Monday, October 6, 2008

Well Being Week continues....

Did you know that you can easily feel happier almost every day? Research shows that a large part of how happy you feel on a daily basis is due to your habits and behavior. When we think or behave in a negative way over and over, we are wiring our brains for unhappiness. (Similar to the cravings we develop for chocolate or junk food if we eat it on a regularly). The good news is that scientists have now learned that through changed habits and conciously altering your thinking patterns, you can increase how happy you feel (even though on paper your life is the same as always). You can read more about this in books such as The How of Happiness by Sonja Lyubomirsky and Happy for No Reason by Marci Shimoff.

Happiness Tip #2: Yesterday, we talked about setting our intentions. Here is a way to help that positive intention grow. Let's say your intention is to feel more joyful. Throughout the day, make a game of noticing things that bring you joy, whether it is that first sip of coffee, falling yellow leaves, the color of the sky, children's laughter, a great book, or a hello from a friend. See if you can count 10 joyful moments in an hour. Like setting intentions, this could be a game to enjoy with your children. What a wonderful practice to share with them! The fantastic thing is, this intention flicks on the reticular activating system (RAS) in your brain, which is responsible for turning on your memory system. Meaning the more you do it, the more automatic and effortless it will be to find the joy.

Let me know if you try it!

1 comment:

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