How often do you Celebrate ………… and if not, why?

How often do you Celebrate?

Is this something you do on a regular basis or rarely, if at all?

According to the Oxford Dictionary, to Celebrate something means to “Acknowledge (a significant or happy day or event) with a social gathering or enjoyable activity, or to reach a significant milestone or to honour someone.” Is this something that you do regularly or do you really not bother?

I believe that Celebrating events and people in our life is very important. This can be on a grand scale or a simple recognition of significant things in our lives. Let me explain. I grew up in a family that always celebrated Birthdays, Christmas, Easter and even European ‘name’ days. Any excuse and we celebrated. This tradition made these occasions stand out from the day to day and made them feel very special and unique.

As I grew older I continued to celebrate the larger events such as Christmas and Easter and the special days such as Birthdays. These were occasions to be spent with family or friends. They continue to be a celebration of love and joy and an acknowledgment of what is important to me. Everyone of us is a unique individual with various gifts and talents. We are all worth celebrating! Our birthdays are a recognition of what makes us special and unique and thus should be celebrated. They help keep us connected with others and foster healthy relationships in our life.

I recently had a birthday where we went away for a few days. This made it extra special and more significant for me and something I will always remember.

However celebrations don’t always have to be on a grand scale. It’s also important to celebrate the simple things. By doing this you are noticing the good stuff in your life. It can also be a reminder of our talents, abilities or skills and can motivate us to keep working toward our goals. By rejoicing in the small day to day things, we become more positive and this helps us to be more resilient when a stressful situation arises.

These day to day occurrences can include a new job, the end of winter, a pay rise, new clients, getting through a difficult situation or a difficult week, the arrival of a warm weekend, successfully growing a vegetable garden, booking a holiday, mastering the piano or a foreign language. Celebrate the small things as well as the large. The positive emotions these celebrations create, also benefit your health. They have been shown to reduce depression, strengthen your immune system, improve cardiovascular health, reduce stress and slow down ageing. Celebrations make the mundane extra special and remain in your memory.

By showing others our accomplishments and celebrations, we allow them to celebrate theirs.  We acknowledge our efforts, those who have supported us along the way and where we would like to go next. Celebrating puts the ‘fun’ back into life and enhances our self worth. The more we celebrate the more we nurture our body, mind and spirit. It may be a special occasion, a significant time of year, the summer solstice or the new moon. Whatever it is, remember to bring joy to the occasion.

So next time it’s your Birthday, don’t forget to make it extra special but just as importantly, remember to celebrate the small achievements in your life. For it’s the little things that make up the sum of our days.

Let me know how you are celebrating.

Warmest wishes,

Judy xxx

References: https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/celebrate, www.psychologytoday.com, www.mayoclinic.org, www.verywellmind.com. Photo: www.pixabay.com

Disclaimer: Please note that all information in this article is the opinion of the author and obtained through her research and knowledge and the above references. It is not meant to replace medical advice and a medical opinion should always be obtained for any health condition.