When we’re children, birthdays are great times, full of fun and laughter, and excitement. You might remember that feeling of anticipation leading up to your birthday, knowing you would get presents and cake and maybe have a chance to do something different and spend time with friends and family.
However, as the years go by, this feeling of excitement can wane, and birthdays easily become just another day, particularly when we have to work on them or have nowhere to go and no one to go with.
If this is how you feel about your birthday, it’s time to re-think what they mean. When you do this, and when you realize how important it is to celebrate a birthday, you might change your mind about enjoying yours and put more effort into creating a unique and special day. Read on to find out more.
A New Start
Some people get upset when they reach another birthday because they feel they are getting older. Perhaps they did nothing special in the year since their last birthday, or they’re concerned about the future. Unfortunately, this is not the right way to look at a birthday.
The right way to look at a birthday is to think of it as a new start. Why else would we give 90th birthday presents to elderly loved ones if birthdays were just about being sad about getting older? Instead, it is far better to take the opportunity and think about everything you want to achieve in the next year.
You might not get it all done, but this new start could be the beginning of the next exciting chapter in your life, and it doesn’t matter how old you are when you realize this as long as you make the changes you need to make.
A Chance to Bond
If you live far away from your family and friends or you are busy most of the time and don’t visit as often as you could and should, on your birthday it’s a chance to change this and take the time – perhaps even booking a vacation day or two from work – to bond with your loved ones.
Doing this is vitally important. As we get older, friendships and relationships take on a greater significance, and loneliness can have a detrimental effect on your mental health too. Some studies even suggest that being lonely means you can develop dementia and similar neural conditions. So, taking just one day a year to bond with your loved ones is better than taking no time at all.
Do Something You’ve Always Wanted
Earlier, we mentioned that a birthday was a good time to plan for the year ahead and set out the goals you want to accomplish over the next 12 months. It’s also a good time to finally do one thing you’ve always wanted to do, something from your ‘bucket list’, perhaps. Whatever that might be, whether it’s swimming with sharks, taking a cookery course, bungee jumping, seeing a show on stage, or anything else, you can do it for yourself.
Taking time for yourself, especially if you are normally so busy that this kind of self-care doesn’t factor in your life, is crucial, and your birthday is as good a time as any to do it.
