My brand is about how to “Make Everything Fun,” but sometimes I get grumpy with motherhood crazy-ness and an overwhelming to-do list.
Can you relate?
When I’m really unhappy, I can beat myself up even more by going on a guilt trip for not setting a good “Happiness Example”. After all, I AM a Certified Happy for No Reason trainer for Marci Shimoff, so you’d think I’d have this whole positivity thing nailed down.
Nope. Even teachers and “experts” forget, and need reminders, sometimes.
Marci Shimoff has some great resources on her site, and I am a big fan also of Shawn Achor’s work. For Dan Harris followers (like me), if you haven’t read 10% Happier (or checked out the site, or listened to the podcast), that is a must-do.
Here is a quick “TOP TEN” list for me at the moment to help me lift my mood. Let me know if you have any mood-lifters of your own in the comment box.
1. Smile. I wrote extensively about why smiling is good for you (and others) in Mantra #1: Change Your Lens on Life. You can read it here (no opt-in, just click for the PDF). Enjoy!
2. Follow the principles of the Losada Line, which suggests that for every negative statement we make (even– or mostly– about ourselves!) we must make up for it by stating SIX positive things to neutralize the negative.
3. Breathing techniques. Why not try Dr. DeMaria’s 3 Breaths to De-Stress.
4. Hit the re-set button. You can choose from a variety of short activities to “shift your frequency” including listening to music, repeating an affirmation, doing a sun salutation, or taking a walk around the block (a favorite from my corporate days). One of my current favorites that I use myself and suggest to clients is watching a funny YouTube video. Here are a few suggestions:
- Bob Newhart: Stop It
- Jimmy Fallon: Jack Black playing the Sax-a-Boom
- British Animal Voice Overs
- John Maloney: Horse in a Hospital
- Saturday Night Live: Down by the River
5. “Instant Emotional Healing” techniques I learned from Dr. George Pratt at a recent talk at the Wellness Festival in Sun Valley. Some of the most memorable techniques included a) zip up the centerline b) shield the antennae, c) tapping your gamut point on your chest, and d) taking a golden light shower; Dr. Pratt talks about the shower (pouring over your heart and on your head) in this video:
6. Daily appreciation emails. This morning I sent an email to a wonderful student of mine who is really applying himself 100+ percent to the Make Publishing Profitable and Fun course (which, by the way, is now FREE on Teachable if you’d like to enroll!). It felt great to recognize his wonderful efforts. Now it’s your turn to send a thankful or upbeat email (or phone call or text) to someone- do it!
7. Gratitude and grounding exercises. We can apply a Loving Kindness meditation to others and to ourselves. We can ground ourselves and remember what we have control of, and what we can’t control. Recall Steven Covey’s truism that “Response is part of the word Responsibility”. Our response is all we can control. We can’t control circumstances, only how we react to them. Jack Canfield suggests an equation: E + R= O. Events plus Response equals Outcome.
8. Tapping (EFT). You can apply a light tapping touch to the head, face, chest, and wrists while processing through emotions and installing new/positive ones. Listen to this interview with EFT specialist Deb Finch.
9. Connect with your heart, especially when making decisions. I personally love HeartMath. You can watch this fun “yogurt experiment” at the Heart Math Institute.
10. Reach into the Jar of Awesomeness. You have to plan ahead for this one, by committing to creating a jar of awesomeness. To do this, take slips of paper and write something on them when great things happen to you. When you are feeling down, reach into the jar and remind yourself of all the great things about yourself/ the great accomplishments you have made. I needed to take out 2 slips from my own Jar of Awesomeness today. Here is what it reminded me of:
- Meeting Michelle Obama and other kids and parents that are on a mission to build a healthy environment in schools. My daughter’s recipe was included in the Healthy Lunchtime Challenge recipe book -download your copy and enjoy the 50+ amazing, healthy recipes. Good food usually boosts all of our happiness! 🙂
- . A really fun book talk I did at the Teton Library back in 2016. The people there were so warm and welcoming, and we learned a lot from our interactive conversations. Maybe I should plan a trip over there again? That sounds happy. 🙂
