Why You Should Be Celebrating More Often
“The more you praise and celebrate your life, the more there is in life to celebrate.”
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In today’s high-pressure, goal-oriented culture it’s easy to quickly move from achieving one outcome to another without actually taking time to celebrate the small (and sometimes even the big) wins. You hit that sales goal at work and immediately set a new one. You nail your presentation that you’ve spent weeks preparing only to move on to preparing for the next one. You host an epic birthday party for your 7-year old son only to find relief that it’s over and you can start planning for the upcoming week.
But is this really how we want to live our lives? Moving from one accomplishment to another without taking time to slow down and recognize them. I sure don’t – I’d much rather celebrate.
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I love to celebrate. I will celebrate the normal things like birthdays and holidays. But I’ve also been known to celebrate random things like the weather turning cooler, my daughter no longer needing to wear pull-ups during the day, or a sweet email from a student. My husband used to make fun of me, but he has started to come around and join in on the party! There is so much in life worth celebrating. Each day, the simple fact that we have been given another day to live is worthy of celebration in my book.
Now, you might be thinking, “Kaylee, if you celebrate everything, doesn’t that just make those big celebrations less meaningful? If you celebrate everything, you’re really celebrating nothing.” To which I politely respond, “Not true.”
I would much rather have a life filled with celebrations, a life where each day was special and treated as such, than a life with just a handful of “big” celebrations.
And the research backs me up on this. Celebrating is important! Research has found that many of us suffer from what’s known as a negativity bias – we pay more attention to the negative things that happen throughout our day than we do to the positive ones. In other words, it takes extra effort for us to notice and appreciate the positive aspects of our life. As you can imagine, this negativity can impact the way we view the stressors we encounter, the way we interact with the people around us, and the way we approach our work. And yet, research has also shown that when our brains are in positive mode, we’re more creative, solve problems faster, and tend to be more mentally alert.
How do we get to this positive mode? Well, one way we can do this is by taking the time to celebrate.
To celebrate means to acknowledge a significant happy day or event with a social gathering or enjoyable activity. In other words, celebrating can look like a lot of different things. It can be as small as stepping away from your desk at the end of the day, taking a deep breath, and savoring the fact that you completed all your tasks to the best of your abilities. It could also be a high five with a colleague, a hug with your significant other. Celebrating is simply just taking the time to appreciate the moment.
I want to challenge each of you to celebrate more often.
You are worthy of celebrating even if you didn’t accomplish that sales goal, were late to the meeting, or made a mistake on that report. Start paying attention to the small things worthy of celebrating in your life, and when you notice them take time to celebrate them!
Here’s 5 ways I like to celebrate:
1. Treat myself to a special treat – chocolates, flowers, champagne, bubble bath, etc.
2. Spend time with friends
3. Dance party
4. Take time off
5. Do something just for me
How can you celebrate this week? Let me know over on Instagram or via email at Kaylee@kayleehackney.com. I can’t wait to celebrate with you!
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We spend a great deal of time at work. Like Annie Dillard once said, “How we spend our days is how we spend our lives.” I encourage you to look around your office and see what steps you can take to add simple luxuries to your workday because in the grand scheme of things, they will add up and lead to a luxurious life!