We have celebrations for many reasons in today’s world, and most of them have to do with others.
We spend time celebrating milestones, birthdays, special events, and other occasions that mean something to ourselves, our culture, or our friends.
Here’s a question for you: when was the last time you celebrated yourself?
Celebrating ourselves is something we need to do for one simple reason:Â It allows us to relax. You’ve received a big work promotion, a massive new job, closed on your first (or next) home, or found the love interest of your dreams.
These are all big wins, and before you delve into the new world of work, responsibility, or a committed relationship that’s been thrown (or pulled) into your lap, you deserve some time to relax and just bask in your victory.
You are awesome; otherwise, you wouldn’t be winning at life, and a celebration just for yourself is something that can empower you to feel good about what you’ve accomplished.
If you are unsure exactly how to celebrate yourself, here are a few tips:
Tip #1: Do Something Only You Love
One of the hardest parts of being married or having a group of friends is that you need to take their opinions into account when planning certain activities.
You need to make sure that the things you do are things that you and your significant other or group of friends can both enjoy and while that works most of the time, for your personal celebration, you need to do something that is just for you.
If you are a massive fan of a certain type of food, activity, sport, or something else that not too many people in your circle like, then make that the point of your celebration.
Go somewhere and have fun just for yourself, and don’t think about anyone else for once. This can be a lot of fun to do, especially if it is at a time when you would be alone anyway.
Tip #2: Look Back on All the Good Things You’ve Done (small and large)
While getting the big win is a large shot of joy and adrenaline, a really cool way to celebrate yourself is to look at how far you have come.
For that large promotion you got, did you arrive early and stay late? Did you rally your team against impressive deadlines?
For your new romantic partnership, did you deal with dozens of bad dates before finding the right one for you?
Look back on all the steps, hard choices, and even the sacrifices that have made you who you are right now. The things that got you this big win in the first place and savor them.
You got yourself from the starting line to the finish line, and you need to recognize that and a stroll down memory lane can help you remember all those little (and not so little) victories that have faded from your active memory.
Tip #3: Take A “Pamper Me” Day
Sometimes when you work hard, you just want to have a spa day or a day where you throw on some PJs, have some takeout, and watch old movies.
This is probably the easiest and most fun way to really celebrate yourself – when you can just relax and take an entire day to do whatever you want. It can help you recharge for the work ahead, as well as act as a well-deserved reward for all the work that you do.
No matter how you choose to celebrate yourself, it’s something that most of us do not do very often, even when we win. Sure, you shouldn’t rest on your past victories forever, but you shouldn’t zoom past those laurels, either.
Instead, find a healthy balance that helps to remind you just how awesome you really are.
