It’s oh so easy to just keep on going and not take out time to celebrate yourself. To celebrate the wonderful person, you are (‘flaws’ and all) and what you have achieved. I think as women we should celebrate ourselves much more than we do.
Most of us, including myself, are on a journey towards being more kind and accepting towards ourselves. Actively cheerleading yourself on is an important part of this journey towards self-love. In this blog post I will share different ideas of how to celebrate yourself and explain how photography is one amazing way to do so.
What does ‘Celebrating Yourself’ mean?
Celebrating yourself means to take out a moment, however long this is, to say to yourself: ‘Well done, you’ve got this, I love you, I love my body.’ It is a way to congratulations yourself with where and who you are today. Celebrating you comes from a place of self-acceptance.
It is definitely not an act of self-indulgence. I know as women we are taught to be ‘humble’ and not boast, but we need to shake of those thoughts. A message given to us as young girls, to make ourselves smaller than we are. It is so important to lift ourselves up and recognise that we are absolutely perfect, also with our ‘flaws’.
Celebrating yourself might not come easily to you. I know it takes a lot of conscious effort on my part to actively acknowledge a ‘win’ in my personal and business life. I know that it is even more rare to just celebrate me for no reason at all. Because we should actually not even need an achievement for celebrating ourselves. We should be celebrating our existence anytime! We also do not need to wait for others to cheer for us. The best and most meaningful cheering is done by ourselves.
Why photography to celebrate yourself?
I absolutely loved it when Louise Kwarteng (an awesome professor in sociology at Greenwich University!) came to me for photos to celebrate herself. That was the sole purpose of our time together. A photo session to say, ‘this is me; I love myself and I am so proud of how far I have come’. The photo session was an act of self-acceptance and love and to also create pictures to have as artwork for her home.
I also wrote a blog on how being in your family photos is also an act of self-love as well as a great gift for your children. You can read more about that here.
A photo session to boost confidence
Even though the thought of being in front of the camera might be a very scary, it can actually be a very empowering experience as well. After her photo session Louise wrote to me: “You made me feel really great and positive, which gave me more confidence. The photo session was an uplifting experience and made me feel like a million dollars after!”
A photo session to reflect
You can use the photo session as a way to reflect back on your own past, or even the generations that have come before you. To really look at what you and your elders have accomplished through the years. This can also be done visually by overlaying old family photos unto the once from your own photo session.
Once you receive your gallery with photos, you can use that as an opportunity to look at yourself with gentle eyes. It is so easy to judge ourselves and our appearance. Instead make it a point to look at each photo and understand your thought processes by changing your perspective to a more positive one.
A photo session as ‘herstory’
When we do not have any pictures of ourselves because we avoid the camera. We also decide not to be in our own visual history. Let’s show ourselves! Let’s show the future generations that we are here and feel proud! To step into the frame is an act of radical self-love and a great way to be part of history. Changing the narrative that women’s stories do not matter. Your life matters and a way to show this is by capturing it in photographs.
A photo session as a piece of art
Having printed photos of yourself as art in your home is a great way to remind yourself of how important you are. You do not have to hang a huge canvas on your living room wall. But how about a nice photo of you on your nightstand? Or a photo framed of yourself among the ones you have hanging on your wall of your family and friends. Art from your photo session, as a reminder of how far you’ve come, of how beautiful you are and a physical reminder of the love you feel for yourself.
Other ways to celebrate yourself
- Share your success. Invite your friends or family to dinner to celebrate a win in your personal or professional life. It is wonderful to make it an occasion and celebrate your success together with others.
- Accept compliments. It is easy to brush of a compliment you are given. Instead make a conscious effort to really take in the kind words being said and say, ‘Thank you’.
- Reflect on your accomplishments. Set aside time to really think about what you have accomplished this week, month, or year. Recognise those ‘wins’ and congratulate yourself with them.
- Write down a list of all the things you love about yourself. About your body, your personality, your accomplishments etc. And if you want, you can hang this list on the bathroom mirror or next to your bed, so that you can look at it daily.
- Give yourself a break. Take yourself on a date, only with your own company. You can make it as small or big as you like. From a walk in nature, a visit to a museum, a weekend trip or a full holiday. Make it a time to spend with yourself to get to know you even better.
- Find out what colours and clothes suit you. After I had my son, I felt lost in what type of clothes suited me. I had stopped caring for myself; wearing old clothes that just made me feel bad. So, I treated myself to the help of a stylist (Mind Over Fashion) to get to know my colours and body type. I now feel more confident and like my personality shines through in the kind of outfits I wear. Giving myself this as a gift was a way to tell myself I matter.
- Do what you love. Think about something that makes you feel good. Something you’ve wanted to learn or do for a long time. Maybe a pottery course, or a dance class? Give yourself something you’ve wanted for a long time.
- Do the small things. It is the everyday small acts that will make the biggest difference in the long run. Think of small ways to care for yourself each day. For example, by drinking a warm cup of tea instead of letting it go cold. By saying a daily positive affirmation around your self-worth or by smiling at yourself in the mirror.
Do you want to celebrate yourself through photography? I can help you step into the frame as an act of self-love with an empowering portrait session. I cover London, Kent and Surrey. Give me a call on 07500702577 or fill out my contact form.
