10 Tips to Happiness

I read that today was the most depressing day of the year today, it's hard to prove or disprove however I can see why getting up on this particular Monday morning could be a little hard.  For a lot of people it's the first day back in the office - back to the routine & grind after weeks of visiting with family and friends, Christmas parties and not having a schedule to keep to.  It sparked an idea for today's blog...10 tips to stay happy, after all we're only 6 days into the New Year and it's far to early to feel doom and gloom!

1) Make being happy a choice - Medical depression aside, we all have the ability to make being happy a choice.  We can choose to look at the negative, or we can choose to look at the positive but it really is up to us to be in control of our emotions.

2)  Connect with friends & family - With so many ways to connect, we really have no excuses, whether it's FaceTime, Skype, text or an old-fashioned phone call there are plenty of ways to stay connected.  There is nothing like a FaceTime date with my niece and nephew that puts a bigger smile on my face.  I'm an avid Facebook user, but I don't consider messaging someone on their page as reaching out, why not use it to set up a face-to-face coffee instead.

3) Pay it forward - An act of generosity whether big or small will bring positive feelings for  the giver as well as the receiver.  The next time your in line for a coffee, buy the coffee for the person behind you, they'll appreciate the surprise and pass on the good vibes.  Or offer to take a group photo for a family of tourists - they'll look at their photos when they get home and it could be the one photo where dad isn't missing!

4) Eat well - Good food does a body good.  We all know that eating processed, fried foods can make us feel blah after the fact so instead fill your body with fresh fruit and vegetables, lean proteins, good fats and healthy grains.  

5) Exercise - Going for a brisk walk, a run through the park or any type of activity that gets your heart rate going will help release endorphins.  It's these endorphins that help stimulate the brain and cause one to have feelings of elation & contentment.  Even better call up a friend and head to the gym together, you'll kill two birds with one stone.

6) Read more - The average person watches almost 35 hours of tv/week, that's almost as much time spent at the office.  Can you imagine how your life would change if you used even half of that time to read & learn something new - perhaps learn a new language, teach yourself how to invest money or start a blog.  Malcolm Gladwell, author of the book, Outliers: The Story of Success, repeatedly discusses the "10,000-hour rule", this rule states that anyone can become successful in a field if they practice a specific task with 20 hours of work per week over 10 years. 

7) Practice gratitude - Counting your blessings has many benefits, the first of which boosts your mood; it strengthens relationships; it enables people to bounce back from setbacks; it's a depression fighter; and it elevates your social status as people see you as more generous and empathetic.  Start keeping track of your blessing through the 365 Grateful Project and it'll help you find at least one good thing in your day every day!

8) Smile - Share a smile with a stranger or two, you'll not only brighten up their day but it'll help to brighten yours as well.  In a city like Vancouver many people feel isolated, so when you pass a stranger on the street instead of putting your head down and pretending you don't see them, look them in the eye and give them a smile.  They are sure to pass it on to the next person.

9) Get close to nature - I understand that it's easier to get close to nature when we had a spectacular weekend like we did out here on the West Coast with sunshine and relatively warm weather, but even on the Prairies where I grew up playing in the snow or going cross-country skiing I remember it made me feel alive to be outdoors.  One of my happiest memories was going for a walk in the middle of winter with the bright white snow surrounding me, the sun glistening on the icicles hanging from the trees and enjoying the tranquility and quiet of the moment.

10) Sleep - There is nothing like a good night's rest to help make one feel better so make sure to get 7-8 hours per night.  Although it's two hard rules to adhere to most times...we really should turn off the electronics after 8 pm and they should be kept out of the bedroom, that includes laptops, cell-phones & iPads not just TVs. 

I hope the stats were wrong and you all had a Happy Day but if not, hope these tips help you to stay positive next time you feel blue.

xo,

Kimmy 

#365 Grateful

A good friend of mine, shared a fantastic link with me yesterday as she knew two important passions for me....taking photos whether on my iPhone or Nikon AND practicing the art of gratitude.  The #365 Grateful Project was created by Hailey Bartholomew to help combat her depression and it's a project I am happily going to take on for 2014.  

I feel like I've always been a grateful person, but it's when I was in the network marketing industry that I was taught the skills of really practicing the art of being grateful.  I keep a gratitude journal, however don't write in it as frequently as I probably should.  I am hoping that if I practice this project with intention, one year from now I can look back at 365 days of amazing experiences and memories.  There are some schools of thought that say you should write in your gratitude journal every day, while others say once a week as some tend to find this as a chore but I guess in the end it doesn't matter as long as we take some time to breathe in and count our blessings. This is the exact reason why I'm excited to take on this project - it will force me to take a few minutes every day (even if I'm feeling sad or grumpy - let's face it we all get that way sometimes) to find something, anything no matter how big or small to be grateful for.     

I can definitely understand that when things are falling apart - your relationship is strained, your lose your job, or perhaps you've come down with an illness it's difficult to feel grateful, but that's exactly the right time to start practicing gratitude.  It's these feelings of positivity that will add up that can help you begin to feel better emotionally, physically and spiritually and thus bring about healing.

To follow my project, feel free to check it out on my Facebook page under the Photo Albums.  

xo,
Kimmy