The Benefits of Businesspeople Taking Time to Praise Themselves at the End of the Day

Introduction

For many businesspeople, stress feels like an unavoidable fate.

"I can't seem to shake off my work fatigue."

"I can't take the step toward new challenges."

If you feel this way, there is a simple habit you can try starting today.
That is to set aside time to "praise yourself."

This habit has the effect of boosting your self-esteem, improving your stress tolerance, and dramatically increasing your productivity.

1. What is stress for businesspeople?

The modern business environment demands unprecedented speed and complexity due to the evolution of information technology (IT).
Information constantly flows in from smartphones and PCs, and even break times tend to be filled with work-related communications.

Under these circumstances, the main causes of stress for businesspeople can be summarized as follows:

(1) Pressure from excessive tasks and deadlines
The feeling of being chased by an endless task list.

(2) Complexity of human relationships
The consideration and friction involved in communicating with bosses, colleagues, and customers.

(3) Adapting to change
The burden of having to constantly keep up with new technologies and market changes.

(4) Decline in self-evaluation
The inner critic saying, "I should have done more" or "I couldn't produce results."

What is particularly troublesome is the last one: "self-criticism."

This negative self-evaluation unknowingly drains your mental energy and carries the risk of leading to "burnout."

2. The benefits of taking time to praise yourself

This is where it becomes important to have time at the end of the day to positively evaluate and praise yourself.
This is not just a matter of mental attitude, but an extremely practical form of "mental maintenance" based on scientific and psychological evidence.

2.1 Suppression of stress hormones and relaxation effects

The act of praising yourself or acknowledging small successes promotes the secretion of neurotransmitters related to feelings of happiness (such as serotonin and dopamine).
This can be expected to have the effect of suppressing the excessive secretion of cortisol (the stress hormone) that is released during times of stress.

<For example>
A systems engineer at an IT company made it a habit to whisper to himself after finishing his code during overtime, "I did a good job implementing this feature without introducing any bugs."
As a result, the heavy fatigue he used to feel the next morning was reduced, and his sleep quality improved.
This indicates that his mind and body had switched into relaxation mode.

2.2 Improving Self-Esteem and Motivation

Humans are more likely to feel motivated to "try again" when they are affirmed rather than denied.
By looking back on the day and focusing on what went well and where you put in effort, you cultivate self-esteem (the sense that you are a person of value).

<For example>
Even on days when a sales professional failed to close a large deal, by finding positive elements such as, "At least I was able to accurately elicit the customer's concerns at that time," the time spent dwelling on the failure was significantly reduced.
It became easier to maintain a positive feeling that "I can succeed next time."

2.3 Strengthening Executive Function and Improving Productivity

Taking time to praise yourself has a positive effect on the part of the brain called the prefrontal cortex.
This area governs "executive functions" such as planning, decision-making, and concentration.
Positive emotions activate these executive functions, enhancing the quality and efficiency of the next day's work.

In other words, praising yourself is both "mental nourishment" and "training to maximize brain performance."

3. Things to Keep in Mind Daily

To make your self-praise time effective, try to keep the following in mind on a regular basis.

3.1 Consciously Record What You Have Completed

Try creating a "DONE list" in addition to your TODO list.
Even small tasks are fine. By writing down the facts of what you have achieved, such as "Sent an email to so-and-so" or "Finished reading the manual for the new tool," you can visually confirm at the end of the day that "I have accomplished this much."

3.2 Let Go of Perfectionism and Focus on "Growth"

The idea that "it is meaningless unless it is perfect" is the greatest enemy of self-esteem.
Regardless of the result, evaluate yourself from the perspective of growth: "Did I take a step forward from who I was yesterday?"
Even if a task remains incomplete, praise your actions and attitude, such as "I had the courage to take on a difficult problem."

3.3 Verbalize Your Efforts

It is important not just to vaguely think "I did my best," but to put into words the specific points that deserve praise, such as "In that difficult situation involving X, I deserve credit for persistently trying solution A."
It is even more effective if you write it down in a diary or memo.

Conclusion

The time you spend praising yourself at the end of the day does not require special skills, time, or money.
It is the easiest and most powerful investment you can make to protect your own mind and body and make tomorrow even better.

Please try adding this "mental maintenance" to your habits starting today.

Book Introduction

・I Want to Like Myself: Things I Tried to Raise My Self-Esteem (Gentosha Bunko) Kindle Edition
by Pon Watanabe
Gentosha (2021/4/8)
The author, who grew up with low self-esteem due to a difficult mother-child relationship in childhood, lived with the feeling of "hating herself." To let go of those emotions, she practiced "things I wanted my parents to do for me when I was little" one by one, and her heart gradually began to soften. "It is okay for people to be happy without forgiving someone." A tear-jerking essay manga that has garnered much empathy.
(* Book descriptions are generally based on the descriptions on the linked site (Amazon). Please refer to the link for detailed content.)

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・Hitori Saito's "Self-Esteem" The Strongest Law Kindle Edition
by Hitori Saito
Shodensha (2025/4/30)
Fulfilling yourself is not being selfish.
Treating yourself poorly leads to bad relationships.
You don't need reflection or regret. Improvement, improvement, improvement.
Being greedy is unsightly. Is that really true?
Do you hate your flaws? But those are actually treasures.
(* Book descriptions are generally based on the descriptions on the linked site (Amazon). Please refer to the link for detailed content.)

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