CHRISTMAS is fast approaching. It is a time of year when we do a lot of celebrating to mark the season. But does it need to be just at this time of year, what is celebrating and is it good for our wellbeing anyway?

The dictionary defines celebrating as the acknowledgement of a significant or happy day or event with a social gathering or enjoyable activity. This can happen at anytime of year and for a wide variety of reasons. Celebrations don’t always need to be big events – they can also happen on a smaller more personal level.

Is celebrating good for our wellbeing? The answer appears to be yes and researchers believe that this is for a variety of reasons – particularly as we celebrate our personal achievements. These reasons can include the following: helps us forget our troubles; helps to relieve our stress; creates an opportunity to reflect; and increases the feeling of self-worth.

The Harvard Business Review believes that celebrating even small wins stimulates the release of the feelgood hormone, dopamine. This chemical reinforces our learning experience and can strengthen our sense of connection to those we are close to.

Celebration can, therefore, be seen as an experience that doesn’t have to be large or fancy; it should, however, be meaningful.

An old Chinese proverb says, “A journey of 1,000 miles starts with a single step”. Such a feat may seem daunting so you may feel that you don’t want to start it. But taking that first step will be the first small win.

If you are working on a long-term goal such as trying to lose weight or do more exercise, it can be difficult to keep yourself motivated to reach your end goal. A good way to do this can be to celebrate small wins.

Lesley Pallett

Zenara Therapeutics