If you live a busy life with a jam-packed schedule, it’s likely you don’t have the time to take a few moments for yourself to just be you. Which probably means that you’re not taking the time to celebrate yourself the way that you deserve. Think about it—you’re the person you’ll be with for the rest of your life. From start to finish, you are you, and celebrating the best things about yourself is just as important as celebrating the people in your life. If you’re still not convinced, stick around and keep reading. You’ll be ready to celebrate your fabulous self in no time.
What does it mean to celebrate yourself?
Celebrating yourself is about committing to celebrating who you are, and loving yourself unconditionally. It means taking time to slow down and acknowledge yourself and your experiences and achievements within the scope of the bigger picture. With all this alone time we’ve all had this year, you’ve probably had ample opportunities to reflect on yourself, but if you find that this reflection has been more about negative self-talk, and less about patting yourself on the back, now is the perfect time to turn that narrative around and celebrate you. After all, you’re the only you there is.
How can you celebrate yourself?
The best way to celebrate yourself is entirely up to you. Maybe your birthday is coming up and you’re wondering what to do if you’re alone on your birthday. Maybe you’ve kicked butt all year long at work, or stepped out of your comfort zone and tried something new, or finally decided to take care of your mental health. Maybe you’ve simply made it through each day, and that in itself is the accomplishment on its own. Whatever your achievement, big or small, if it is important to you, then it’s important enough to celebrate. Only you get to decide if something is worth celebrating.
To take the birthday as an example of a special day of celebration, well, you can just host the birthday party you really want. Maybe that means spending your special day getting yourself gifts—a new dress, some fun accessories, some sleek jackets. Maybe it means taking yourself to a movie (a drive-in, probably, these days) or a hike. Whatever makes you smilespecial day of celebration, well, you can just host the birthday party you really want. Maybe that means spending your special day getting yourself gifts—a new dress, some fun accessories, some sleek jackets. Maybe it means taking yourself to a movie (a drive-in, probably, these days) or a hike. Whatever is your favorite thing that will make you smile is what you should do your big day.
Just like you get to decide if your achievement is worth celebrating, you also get to decide how to celebrate. Whether you pamper yourself with a staycation disguised as a spa weekend at home, buy your favorite scented candle, or pick up the perfect white dress to wear on your next birthday or any other special day, it’s important to remember that you deserve to be rewarded, because you are awesome.
So why is it so important?
Celebrating yourself isn’t just about treating yourself—although that’s a nice thing to do every now and then. Taking the time out of your day or your week to reflect on your accomplishments offers many benefits to your mental health.
The more you reflect on the great things about yourself, the more positive things you’ll start to notice—and hopefully, the fewer flaws you’ll continue to point out. By stepping out of your comfort zone and learning to love yourself just as you are, you will begin to radiate positivity and confidence, which will in turn put positivity into your friendships, work environment, and relationships. People who are nice to themselves by habit are also nice to others. So by giving your own mood a boost, you could change the day of someone who’s going through a tough time without even realizing it!
A lot of us live in the now all the time, without any room for thinking about the future or dwelling on the past. This is fine as a short term coping mechanism, but if we don’t take the time to appreciate and learn from the past while also planning for the future, things can get derailed quickly. By taking the time to be instead of just do, you can take the time to appreciate every step along the way, rather than just your big accomplishments. Life isn’t just about getting from Point A to Point B. It’s also about all of the in-between moments that get us from last year to next year.
Sometimes we get so wrapped up in the things we want or the goals we have, that we don’t take the time to appreciate what is right in front of us. By taking the time to reflect on ourselves and celebrate our accomplishments, we learn to be grateful for the things we do have and the things we have accomplished because those things are what pave the way to our end goals. We have a limited time here, and we should enjoy and appreciate ourselves while we have the chance.
We always make sure to take the time to celebrate those big moments—milestone birthdays, promotions, choosing the perfect wedding dress, or making that big move to New York. But don’t forget to take the time to celebrate the little moments that make up the journey, because no one deserves to be celebrated more than you do.
