"10 Little Things that Lead to a Happier, Healthier You."
I promise you, all these things are based on my personal philosophy and my actual life,
I am trying to walk the talk!
I am trying to walk the talk!
1. Do not do things that make you feel bad about your self. If there is a person in your life that constantly belittles you, second guesses you, or encourages you to participate in destructive behavior, give yourself permission to either sever ties or severely limit contact. I once ended a friendship with a woman who's trashy language practically blistered my ears, not to mention made me sick to my stomach to listen to! Everyday she would call me to rant about how it was so unfair that everything bad happened to her, and how she was so sick of drama, when most of the drama in her life was of her own creation as a direct consequence of decisions she had made. When I asked her to watch her language when we where talking she claimed she couldn't comply because “swearing is a form of stress relief.” It might relieve stress for her, but it was causing it for me, and her extreme neediness was sucking the life out of me. So much so that it was affecting my life and my relationship with my spouse and kids. So I ended it. And as guilty as I felt at first, itwas worth it to have PEACE return to my life.
2. Do something each and every day that brings you Real Joy. It is up to you to figure out what that is. For me, taking some time to pray, meditate, and write in my journal. For you it might me writing Poetry, chatting with your best friend, or Baking. Afterward I feel calmer and grounded.
3. When you are really down and out, do one thing that is proactive so you can have a sense of accomplishment-Overwhelmed with house work? Take out the trash, do one load of laundry, fold and put away one basket of clothing, wipe down one counter, clean one part of the bathroom. There is a reason the Fly Lady recommends setting a timer and doing one thing for 15 minutes. It's doable! The 15 minute rule will work for MANY things, not just housework.
4. Do not do things that make you CRAZY! For example, thinking perfect Mom's have NO
hobbies or life of their own and make everything from scratch! Another example
would be ove extending yourself by committing to too many activities
in a small block of time. I have a good friend who almost never
says no and ends up running herself ragged until she is FORCED to cancel
something out of complete exhaustion. Saying no does not make you a bad person.
So if you happen to sew really well, but are really busy with a full time job,
your kid's activities , your volunteer work and your son's teacher
asks you to make all the costumes for the school play and the only way you will
have time to do it is stay up until 3 am every night-Just say No!
hobbies or life of their own and make everything from scratch! Another example
would be ove extending yourself by committing to too many activities
in a small block of time. I have a good friend who almost never
says no and ends up running herself ragged until she is FORCED to cancel
something out of complete exhaustion. Saying no does not make you a bad person.
So if you happen to sew really well, but are really busy with a full time job,
your kid's activities , your volunteer work and your son's teacher
asks you to make all the costumes for the school play and the only way you will
have time to do it is stay up until 3 am every night-Just say No!
5. Have a Hobby! Hobbies aren't for being perfect at something, they are for SANITY! I could never understood after I got married why my Mom kept pushing me to pursue some Hobbies. Once the children came along, I totally got it. I needed something just for ME, that wasn't part of taking care of my Family. I took up both Soapmaking and Scrapbooking. Since I enjoy doing them, my brain releases Dopamine which in turn reinforces the good feelings, and I continue to develop my Creativity. If I have been experiencing that “stuck in a rut” feeling, this is the cure!
6. Housekeeping-Spend some time every day doing the things you DON'T like so you have time to do the things you DO like., ie: you can't scrapbook at your kitchen table if it is covered with bills, backpacks and other of life's debis. You can't enjoy a nice family dinner at a sticky table, or find something nice to wear out if all your clothes are in a dirty pile in from of the washing machine.
7. Take care of your physical Body-it's the only one you have and you depend on your health to be able to function. I have both Diabetes and Fibromyalgia. If I do not take my medications and vitamin suppliments, I feel awful and I can't function. If I do not eat properly for a diabetic, control my blood sugar, and exercise regularly, the consequence of that will be that my Physical body will cease to function.
You can't get any more serious then that!
You can't get any more serious then that!
