolutely love sorting, counting, and rolling coins, but alphabetizing books, arranging drawers are awesome. Once at work there was a big box of loose keys and I wish I could have matched each key to its filing cabinet. That’s the dream.
posted by Valancy Rachel at 4:28 PM on July 2 [4 favorites]
posted by Valancy Rachel at 4:28 PM on July 2 [4 favorites]
Every day I go to my friend’s horse stable and clean 10 horse stalls. There’s something about entering a messy stall, cleaning it, and then having a moment of pride in my work and a clean space. Until the horse walks over and poops again, of course.
posted by Sassyfras at 4:39 PM on July 2 [1 favorite]
posted by Sassyfras at 4:39 PM on July 2 [1 favorite]
Listening to my favourite songs;
Reading new books by my favourite authors like Ursula Vernon/T. Kingfisher;
new episodes of good TV shows, like the US comedy series Ghosts;
eating tasty food;
getting into bed when I've just changed the sheets;
light-hearted phone calls with a friend.
posted by chariot pulled by cassowaries at 5:01 PM on July 2 [1 favorite]
Reading new books by my favourite authors like Ursula Vernon/T. Kingfisher;
new episodes of good TV shows, like the US comedy series Ghosts;
eating tasty food;
getting into bed when I've just changed the sheets;
light-hearted phone calls with a friend.
posted by chariot pulled by cassowaries at 5:01 PM on July 2 [1 favorite]
Also, when I go outside and there are flocks of red-tailed black cockatoos wheeling overhead and calling. They are a rare bird, and it's always great to see them.
posted by chariot pulled by cassowaries at 5:09 PM on July 2 [1 favorite]
posted by chariot pulled by cassowaries at 5:09 PM on July 2 [1 favorite]
Valancy Rachel, totally hear you on sorting and organizing things. I have an MLIS, and one winter break I assigned Library of Congress call numbers to my book collection and even made little spine label stickers. Seriously the most satisfying task EVER.
I LOVE cleaning my linoleum kitchen floor with my steam mop. It only takes a few minutes and it's SO nice and clean afterwards.
Not really a task, but in cold weather, getting under the electric blanket on my couch and turning on a show is total instant gratification.
posted by leftover_scrabble_rack at 5:13 PM on July 2 [1 favorite]
I LOVE cleaning my linoleum kitchen floor with my steam mop. It only takes a few minutes and it's SO nice and clean afterwards.
Not really a task, but in cold weather, getting under the electric blanket on my couch and turning on a show is total instant gratification.
posted by leftover_scrabble_rack at 5:13 PM on July 2 [1 favorite]
Taking a deep breath, and on the exhale, lowering my shoulders which have a tendency to be tense and raise up. A nice big whole-body reach as high as I can standing stretch and then shake-out.
Crossing something off of a to-do list, especially if I had been anxiety procrastinating.
posted by Sparky Buttons at 5:16 PM on July 2 [4 favorites]
Crossing something off of a to-do list, especially if I had been anxiety procrastinating.
posted by Sparky Buttons at 5:16 PM on July 2 [4 favorites]
Caring for the plants: watering, trimming, repotting, moving them around the house.
Caring for the birds in the front yard: filling the feeders, filling the bird baths with fresh water.
Cleaning, decluttering and organizing any room, closet, cupboard, shelf or area in the house.
posted by veneer at 5:37 PM on July 2 [1 favorite]
Caring for the birds in the front yard: filling the feeders, filling the bird baths with fresh water.
Cleaning, decluttering and organizing any room, closet, cupboard, shelf or area in the house.
posted by veneer at 5:37 PM on July 2 [1 favorite]
Lawn mowing. mmmMMmm.
posted by mcbeth at 6:44 PM on July 2 [2 favorites]
posted by mcbeth at 6:44 PM on July 2 [2 favorites]
Picking up trash at beautiful locations. Went to the Russian River and picked up several hundred pieces at one of my favorite spots today! You get to be in nature and make a visible difference to your environment. I started during COVID and have picked up + - 400,000 pieces of trash. Changed my life in many many ways.
A great cup of coffee, consumed alone or with a friend. Hard to beat.
posted by jcworth at 6:51 PM on July 2 [10 favorites]
A great cup of coffee, consumed alone or with a friend. Hard to beat.
posted by jcworth at 6:51 PM on July 2 [10 favorites]
Washing and waxing my truck.
Ironing my sheets and climbing in for the first time.
Washing dishes.
Folding my laundry.
Driving with my windows down and my music playing.
Walking the aisles of a new (to me) grocery store.
posted by JohnnyGunn at 7:33 PM on July 2
Ironing my sheets and climbing in for the first time.
Washing dishes.
Folding my laundry.
Driving with my windows down and my music playing.
Walking the aisles of a new (to me) grocery store.
posted by JohnnyGunn at 7:33 PM on July 2
Skating at a roller rink with traditional quad skates. Second choice is inline rhythm skating under the moonlight on my dead end street.
posted by nandaro at 7:34 PM on July 2 [1 favorite]
posted by nandaro at 7:34 PM on July 2 [1 favorite]
Popcorn: fresh, hot
A nice drink and a TV episode
A good poop
Folding clean laundry
Washing alllll the dishes
posted by wenestvedt at 7:42 PM on July 2
A nice drink and a TV episode
A good poop
Folding clean laundry
Washing alllll the dishes
posted by wenestvedt at 7:42 PM on July 2
The Smell of patchouli
posted by St. Peepsburg at 7:55 PM on July 2 [1 favorite]
posted by St. Peepsburg at 7:55 PM on July 2 [1 favorite]
Sitting across the table from a friend.
Pottery.
Coffee.
posted by kensington314 at 11:43 PM on July 2
Pottery.
Coffee.
posted by kensington314 at 11:43 PM on July 2
I like pouring things, especially when it's difficult. I'm not sure I would say it “lifts my spirits instantly”, though. That would be getting into bed on a cold day with weighted blankets, a heating pad, and food.
posted by wheatlets at 1:38 AM on July 3
posted by wheatlets at 1:38 AM on July 3
Untangling or unknotting things. Like chain jewelry or cords or shoelaces that have become tangled. Give me some time, and I'll get it done. Very satisfying.
posted by hydra77 at 7:02 AM on July 3 [3 favorites]
posted by hydra77 at 7:02 AM on July 3 [3 favorites]
I like cooking and baking for others and using that as an excuse to eat as much of the batter as I want
posted by wheatlets at 3:43 PM on July 3 [3 favorites]
posted by wheatlets at 3:43 PM on July 3 [3 favorites]
Cheese. My answer is cheese.
posted by dave*p at 6:07 PM on July 14 [1 favorite]
posted by dave*p at 6:07 PM on July 14 [1 favorite]
You are not logged in, either login or create an account to post comments
The 40 or so minutes it takes for me to do my nails, especially since there's a requirement of not being able to use your hands for a bit while things dry, is very centering. And then as a bonus you have shiny colors on your hands for the next few days!
posted by phunniemee at 1:29 PM on July 2 [7 favorites]