How To Make Your Birthday Special For Yourself (10 Easy Ways!)

Your birthday should be a special event. After all, it’s a celebration of you, the person you are, and the life you’ve lived.

Too often, though, people feel pressured to plan their own birthday events to accommodate their friends and family.

It can take a lot of that lovely novelty and fun out of the occasion. Here’s how to make your birthday special for yourself so you can enjoy your own company or include others in a way that works for you!

Let Yourself Splurge On A Treat

All other days of the year, you have to put more expensive things that you really want aside to be responsible.

On your birthday, reward yourself by buying one thing that you’ve really wanted.

This can be anything from a new device to a new outfit, or even something like a vacation or a spa trip for some pampering.

It’s your birthday, so let yourself enjoy something out of the ordinary!

Do Something On Your Bucket List

Your bucket list isn’t going to complete itself!

While you shouldn’t pressure yourself into doing something significant on your birthday, let’s face it – this is a great day to do something you think is important to experience at least once in your life.

You’ll finish the day with a feeling of excitement and accomplishment, which is a major bonus!

Spend The Whole Day Doing One Thing You Haven’t Had Time To Do

You don’t have to go out and have conventional “fun” to celebrate your birthday.

Is there a series you haven’t been able to watch? A pile of unread books in the corner? A lot of movies bookmarked for “when you have time?” Some games on your list you haven’t played?

Well, make today all about doing those things!

Indulge in doing nothing but those things you’ve had to deprive yourself of and do it all guilt-free.

Only Invite People You Want To Spend The Day With

Your birthday is about you.

Don’t feel pressured to invite people to a birthday event if you aren’t comfortable with them, even just to keep the peace.

It’s your special day, and the last thing you should be doing is putting other people’s preferences that far above your own.

You want to feel good, and you’re not going to feel that way if there are people with you that drain you.

I understand there can be politics involved with birthdays, but you should feel happy and comfortable with the people around you.

If you absolutely have to invite someone you don’t care for very much, why not have an intimate brunch with the people you do like earlier in the day? Then invite everyone to the big party later on.

There are NO rules that say you can’t have two birthday parties!

Decorate The House

This is an especially good idea if you’re celebrating by yourself or having a very low-key, non-party event such as a get-together for dinner or something similar.

Just because no one else is going to see the decorations, that doesn’t mean you can’t decorate for yourself! 

You don’t need to go all out and exhaust yourself, nor do you need to make things perfect. Buy some balloons, put up a streamer, or hang birthday decor over a couple of wall fixtures.

A little bit of sprucing up adds some color to your home, making it clear that it’s a special day.

Take A Day Off Of Work

When was the last time you had a day just to yourself, where you didn’t have to feel burdened by all your responsibilities?

If you have a vacation day available and can afford to, taking a day off work is a great way to give yourself what you may need most: some rest.

It also frees up time for you to celebrate and do the things that you love in a special way!

Make Birthday Treats

You can do this alone or with friends, but whichever way you choose, a great low-key “party” idea is spending time making funky treats for your birthday.

You can bake cookies, make a cake, or make any kind of favored dessert.

Not a fan of desserts? Make a special dinner meal for your birthday instead with your favorite foods! 

Dress Up!

Whether you’re spending the day with yourself or with others, it’s always nice to get out of your usual baggy t-shirt and sweatpants every once in a while.

Wear a nice outfit, accessorize, and even put on a little makeup if you want to!

On the other hand, if you’re used to being well-dressed all the time, you can throw a more intimate or quiet home birthday event and dress down in comfy garb.

It’s up to you; it’s your birthday, after all!

Make A Vlog Of Your Birthday

Again, you can do this whether you’re spending your birthday alone or with others.

Vlogs are “video blogs” or “video logs” where you record the events of your day, edit them into a nice video, and either post it or keep it to yourself for the memories. 

You don’t need to be recording constantly if your birthday events are attention-absorbing, either! Just take video snapshots of the most fun parts.

You can even record yourself talking about your birthday, what you did, and how much fun you had.

Congratulate Yourself For How Far You’ve Come

It’s not unusual for people to be too hard on themselves about where they are in life.

You may have lofty goals and ambitions that you feel you’re not making the most progress towards.

You may even be at a point in life where you feel like you’re at your very lowest.

On your birthday, make it special by giving yourself the pat on the back you deserve. 

You have been through so much and achieved many things in life, even if they were just small things that mattered more to you than anyone else. 

Your journey is unique and comparisons to other people are unhelpful and unfair to everyone involved.

Make a list (either mental or written down) of all the incredible things you’ve accomplished this past year (I promise you, there are many!)

So congratulate yourself on your birthday and party your way to many more years of growth ahead!

Overall…

Your birthday should be about you!

It’s totally fine to be a little selfish on this day. It only comes once a year, after all.

So go ahead and focus on what you truly want and don’t stress yourself out trying to plan something perfect for friends and family.

Make your birthday special for yourself and plan it so that you have the most fun!

Enjoyed this? Make sure you check these out:

13 Thoughtful Birthday Gift Ideas For An Unofficial Relationship

29 Funny Bucket List Ideas To Do Before You Die

16 Pet-Safe Houseplants That Are Also Stunning