5 Simple Ways to Feel Happier
Here in the UK it’s that time of year when it’s easy to feel dragged down by the wintery weather. Not to mention the short, dark days that seem to go on forever! When you feel low & tired, it’s easy to turn to food for comfort. We all do it and a little comfort eating occasionally doesn’t hurt. But if it feels out of control & stops you getting to your goals, keep reading & see what you could tweak…
If you’re feeling generally fed-up and lacklustre, I reckon this is the perfect time of year for a bit of decluttering. I’m not talking about scrubbing behind the fridge or clearing out that cupboard though. Although if that makes you feel better, definitely crack on with that!
I mean spring-cleaning for your emotional health.
Here are five simple things you could try to shake things up a bit – 5 ways to feel happier:
1. Check your connections
Have a look at your relationships, are you spending time with the people who matter to you? How about arranging a catch-up with someone you haven’t seen in a while? Pick up the phone and call that friend you’ve been missing. Or if you fancy meeting new people you could try a new club to find people with similar interests. Check out your local community/religious centre, library or school for what’s going on. Or search the Internet for local events. We’re social creatures and finding ‘your tribe’ is so important to feel valued and give you that sense of belonging.
2. Get more physical
Has your exercise routine gone out of the window over winter? It’s so tempting after a long day at work to curl up on the sofa in front of Netflix, instead of heading out in the dark to an exercise class. But this is more likely to make you feel more lethargic. Keeping up regular exercise helps you sleep better and helps you feel energised.
So how about trying something new? New Year’s Resolutions are so over-rated – I think spring is the perfect time to think about your goals for the year. Remember exercise doesn’t have to be about slogging it out on a treadmill; dancing, walking and gardening all make a difference. Why not look for something a bit different? Is there something new you fancy trying? Maybe look into belly-dancing, roller derby or aerial hoop – if you find something you love, then exercising doesn’t feel like a chore!
3. Get out and get curious
Taking notice of your surroundings, being mindful of how you feel and living in the moment can help you refocus on what’s really important in life. How do you feel right now? What’s going on in your garden or local green space? Can you spot the signs that spring’s on it’s way?
The art of gratitude is a useful way to reflect on what’s important to you. Try spending a few minutes at the end of each day thinking about what you have to be grateful for. You could keep a positivity notebook by your bedside and make a note of one thing that has been positive during the day. It could be some nice feedback you received, the name of a person who you feel lucky to know or something good that happened in your day. We love sharing our ‘highlight of the day’ at our evening meal together as a family.
It doesn’t have to be something huge, remember it’s the little things in life that are truly important. You may be surprised at how many things you can think of each night and how much it can help you to change your outlook on life.
4. Learn something new
Are you feeling fed-up of the same old routine? Maybe it’s time to make some changes. Have a think about how you’d like to develop yourself. It could be something small like getting a book out of the library to read up on a topic you want to know more about. Or you could check out your local learning centre to sign-up for that course you’re interested in. Maybe it’s time to schedule a meeting with your boss to discuss how you could increase your skills, you never know what opportunities there might be unless you ask – some new responsibilities could be just what you’re looking for. Having a new passion or a challenge to get your teeth stuck into can really help to recharge your life, especially if you’re feeling stuck in a bit of a rut.
5. Give something back
Is there something you could do for other people? Now is a good time to check out what charity events are coming up over the summer that you could get involved in. Helping other people can really boost your sense of wellbeing and also help you connect to others. Life is too short to lament over the constant stream of bad news on the media! Is there something that you could do to try to help improve your local community? When was the last time you gave blood or donated your old clothes to the local charity shop? It could be time for an actual clear-out to see what you could give away – one person’s trash is another’s treasure!
What could you do to shake things up this spring and recharge your batteries?
Need help to ditch dieting forever? Want to eat normally again AND lose weight healthily ..? While still enjoying the cake & chocolate? Hell yes!
I can help you ditch dieting forever, either with my 1-2-1 support. Or if you prefer to work independently, you can learn all the skills I teach my 1-2-1 clients, on my ‘No More Diets’ online course.
My Weekly Round-up! AKA; what I’ve been up to recently…
- Tea of the week is the old faithful Earl Grey – although I’m feeling like I need to try something new and interesting…
- Not really done much exercise this week as it’s been half term and we’re all out of our usual routine, so I’m really hoping aerial hoop isn’t going to feel too tough tonight! I might have to do an extra warm-up before I head over to the studio!
- Update on our little family challenge – ’22 Hills in 2022′; we’re still stuck at 3 hills so far this year! We tried for the second time to get up on the Long Mynd and completely failed! This time we parked near ‘The Rectory Walk’ in Church Stretton. The plan was to wander through there and head on up to the Long Mynd from the ‘top bit’ of the walk. We totally went the wrong way and ended up in Carding Mill Valley, which meant we still had a long way to go to get to the top. Genevieve got tired and the whinging was just too much – mission abandoned! We cut back through the other side of The Rectory Walk and it was still a lovely little walk, but no hill completed. Did I mention that ‘climbing the hill’ isn’t the challenge here? The challenge is completing it with a 6 year old in tow!!!
- I finally managed to get to the library this week. Picked up three books and I’ve almost read all of the first one ‘The Doll Factory’ by Elizabeth Macneal. It’s pretty creepy, but compelling!
- This week we binged the ‘Hawkeye’ series on Disney – I love the Marvel Universe. I still think the third Thor film and the two Guardians Of The Galaxy films are my favourites!
- Bird Nerd Report: Not seen many birds, as I’ve not been out for my usual morning walks along the brook coz there’s been no school run this week. Although I did see a couple of jays in The Rectory Walk. Then there were loads of goldfinches too. Plus I saw a few nuthatches, which reminded me I haven’t seen any of them in ages near us – I hope they’re just hiding and I’ll see some more soon!