With the Fibromyalgia I have to set limitations on myself, or I will suddenly find myself utterly exhausted and unable to move without pain. I can't stay up until 3 am playing Games on face book, or spend all day doing heavy manual labor. If I do I know I will be close to bedridden the next day or so.
The price for the experience comes higher then I can afford to pay. Go to bed on time, wear sunscreen, and consume fresh fruits and vegetables.
8. Take a 10 or 20 minute vacation! I believe Stress Relief is like Perspiration, if you have to do it otherwise you will explode. So, if you can't take a vacation, a day or even a few hours off to have some me time, try a mini-vacation with one of these suggestions:
1. Take a hot bath with Bath salts and candles
2. Paint your toenail in a color that makes you smile(mine are usually a frosty purple!)
3. Give yourself a facial-not only will you feel pampered but soft, glowing skin is a real ego boost!
4. Get you hair done! Spend the Time and money to get a trim, have color refreshed, or highlights added. You do not need me to tell you when your hair looks good, you feel good.
Like the famous hair color commercial says, “You're Worth it!”
9. Read a Book strictly for pleasure! One of my older female friends once confessed to me she felt so relieved a particular book had been selected for our Book Club so she did not have to feel guilty for reading something so frivolous when she had such a long list of more serious, political or religious minded tomes to consume. While I think it is GREAT that my friend is dedicated to continuing to be edified, and keeping up with politics as part of her civic duty. There is something to be
said for Novels. One can hardly can Pride and Prejudice frivolous, and yet it is most
certainly a Novel, the reading of which tends to lead to day dreaming and the firing of
the imagination. Instead of running errands on your lunch, at least one day a week,
sit with a great Read while you munch, and escape into another world....just remember
to come back before your boss or you kids have to come looking for you.
said for Novels. One can hardly can Pride and Prejudice frivolous, and yet it is most
certainly a Novel, the reading of which tends to lead to day dreaming and the firing of
the imagination. Instead of running errands on your lunch, at least one day a week,
sit with a great Read while you munch, and escape into another world....just remember
to come back before your boss or you kids have to come looking for you.
10. Buy yourself Flowers! Don't wait for someone else to send you flowers, pick up an inexpensive but pretty bouquet to place on your desk or area of the house you spend a lot of time in(where it will be in your line of sight most of the day) and put them in a real vase. A bunch of flowers can be had as cheaply as $4 at our local Supermarket, and most flowers can be kept looking fresh for at least a week. Studies have been done that show flowers have a mood lifting effect. Of all the things God created, I think flowers are literally eye candy made specifically to gladden the eye and lift the spirit. It is a great gift!
I wrote this blog post while participating in the TwitterMoms and Tropicana Trop50 blogging program to be eligible to win 6 free Juicy Rewards points and a $30 gift card. For more information on how you can participate, click here.
To read more about this blogging Contest, go to :
Here is an exclusive code TWMOM-READR (worth one Juicy Rewards point – that’s up to $5 in savings) for the Tropicana Juicy Rewards Program. This one-time use code is valid for new accounts ONLY. Must be entered within 6 hours of creating your account. Limit one new account bonus code per new account. All accounts must be created and all codes entered by May 7, 2010 at 11:59 PM EST.
Trop50 Little Things for Happy, Healthy Living
2 comments:
Love the list and see myself in all of them except maybe 8. I combine it with 9 :) My getaway used to be to go for a walk and enjoy nature and a book. Now I can't walk but I can hobble out to the "oasis" and sit and enjoy the birds and trees plus kick back and read a little. The best part of my day:)
On 6 - I used to figure minus work and sleep I had about 8 hours of life a day. I traded off, one hour real life, one hour play on the computer. Of course if I had kids I would probably have had to make it 2 hours real life to 1 hour computer LOL.
Great list gal.
I think that your list is very interesting. There were several things I thought I could do better from what I read. Happiness isn't a given, it's a job! LOL We have to make ourselves happy.
Thanks Leslie.
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