Archive for: Our Happiness Blog

Think about the routine of your day. Odds are you are almost always doing something – running errands, going to work, washing clothes… the list goes on. But do you do anything solely for the purpose of making you happy? This week do one thing each day that has no other purpose except to make you happy. It can only be a couple of minutes—maybe you do a crossword puzzle while you sip your coffee, or maybe you call a friend you haven’t talked to in a while on your way to work—but do something. A couple of minutes out of a day can make all the difference.

What are New Year’s Resolutions doing on a Happiness Blog? They are often the source of stress then shame as we fail to reach them. If that sounds familiar, you’re not alone – gyms do very well the first quarter of the year because so many people have resolved to get fit but struggle to stick with their new workout habit. Here are a few tips on making resolutions into a habit:

• Make your resolution for yourself, not anyone else. If it’s not meaningful or desirable to you, you won’t be motivated for long since guilt and shame are poor long-term motivators.
• Work on one thing at a time. Trying to make lots of changes all at once might feel exciting in the beginning when we’re eagerly anticipating becoming our brand-new best self, but this quickly fades when we feel overwhelmed and lose hope and momentum.
• Set goals that are SMART: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-based. This structures a very clear behavioral path with a concrete goal, improving the chance for change.
• Create an environment to help you succeed. If you want to eat healthier, toss the chips and buy some veggies. If you want to watch less TV and get better sleep, remove the TV from the bedroom. Your habits will be easier to change if you’re supported rather than tempted by your environment.
• Create a visual of small progress. A list, a chart, x’s on a calendar… something to see that you are moving toward your goal little by little. If we ignore or dismiss small progress we are more likely to lose motivation before we make any big progress because we’ll mistakenly think we’re not moving forward at all.
• Have an accountability buddy, or a partner to do the activity with. This provides praise, encouragement, support or commiseration as needed in the moment.
• Focus on progress not perfection. Recognize we are imperfect beings and progress in reality is rarely linear. You’ll slip up probably more than once. That’s okay. Celebrate successes and forgive failures. 

New Year’s Eve marks the last day of the 2019 calendar year, and a reason to create a new beginning when you ring in the new year on January 1, 2020 at 12:01am. Although many of you may not remember the last time you were up until midnight on New Year’s Eve, you all remember waking up the next morning with goals and ambitions that you would like to see happen within the next year. Use this as an excuse to create positive change for a future containing more happiness than one feels they deserve. We can never have too much happiness in our lives.

There are so many things to love about Christmas: the winter-themed drinks, the festive parties, the outrageous decorations, the silly traditions, and the delicious food. The great thing about Christmas is that there is a joyful festivity for everyone to enjoy. Every year on December 25th, we celebrate Christmas, a day for spending time with family, honoring Christ’s birth if this is your religious belief, partaking in lighthearted traditions, or just spreading some holiday cheer!

Winter is here. The cold brisk air blowing through our hair, and the only option we have is to snuggle up next to the fire, drink hot cocoa and reminisce in how we are feeling. Take this time to share with others about what is going on in your life, where you may benefit from some support, and what you may need help doing. If you do not feel comfortable speaking these thoughts out loud, write them down. Get the struggles and stressors off your mind, to create space to focus on the happiness in the world around you.

December is known by most as a month for giving time, gifts, and food to share with those we love. This is a great way to feel happiness inside ourselves, as well as share it with those around us. Every year, on the Tuesday after Black Friday, people take the time to kick off the holiday season by giving back to their community. Whether it be donating money to a charitable cause, or volunteering your time, Giving Tuesday is a day set to benefit the community. Let’s take this week and this month to share our love with friends, family and our community, giving them the best gift, the joy of happiness.

Thanksgiving: Americans celebrate this special day on the fourth Thursday in November to give thanks for the many opportunities, people, and blessings that we are fortunate enough to have in our lives. This is a great time to celebrate togetherness with family and be grateful for all that we have accomplished in our lives, as well as all we have done for others. Happiness is often developed from a giving heart.

This week let’s encourage each other to get outdoors. Yes, I know it is beginning to get cooler, but we live in North Carolina, it does not get that cold. Put a sweater on and grab a friend and go for a hike. Fresh air is proven to be good for your digestive system, improves blood pressure and heart rate, strengthens your immune system, cleans your lungs, and gives you more energy and a sharper mind. Overall, the more fresh air you get, the more oxygen you will breathe which will increase the amount of serotonin (the happy hormone) you inhale, consequently making you happier.

I get it, we just went through daylight savings, and you are wondering why this is still a process we find important to continue with, twice a year every year. It screws up schedules, routines, and creates for mass confusion country wide. But what good does it do? We need to take these points of negativity and reframe our focus to be on the positive. All summer long we got to enjoy more light in the evening, for outdoor picnics when the weather was warm. The crime rates drop significantly by an average of 7%. It minimizes energy consumption, saving us money on our energy bill. Lastly, it lowers the incidences of traffic accidents. There are always positives to focus on even when they are not our first thoughts. I would encourage everyone to take the time to focus on the good, in turn creating a happier thought process.