Celebrate Yourself!

As we're coming to the end of the year, I want to encourage you to give yourself some time to reflect on this year and celebrate all that you've achieved. Encourage yourself to focus only on the positive. I know it can feel easier to focus on the negative, the hardships, the challenges, on what you didn't do or the goals you didn't accomplish. I'm asking you to redirect your focus on what you did do, what you did accomplish. Focus on all the positive things that happened to you this past year.

I'm a big believer in setting goals and every new year I make a list of goals for myself. I write out what I'd like to achieve on the whiteboard that hangs in my office so that I can see my goals every single day. The truth is that this year I wasn't able to accomplish a lot of those goals. Most years I'm able to accomplish all and sometimes more of my goals, however this year, I wasn't able to do that. Life presented many unexpected challenges that caused me to switch focus and put some of my goals on hold. And you know what? I'm totally fine with that. I give myself grace, love, and understanding for the things that I wasn't able to do. Even though I didn't accomplish all that I set out to, I still accomplished a ton of other things! That's what I'm celebrating about myself and it's what I want to encourage you do.

In what ways did you make lemonade with the lemons you were given?

How to Celebrate Yourself:

There are many ways to celebrate yourself, here's one of my favorite celebration exercises.

First,

Ensure that you won't be distracted by turning off your phone and letting everyone in your home know that they can't interrupt you.

Next,

Get a pen and paper and sit in a comfortable place that you feel good in. Perhaps you'll want to make a cup of tea, light a candle, and put on some calming music to further enhance the experience.

Then,

Close your eyes, allow a few deep breaths with long, intentional exhales, and begin reflecting on the year. Write out everything positive that comes to mind. Everything. Even the memories that seem too small or insignificant to count. Allow everything that comes to you to go on your list, as long as it's positive. Don't just write down the really big, (seemingly) more important things. Write out everything. The more you can write out the better!

Benefits,

This exercise will bring your focus on the positive and it'll help your body release feel good hormones: endorphins, dopamine, oxytocin, and serotonin. When these hormones are released, you'll boost your mood and increase happiness while reducing stress, anxiety, and depression. There are so many great things that you did this past year! So many things that you can acknowledge and celebrate yourself for. Many things you can give yourself a pat on the back for. Even amongst unexpected challenges that you may have faced, you can find some positive.

Finally,

Once you feel that your list is complete, place your hand on your heart. Read out loud the first thing you wrote down. Then close your eyes, put a smile on your face and say, "I'm grateful that I __________ (fill in the blank with the first thing you wrote down). Allow deep breath. Open your eyes, look at the second thing you wrote down. Read it aloud. Then close your eyes, put a smile on your face and say, "I'm grateful that I __________ (fill in the blank with the second thing you wrote down). Allow deep breath. Continue until you have completed your list.

Adding this last step of expressing gratitude for each thing you listed will further help you celebrate and release feel good hormones, while encouraging you to accomplish more. You've likely heard, What you appreciate appreciates. Gratitude is the practice that keeps on giving! For more on the practice of gratitude, click here.

With all the celebrating you'll be doing over the holiday season, don't forget to celebrate yourself. Then leave a comment and let others know what you accomplished this year.