Step outdoors for a few minutes to pull some weeds, sit in the sunshine, or just get some fresh air. Research shows that time outside can give you more energy, a better memory, and less anxiety. Even if you’re in a city, notice trees, flowers, and parks. Soak up nature to give yourself a boost.
A growing body of research shows that compassion reduces anxiety, depression and stress and may also boost immunity—along with longevity. We’re born with the instinct to be nice: Even babies and toddlers have the capacity for kindness. . . . Compassion actually gives you a veritable high. Donating money to help others lights up the brain’s pleasure centers—which are typically activated by things like food and sex—according to a study in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. . . . Simply witnessing an act of compassion triggers feelings of awe, admiration, warmth and love, per a study in the Journal of Positive Psychology (which may be why you compulsively click on stories about people who donate a kidney to a stranger). At the same time, it increases your desire to be more charitable yourself. Compassion also curbs the natural (and anxiety-provoking) tendency to navel-gaze.
BUOY YOUR spirits by recording happy events. People who write about all the things they are thankful for are optimistic about the upcoming week and more satisfied overall with their lives, according to a University of California, Davis, study. They also feel physically stronger. “It’s hard to be bitter and mad when you’re feeling grateful,” says Sonja Lyubomirsky, PhD, author of the upcoming book The How of Happiness: A Scientific Approach to Getting the Life You Want.
But don’t overdo it. Women who kept a gratitude journal only once a week got a bigger boost in happiness than those asked to record their good fortune three times a week. Find the frequency that works for you–giving thanks shouldn’t feel like a chore.
Good health is a precious gift. We don’t think about good health until we don’t have it. It’s like going to bed feeling great and waking up with a backache. How we wish we could feel healthy again. Good health isn’t a guarantee. Our bodies need our help. We can commit to exercise. We can commit to eating healthy. We can commit to treating our bodies as if they are a precious treasure – they are. Here’s to your good health and health sustaining habits. Cheers.
Life is now and in front of us. It is not behind us. It’s impossible to go back, the only direction is forward. When we focus on going forward we can co-create the future we want with those traveling with us. Not like we used to be. But, how will we be what we want to be?
In a dramatic moment in a recent TV drama, a character makes the right decision after period of struggle. Another character comes up to him and says, “I knew you’d make the right decision because you are good and I was counting on it.” When we look at those closest to us as good, they catch our thoughts at a cellular level understanding how we feel about them and their lives change. They know they are good.
Want to better know the people or person you live with? Sit together at dinner. No TV. No smart phone. No interruptions. Engage in conversation and seek everyone’s opinion. Allow dinner to become an open forum of discussion with the goal of getting to know each other more deeply. You’ll get better with practice.
It’s great that we see things differently. It’s great that we have different perspectives. It’s great that we disagree on what we should do. Life would be boring if we all saw things the same way and never disagreed. The wise ones know how to enter a dialogue and discover the narrow path between differences. Look for the narrow path and you’ll never be disappointed.
The relationship you are in isn’t fixed. You and your partner have the incredible power to make your relationship anything you imagine. Together, you can construct something unique and special. You can create something long lasting that will testify to the love and commitment you share with each other. What are you you waiting for? When you get together with your partner ask, “What would our relationship be like if everything was possible?”
