The Benefits of Celebrating your Achievements

New Year is approaching and so comes the bombardment of people's sugar-coated 2022 achievements all over social media. But when you look closely at this, is this really a bad thing? Sugar coating in a public space is not great, it can be a major trigger of comparisonitis and self-doubt for many, but at its core this is someone wanting to celebrate an achievement and is that so wrong?

I forgot to celebrate finishing my MA, I was so swept up in needing to find more clients and increasing my income that I didn’t stop to reflect on the achievement. I am dyslexic and if someone had told me at 18 that I would get a Merit in a MA, that was 100% graded on essays, I wouldn’t have believed them. And by not celebrating that huge success I automatically devalued it in my mind.

Not celebrating your successes is not only unhelpful, but also unproductive. Here is why you should celebrate your achievements:

• Reduced stress – it helps us be more confident in our ability to identify and manage stressors.
• Increased confidence – through boosting our perceived self-worth and belief in our own ability, potential and value.
• Growth mindset – by encouraging the belief that improvement is possible and this boosts our desire to do better.
• Increased self-compassion – through self-reflection we allow ourselves to prioritise our own wellbeing and gain perspective.

How to celebrate your achievements? 

• Add to or create your ‘kudos’ folder – on your desktop or list on your phone of your proudest achievements.
• Celebrate with people – This could be a meal together or as simple as a text message so you can see your loved ones cheering you on.
• Give yourself a treat – A money-based treat or self-care treat or to do anything you enjoy.
• Capture the memory – This could be in a picture or short video, it could be posted on social media or put on your home screen of your phone or printed and put on display.

Tips for combating Comparisonitis

This time of year it’s best not to get swept up into Comparisonitis, when you notice your brain diverting towards those negative thoughts consider trying one of these techniques:

• Reminding yourself that those are unhelpful thoughts and are not facts
• Read through your ‘kudos’ folder of things you are proud of to quickly remind yourself
• Think of three things about yourself that you admire.
• Journaling, here are some great journal prompts:
  What qualities do you have that you admire in other people? 
  What is something that you think other people value about you?
  What are 3 talents or skills you have that you are proud of?

If you're looking for more ways to reflect on your work why not find your value compass? Or investigate your work-life balance?