People who take time to reflect on and celebrate their accomplishments are more optimistic, take better care of themselves and tend to be less stressed. If celebration increases our sense of well-being, why aren’t we celebrating every day?
In our fast-paced culture, as soon as we overcome one obstacle or complete one project we quickly move on to the next. As we focus on what’s next, we miss the opportunity to relish in the present. This kind of frenzy for what’s next leaves us bogged down, stressed out, and fatigued.
Let’s shift our focus to the present and begin to celebrate the little moments. Celebration doesn’t mean a grand event (although it could) instead it’s about reflecting on the journey, reviewing the progress, and lingering on the positive.
Three simple ways to celebrate the every day.
- Unleash your Inner Child.
If anyone knows how to celebrate it’s children. They squeal at the sight of what we might consider a mundane rock. They jump for joy when they get the opportunity to try something new. They wiggle in their seat at the prospect of putting something delicious in their mouths. To truly celebrate, unleash your inner child. Here’s a fun list.
- Paintball
- Ballet
- Scavenger hunt
- Get a group of friends together to celebrate “us”
- Blow bubbles
- Skip rocks
- Hunt for a bird nest
- Sing at the top of your lungs
- Get a yo-yo
- Walk in the rain
- Design a Playlist.
In all of the important moments of our life, music plays a role — weddings, graduations, birthday parties, funerals, special dinners, movie climax, award ceremonies. When music wasn’t actually playing in real life, it was playing in our heads — getting a driver’s license, first kiss, opening your first bank account, launching a career, purchasing a home. I know you can hear the sound track of those moments. To get your mind, body and spirit celebrating, design a celebration play list. Here are some great songs to add to your list.
- Kool & the Gang’s Celebration
- Megam Trainor’s Better When I’m Dancin’
- Louis Armstrong’s What a Wonderful World
- Pharrell William’s Happy
- Katy Perry’s Roar
- Justin Timberlake’s Can’t Stop the Feeling
- The Princess and the Frog’s Almost There
- James Brown’s I Feel Good
- Greatest Showman’s This is Me
3) Pat Yourself on the Back.
We are notorious for simply rushing past the multiple moments in the day that are significant and deserve celebration. We are so focused on the to-do list that we miss the moments of ta-da! Find ways to pat yourself on the back numerous times during the day as a point of celebration. Here are some suggestions.
- When you walk on your lunch break (instead of staying sedentary), give yourself an “attaboy.”
- Notice the extra moment you gave helping a colleague, pause and recognize your good heartedness. Relish the moment.
- At the end of a challenging project, meeting, moment, take a breath and say to yourself what a great job you did completing that or what a courageous person you are for staying with it. Throw your hands in the air as if you were coming across the finish line of a foot race — simply to celebrate you.
- Write a gratitude letter to yourself. Take the time and expend the energy to truly see all the ways you are grateful for YOU — your physical body and what amazing feats it accomplishes; your marvelous mind and all it’s creativity and strategizing; your spirit and it’s capacity to find peace, order, mindfulness.
Whatever celebration looks like for you, do it in the moment. Celebrate immediately. This new approach to every day celebrating will lead to a new way of thinking. Celebration is an attitude.
Celebrate, good times, come on!
