Top Ten Tips on How to Brighten Your Day!
With so many concerns in our everyday world today, we have to find ways to bring more joy and happiness in our lives.
Find out more about how you can do this with our top ten tips!
1. Starting the day right with a great morning ritual
Often, we might have a strident alarm to wake us up. Not necessary! Choose one that is pleasant to hear - bird song, waves breaking on the shore or a happy tune.
Try to fit in ten minutes at the beginning of the day so you have a bit of time to do something you enjoy to set you up for a happier day ahead.
And even making your bed in the morning (and every morning) can give you a great sense of accomplishment!
2. Feeling calmer with this quick breathing technique
According to Dr. Andrew Huberman, you should try the relaxation method known as "physiological sigh". This is where you breathe in deeply through your nose, then take another quick breath in through the nose before breathing out slowly through the mouth. It should be repeated three times to feel calmer more quickly.
3. Giving yourself a sensory prescription
All of our five senses are important in helping to brighten our mood.
Russell Jones who is the author of the book "Sense" advises us that for a boost of happiness, we should set ourselves a "sensory prescription". He says that the most effective soundscapes are lapping waves, a breeze through trees or birdsong to be paired with a fresh aroma such as something zesty like a lemon scent - proven to make us smile more.
He also points out that the colors yellow, orange and green all have positive effects on our wellbeing while blue has been shown to de-stress and lower our anxiety levels. Those colors can be included in the objects or furnishings surrounding us in our homes, in nature or in the clothes we wear.
4. Exercising without it being a chore
When we exercise, we release those all important endorphins but in spite of their obvious benefits some of us may still look upon exercise as being a chore to be endured. Instead, think back to your childhood when moving about and running was fun and playful and think about how you can regain that same feeling again.
Tally Rye (personal trainer and author of the book "Train Happy") suggests finding out what it is that can help you reconnect with that childhood feeling by asking yourself if you prefer moving indoors or outdoors? How long do you want to move for? What time of day feels better to move? Do you like moving in a group or on your own? She points out that the best exercise is the one you enjoy.
5. Shaking your body
Here is something different!
Animals (including dogs) will often shake their bodies after they have suffered a fright. They do this to discharge stress and tension. So you can do the same. If you need to get rid of stress or tension, stand up and shake your body bouncing from your knees and shaking up through your shoulders and arms.
Just a few seconds of body shaking can help to burn off extra adrenaline and release that stress.
6. Trying laughing yoga
They always say that laughter is the best medicine so by the same token, laughing yoga must be extra beneficial! And it does not have to be anything complicated. just relax in front of a mirror and keep on saying ha, ha, ha, ha!
7. Learning to sleep better
How many times do we read or hear how important a good night's sleep is? Sadly, it is not always easy to achieve this especially when we are kept awake by those repetitive little worries and thoughts that come to torment us in the wee small hours. Dr Lindsay Browning is a neuroscientist and author of the book "Navigating Sleeplessness".
She suggests the solution is to keep repeating the word "the" inside your head about every two seconds.This is because "the" is a neutral word without connotations. And at the same time it is almost impossible to hold two thoughts in your head at the same time. Saying "the" over and over again disrupts those unwanted thoughts.
8. Getting back in touch with nature
We have written before on the benefits of being out in nature. Even just finding a spot outdoors where you can hang out regularly, sit and observe the nature around you will make all the difference. The natural world impacts on our nervous systems, lowering our stress hormones and our heart rate while inducing a more meditative state. We will feel so much more relaxed and contented.
9. Eating to make you happy
What you eat can affect your mood.
Those neurotransmitters that play their part in mood regulation - serotonin and dopamine - come from the nutrients in our food such as iron and B vitamins. A diet that is rich in fiber, plants, oily fish and polyphenols (found in brightly colored foods like berries) while being low in added sugar, trans fats and processed foods, is the best you can eat for both brain health and enhancing your mood.
10. Setting a worry window
This is a good idea.
It is said that if you find yourself prone to worrying all the time, set yourself a "worry window" - this would be a specific and short time allocated just for that purpose.
Every time during the day when worries start to creep into your head, you will tell yourself that you will think about it during your worry window and not now! This will help to reduce all that unnecessary time spent worrying. You may even find that when it comes to the time for your worry window, you will have forgotten what the worry was or at the very least you are able to find a solution!
SOURCES:
https://www.everydayhealth.
Emotions Can Trigger Asthma Symptoms | AAFA.org
Physical Activity Is Good for the Mind and the Body - News & Events | health.gov
Written by Jane Chitty
Jane writes for Healing Natural Oils, a producer and retailer of high-quality, all-natural treatments for a variety of conditions as well as a range of beauty products. Apart from writing about those various conditions, she also covers general health, environmental and other subjects of interest. She has lived in Kenya as well as Cape Town, South Africa and spent time in San Diego, USA. She now lives in Somerset, England with regular visits from her far-flung children and grandchildren. She is a keen gardener and enjoys growing fresh fruit and vegetables with her husband on their joint allotment. As a result, there is something available to use in the kitchen virtually all year round. Her regular posts can be found on our blog.