Clap For Yourself: It’s Okay to Applaud YOU

Do you ever wish you could celebrate yourself the way children do at every single achievement – big or small?!

I was at the hairdressers this week and one of the women in the shop saw her son do something that obviously warranted celebration because she kept repeating this phrase with incredible enthusiasm: ‘Clap for yourself. Clap for yourself!’

And he did it!

Now, most Nigerians would have heard this phrase at least once or twice growing up. I certainly did. And it still makes me chuckle when I hear it now.

So, imagine if more people had been celebrated like this when they were toddling about through nursery and reception. And imagine that as they entered school they were told, ‘clap for yourself’ when they successfully completed homework on time, spoke up in class or extended a helping hand to a friend in need.

It doesn’t have to be anything big. And it doesn’t have to be anything ‘seen’. You don’t have to record every good deed and share ‘for likes’. It’s not anything like that.

Why do I say all this? Because I am discovering that so many people require external affirmation for things they can and should find internal affirmation for doing.

Like, it honestly feels as though if they’re not celebrated by anybody else, then it’s not worth celebration at all.

But that doesn’t seem right.

Sometimes you’ll go through times where you have to be your biggest cheerleader.

Sometimes you have to ‘clap for yourself’.

Why be your own cheerleader?

But what if you were never taught or encouraged to do that – to be your own cheerleader? Then where will you be?

Desperately clambering for the attention and affirmation of others!

Living for the applause of others to the detriment of your own desires and direction.

Unable to truly feel a sense of inner satisfaction in anything.

Lacking the resilience to keep going when life inevitably gets tough

P.s. I’m a firm believer in having an incredible team around you to support you, but positive self-talk is still such a key part of peak performance psychology.

You may have to ‘clap for yourself’ when, like a toddler, you’re learning to walk or run in your chosen profession, career or relationship and you fall down. That’s okay. Did you get up again? Clap for yourself. Did you fall doing what you love? Clap for yourself. Did you fall a little later down the line this time rather than at the first step? Clap for yourself.

Clap For Your Small Wins

Doing a Google search of the phrase: ‘Clap For Yourself’, this is the first video that pops up! And as eShun says, whether it’s eating three square meals a day or washing your hair every couple of weeks (I’m gonna take a leap and say this isn’t a standard for everyone), clap for yourself. Celebrate the small wins as well as the big wins.

Because when you set the intention to celebrate you small wins when they come – this can be on a daily basis – and truly feel the joy of every win – you’ll start to both notice and attract more things to celebrate in your life.

So wherever you are on this journey of clapping for yourself, practising self-compassion and internal positive affirmation, I want to share with you a good daily practice to help you build this important muscle:

At the start of the day, ask yourself: What is ONE thing that I want to accomplish today so that I can feel truly satisfied with my day?
Do that ONE thing.
At the end of the day, ask yourself: How did I WIN today? Write down that ONE thing.
Clap for yourself.
Go to bed with a smile on your face.

Repeat daily.

Clap for Others

Finally, don’t stop at just clapping for yourself!

Clap for others!

When you learn to clap for yourself you’ll find it much easier to clap for others – to be the cheerleader for your friends, family and even total strangers. You’ll be able to celebrate, rather than judge and criticise.

And I’m speaking from experience.

When I’m supremely down on myself, judgmental and self-critical, that’s when I’m a Negative Nancy to others; but when I give myself grace and show myself compassion, those are the moments where I’m able to extend a kind word of encouragement, celebration and grace to others out of the overflow of my self-compassion and internal validation.

So, go ahead and do the unconventional.

Clap for yourself.

And clap for others, too.

Related Blog: Stop Judging Yourself

When I give myself grace and show myself compassion, those are the moments where I’m able to extend a kind word of encouragement, celebration and grace to others. #ClapForYourself
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P.s. I was reminded here of the English version of this statement: ‘Give yourself a pat on the back’.

Which phrase will you be using in the future?