Throughout the year people come together to celebrate special occasions. Celebrating can happen for many reasons, formal or informal, and can be as powerful within a small group of people as at a big party.
why celebrating is good for you
The coming together of friends, family, colleagues or even strangers to celebrate an occasion brings a sense of belonging and community spirit. Laughter, singing, dancing, smiling and connecting with others are all essential elements for optimal quality of life.
Being part of a social group celebrating a common cause brings:
Throughout the year, there are so many social, cultural or religious celebrations occurring, bringing people and families together to connect, reflect and make future plans together. Celebrations allow us to put our everyday life stresses behind us and remember the things in life that truly matter. They can remind us of our life purpose and how to enjoy the power of our relationships with those around us.
Humans are social beings and we are happier, and better, when connected to others - Paul Bloom
However, celebrating isn’t just about big parties or social gatherings
Overall life satisfaction and feelings of self-worth are created from moments of noticing and appreciating positive experiences. We often put a big emphasis on celebrating personal occasions such as Birthdays and Anniversaries but quite often our professional achievements are gone unmarked! People who reflect on and celebrate their successes are generally more optimistic with a positive mindset, taking better care of themselves and experiencing less stress in their lives.
Celebrating personal achievements is beneficial to our mental and physical wellbeing:
“Celebrating small wins stimulates dopamine release in the brain, a feel-good chemical
that reinforces the learning experience and strengthens our sense of connection
to those we work with” Harvard Business Review
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Celebration is an experience, it doesn’t need to be grand or extravagant, it just needs to be meaningful.
Having the opportunity to share and enjoy our successes is an essential way to nurture our inner wellbeing. It can be as simple as praising a colleague and sharing their achievements over a cup of coffee. It is the acknowledgment that is important as it not only sustains and motivates us, it shows someone else that they matter and that their journey has meaning. Celebrating can also be a time of reflection where we look at how far we have come and enjoy the feeling of elation at succeeding but also it is useful to prepare ourselves for our next goal.
Celebrating achievements however big or small sets us up for even greater success as it helps us to make the connection between the achievement we’re celebrating and what we did to get us there.
Further reading and research
https://hbr.org/2022/01/celebrate-to-win
https://www.wellbeingpeople.com/2020/07/23/the-importance-of-an-engaging-community/
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