Welcome to Soft Launch, a column by Elyse Fox on mental health and wellbeing in a world that often feels anything but soft and cushy. In this installment of the column, Elyse examines a fun kind of self-care.

Growing up, celebrations were reserved mostly for holidays and birthdays, making them somewhat rare, but very special, occasions. I was raised in a home with more love than material things, so I knew once I saw the ruby red Betty Crocker cake box that it was going to be a good day. There's something special about the anticipation of a celebration with a good meal, sweet treats, and loved ones that sparked joy and created lasting memories that I still revisit today.

So, when a friend joyfully made a comment about my recent accomplishments and asked how I planned to revel in them, I was caught off guard. I shrugged it off in the moment, but later I wondered about placing myself in the center of celebrations. Rather than a holiday, what if I made an occasion of my big wins? We have so much insight into other people's lives thanks to social media, and that can mean that we seldom consider ourselves, or fail to really take the time to appreciate our achievements before moving to the next big thing. It's time to turn the spotlight around.

Self-love and recognition are crucial for building confidence and a positive self-image. Recognizing small wins along the way is not only an important part of making progress, but can also help keep you motivated. And, in times of stress (like, I don't know, a hugely consequential presidential election), celebrating yourself is a form of much-needed release.

"Consistent self-celebration allows you to focus on you. You're in charge of it, it doesn't rely on any external validation. The process that you engage in to get to the end point of a celebration will be the tools that allow you to build resilience and celebrate yourself time and time again, creating a snowball effect of self-reflection and positivity," says Raven Stralow LMSW of Hello Joy Therapy "Engaging in these rituals is an extension of a meditative practice. In the same vain as meditation, it doesn't have to be perfect, it's about looking inward to find things to celebrate. The more you practice the more you'll look to celebrating yourself as a means of resiliency."