Celebrate the wonder of you to build resilience and rewire the brain for optimism.
Celebrate, one of our 6 Pillars of Wellbeing, is all about taking time to celebrate and appreciate you. It’s the things you do to notice the positive, to be kind to yourself, and to feel good about yourself.
Tune into what matters most – your values
Recognise what’s great about you
Notice small, good things in life
Show kindness and acceptance towards yourself
When we see the good in ourselves and the world around us, we can cope with life’s challenges better. Noticing small, good things helps to build resilience and rewire the brain for optimism.
Studies also show that Celebrate practices are associated with increased happiness and life satisfaction, as well as the ability to bounce back from stress, let go of disappointment, and move on to new challenges.
Here are some ways that you can live the Celebrate Pillar and begin to celebrate your world, your beliefs, and the wonderful person that is you.
Take some time to really think about your values and write them down.
Ask yourself key questions like: What matters most to me? What makes me happy? What are my most treasured memories?
Keep this list somewhere you can see it every day. Your values might change, so it helps to do this exercise at least once a year.
We all have unique strengths. Recognising what’s great about you can help guide how you spend your time and what you give your energy to.
Here are some ways to identify your strengths:
Ask your friends and family to share what they love most about you
Keep track of any nice feedback and compliments you receive
Write down things you enjoy doing – strengths are often related to things you love
Acknowledging your strengths might feel a bit awkward at first, but it’s a really important part of the Celebrate Pillar. Knowing and celebrating your strengths can help protect against mental ill health.
Allow yourself time to feel proud of your achievements, big and small. These don’t have to be major milestones, like promotions or big life events. Take pride each time you show kindness to others, cross something off your to-do list, or persevere with something that feels hard.
Set aside regular time to acknowledge your achievements. You’ll be surprised at how often you do great things – and these things are worth celebrating.
Matching socks. A beautiful sunset. The perfect cuppa. Noticing small, good things about the world around you helps to rewire your brain for optimism. Look for moments to appreciate throughout your day.
Here are some simple prompts to help you appreciate the world around you:
Think of something good (big or small) before you go to sleep
Look for things to appreciate about your surroundings
Slow down and be present
Self-kindness is about self-acceptance – it’s the practice of accepting both your strengths and weaknesses. Powerful self-kindness practices include reframing mistakes as learning experiences, speaking to yourself as you would a friend, and making time for things you enjoy.
Self-kindness is at the heart of the Celebrate Pillar, and of all our 6 Pillars of Wellbeing. You’re a brilliant, unique human being and it’s worth taking time to Celebrate the wonder of you.