Celebrate the Small Wins: A Therapist's Perspective

Celebrate the Small Wins: A Therapist's Perspective

A mental health therapist often sees individuals focused on major life changes, overarching recovery goals, or profound transformations sought in therapy. However, the small victories are important. These moments along the way can make all the difference in sustaining momentum and fostering a positive mindset.

Why are these small victories so important?

Celebrating even the smallest achievements has a profound impact on well-being from a psychological standpoint. It is about recognizing the effort, courage, and resilience to take even one step forward.

Here's a glimpse into the power of celebrating small wins:

Boosting Motivation & Reinforcing Positive Behaviors: The brain responds to rewards. Celebrating small accomplishments, such as successfully managing a panic attack or attending therapy sessions consistently, triggers the release of dopamine—that feel-good chemical that boosts mood and motivates the repetition of positive actions. This creates a positive feedback loop, fueling further progress.

Building Self-Esteem and Confidence: Acknowledging even minor advancements in therapy, like a breakthrough insight or improved coping skills, helps individuals build a more positive self-image and strengthens their belief in their ability to achieve larger goals.

Shifting Focus from Negativity: Therapy often involves confronting painful experiences. Celebrating successes, however small, helps balance this perspective and shifts the focus to what's going well, fostering a hopeful and positive outlook.

Making Progress Tangible: In recovery and therapy, progress can sometimes feel slow or invisible. Celebrating small victories, such as days of sobriety or successful self-care practices, makes progress tangible and provides a sense of accomplishment.

Fostering Mindfulness: Recognizing and celebrating small wins encourages mindfulness by promoting awareness of present accomplishments, rather than dwelling on past failures or future anxieties.

Strengthening Support Systems: Sharing successes with loved ones, friends, or support groups enhances social bonds, reduces feelings of isolation, and fosters a sense of community, all of which are crucial for maintaining motivation and promoting long-term recovery.

Building Resilience: Celebrating small victories strengthens the ability to handle setbacks. By focusing on accomplishments, individuals learn to see challenges as temporary hurdles rather than insurmountable obstacles.

How can you start celebrating your small wins?

Journaling: Keep a progress journal to track achievements, no matter how minor. Reflecting on what has been overcome can be incredibly validating.

Self-Care: Engage in activities that nourish the mind, body, and spirit. Treat yourself to something enjoyable to acknowledge hard work.

Sharing: Share successes with your support network. Their encouragement can amplify positive feelings.

Mindfulness: Take time to reflect on your journey and appreciate the progress you've made.

Create Rituals: Develop personal rituals to mark achievements, whether it's a special meal or a symbolic token.

Every step forward, no matter how small, is a testament to strength and deserves to be celebrated. Embrace the power of celebrating small wins, and you'll find yourself fueled with motivation, resilience, and a growing sense of self-worth as you continue on your journey.

Social Synergy

As humans, we are social beings. We want to belong to a group; connect with others. Let’s take a closer look at two constructs of being social; social connection and social support.

what’s the difference?

Social connection and social support play immensely significant roles in enhancing human well-being, leading to a more satisfying and joyful existence. Social connection entails the profound sense of belonging and integration within a community or network of people. It encompasses the establishment of meaningful bonds with friends, family, colleagues, or even casual acquaintances, fostering a deep-seated feeling of belonging and the sharing of life's valuable moments.

Conversely, social support manifests as the invaluable provision of both practical and emotional aid, offered and received, specifically during times of adversity. It encompasses the sure availability of essential resources, encompassing compassionate advice, empathy, and genuine assistance from those we hold dear.

The Synergy

The synergistic presence of social connection and social support serves as a paramount factor in nurturing our mental and emotional well-being. The recipient has the gift of an encompassing sense of acceptance, affection, and unwavering encouragement.

The crux is that we need them both in our lives. Relationships, close or peripheral, provide us the means to met our needs and contribute to the continuation of cultural and social constructs. Our need for support will wax and wane through life’s circumstances. We can give and receive support as needed.

It’s important to note that connection and support are given and received uniquely for each individual. The variety, frequency, duration, and intensity of this synergistic presence is as prolific as there are individuals. Discovering what you want or need from these roles takes time, exposure to the variety, and patience in understanding yourself. Likewise, what we can offer others, whether through connection or support, is also largely dependent upon our ability and interest to proffer the synergy to our circle.

Social synergy is about meeting our needs, whether they are innate needs for belonging and fellowship, or psychological and emotional bonding through shared experiences. In the end, it affords total wellness.

Be Well.

New year, new perspective

Here we are, 5 days into 2023…how’s it going? Did you set resolutions, goals, or intentions? Are you still going to the gym or are you craving cookies yet; they are hard to resist! If you are still working on finalizing your goals for 2023 (you’re not alone in that!) let me encourage you to incorporate the 4 pillars of wellness (physical health - sex + relationships - spirituality - career + education). Here are some prompts to consider.

Physical Health

• Improve flexibility.

• Get tested for food sensitivities that cause inflammation.

• Consider taking supplements to support physical and mental health (e.g. omega’s, magnesium, turmeric).

• Replace worn out fitness equipment (e.g. worn shoes, tired exercise bands, the rotting bike tires).

Sex + relationships

• Establish or deepen communication with partner(s) about what turns you on and off sexually.

• Review the values of you as individuals and as partners to see how the align.

• Experiment with some kink play (e.g. light bondage, toys, role playing).

• Create open and ongoing dialogue about non-sexual intimacy satisfaction in all your relationships.

• Restore, create, or amend boundaries.

Spirituality

• Build routines that feed your soul.

• Volunteer, meditate, pray, journal.

• Get outside. Move, get sunshine.

• Call elders that you respect and learn from them.

Career + Education

• Build intentionality in performance goals, whether they are measured by your employer or you.

• Read some books for pleasure.

• Learn a new skill or hobby, take a class at the local community college or education center. (Urban gardening anyone?).

• Reflect on your career goals from 5th grade and where you are now. How did you get there? What’s different? What lessons can you pass onto others?

Looking ahead

I’ve been known to use cars as analogies when working with clients. Here’s another one. When we keep looking to the past we are looking in the rearview mirror. It’s small, it can be deceiving, and offers a limited view of what’s now behind us. But when we look to the future, through the windshield, we have a greater view of what’s ahead. We can maneuver our way through roadblocks, avoid construction zones, and enjoy the scenery along the way.

The same perspective applies to our wellness. When we keep looking backwards we may miss what’s in front of us. I encourage you continue looking ahead as you embrace your total wellness in 2023!

Be Well.

Sarah B.