Happiness

Life is not full of laughter and joy. Our heart is not always intact, we are not always healthy, our soul is not always at peace and our thoughts are not always at ease...

But perhaps it is because of the "down times" that we are able to process, enjoy and embrace the good moments.

The following are a couple of suggestions to help all of us at our troubled times:

• Smile. Smile to yourself, smile to your friends and family, and even to strangers. Smiling is a natural "drug". It releases endorphins (suppresses pain) and serotonin (mood regulator). Smiling is apparently contagious and according to psychologist Dr. David Lewis,"Seeing a smile creates what is termed as a 'halo' effect, helping us to remember other happy events more vividly, feel more optimistic, more positive and more motivated."

• Walk. Walk alone or with someone, or even with your dog. Embrace the weather. Take deep breaths. Try to pay attention to the beauty of your surroundings. When you see a flower, dont just walk past it... stop ! look ! smell ! enjoy ! Not only is walking good for your physical being (ex. increased level of circulation) but it's also good for your psychological being.

• Donate. If you are financially unable to donate, you can volunteer some of your time to help others in need. Be the change you want to see in the world. Once you help others, even if you've made a very small difference... you will feel somewhat accomplished. I can talk about this forever... perhaps another time... but please... if you are going to help others... do it with pure intentions.

• Sing. Listen to a song you LOVE... and sing to it out loud lol... in your car, in your room, in the shower... wherever. Listen to songs that cheer you up !

• Eat. Don't get fat and blame it on me! lol... but eat food that you enjoy. Set out a time in your busy day, and sip on your favorite cup of coffee/tea while reading a book or chatting with a friend.

• Be Grateful. Be thankful for the things you have. This requires you to first recognize your blessings, and then be grateful for them. Do NOT take anything for granted.

• De-clutter. Make your surrounding environment organized. Clutter and messiness can be frustrating. Often, it increases our anxiousness and brings down our mood. So.. Clean.. !! Put on good music, and do it for fun.

• Physical Care. Take care of your physical self. Work out. Groom yourself. Wear flattering clothing. Put on your favorite perfume/cologne. Looking good on the outside, will boost up your confidence and will make you feel good on the inside.

• Self Affirmation. Try to talk to yourself. Affirm a state of mind you want to be in. In other words, stay positive. why? Because when you practice this "positive thinking",certain neurons will be fired...together... and when you do this over and over... their "bond" will be strengthened. Similarly, when certain pathways are not used... that "bond" weakens. So lets say something bad happens, and you try to think positive. As you do this repeatedly, as time goes on, when problems are thrown at you, you will automatically think positively. LOL. yay. (DUH moment... but its true ... try it please). The following link is a simple explanation of what happens... I think I'd like to blog about this soon. http://hubpages.com/hub/Self-Affirmations