Archive for: Our Happiness Blog

Self-care has become a popular term as of late, and what exactly does self-care mean? Self-care is any activity that we do deliberately in order to take care of our mental, emotional and physical health. Self-care reduces the feelings of stress, anxiety, feeling overwhelmed or depression. A lot of us have busy lives and may have little time, but your happiness and wellbeing are important, and consequently, you need to create time for you. Create a schedule where you intentionally make time for you to gain some peace and recharge. Remember, everyone has their own ways of recharging and self-care does not subscribe to certain activities. Self-care can include socializing with friends, treating yourself to dinner, taking a yoga or dance class, meditating, watching your favorite tv show, go camping, or going to an amusement park. We often get busy with life, work, taking care children, that we sometimes can forget us. If you are a parent self-care can include receiving external support so you can take care of you. It becomes quite difficult to give 100% to external situations when we are not taking care of self and we are actually more efficient in our many roles when we focus on ourselves from time to time.  Now is time to start thinking about you again and balancing your life. Know your limits, do not take on more than you can handle, and remember to create time to engage in activities that increase happiness and peace. 

Typically, once the Holidays end, you say to yourself: “I’m broke,” or ask, “where did all my money go?” or even make a New Year’s resolution to be financially fiscal. Immediately following the Holidays, you may feel like you cannot go out and do anything that requires spending money. However, you can engage in numerous activities spending minimum money or no money at all. You can go to a museum, go see a movie at the $2 movie theater, go to the Artspace, American tobacco trail, poetry slams, or go Eno River State Park where you can enjoy camping or hiking for free. As you are balancing your funds and saving your money, put some money aside just for socializing.

The Holidays are usually the time when we are around family, busy buying gifts, cooking, and having a lot of fun with those around us. Once the Holidays are over, life seems to settle down and the excitement and busyness are no longer present. Just because the Holidays are over does not mean you cannot have that same happy feeling! Have you ever thought about creating your own Holiday experience even when it is not an actual Holiday? Plan a weekend, where you can go on a mini vacation with a significant other, or with family members or friends. Plan a time where you cook, play games and interact with friends and family. Your Holidays do not have to stop after the holiday season. Enjoy creating spaces of fun and spending time with people that matter to you during your self made Holidays!

With the holiday season coming to an end, it may feel as though there are few things to look forward to. Here are some things to celebrate this month that are more often than not
overlooked:
January 4 th – National Spaghetti Day
January 8 th – National Bubble Bath Day
January 11 th – National Step in the Puddle and Splash Your Friends Day
January 14 th – National Dress Up Your Pet Day
January 19 th – National Popcorn Day
January 25 th – National Opposite Day
January 27 th – National Chocolate Day
January 29 th – National Puzzle Day

With the rise of social media, it has become the new normal to want to capture each moment. Often people joke, “If it wasn’t posted on Instagram, did it really happen?” The holidays are no exception. While it is nice to keep our followers posted on our festivities and also document for upcoming years, it is important to be mindful of the present. Challenge yourself to be aware of how much time you are spending to take a picture, picking a filter, coming up with the perfect caption, and then posting it. If too much time is being dedicated to your posts while with loved ones, consider posting at a later time so you are not losing out on real time events.

The holidays are characterized by foods we typically would not consume when we are being mindful of our health. However, it is the holiday season and the time of the year we all give ourselves permission to indulge. Here are some tips to strike a balance between continuing to make healthy choices, but also enjoying the holiday season:

1. Engage in mindful eating by savoring each bite. This allows for your brain to receive the signal you are full and reduces the likelihood of overeating.
2. Do not skip meals! Often individuals think saving calories for the big meal will help them avoid weight gain; however, it slows down our metabolism and increases chances of overeating.
3. Eat what you actually like and not just because it is convenient and right there. If it does not excite you and it is not something you would typically eat, then skip it!
4. If desserts are in abundance, consider taking samples similar to what you would find at a food court in the mall. This way you can enjoy all the options without overdoing it.

With the holidays and children home from school, family time is a large part of this month. Sometimes it can become overwhelming to host and keep the little ones entertained, while still balancing day to day responsibilities. Instead of pushing through the next few weeks or allowing the emotions to build up, consciously plan some “me-time.” Personal time can look different for everyone, so take some time to reflect on what would be most helpful to you. Remember it is not about quantity, rather quality. For instance, for some, taking a bath while listening to relaxing music for 20 minutes can be more meaningful than watching their favorite TV show for two hours, vice versa.

With the holiday season continuing, there is a lot that needs to be done. From organizing dinner plans, buying and wrapping gifts, putting up decorations, to arranging childcare for when the children are home for winter break. With there being so many moving parts, develop a plan of attack this year. While in the short-term you may have to devote time to creating to do lists and organizing tasks, it will make for a smoother holiday season overall.