I have been researching and reading and listening to some incredible HEALTHY HACKS…
Here are some of my favorites that I am excited to share
HAPPINESS HACKS
From the book, “Happiness Hacks. 100% Scientific! curiously Effective!” by Alex Palmer–fun book full of researched happiness hacks and facts.
Seven (Hours) to a Long Life: How long should you sleep to live a longer life? data from 1.1 million men and women aged thirty to 102 and found that the best rate of survival was among those who slept about seven hours a night.—they also said “skip the sleeping pills”
Take 8 day vacations–“Researchers found that feelings of health and well-being increased right away during vacation, then peaked on the eighth day, where they remained until the eleventh day, after which the enjoyment levels faded out. From this, the researchers suggest that eight days is about how long it takes to let go of concerns about work responsibilities and stress—but before feelings of homesickness or restlessness set in.”
Drop the “not enough time” excuse—it is an excuse. “Most people over the years give the major reason for not participating in leisure activities as ‘not enough time’ However, we should distrust this explanation and more often than not treat it as an ‘excuse.’ In our time-use studies, we have found that when people say they don’t have enough time..they are watching three to four hours of television a day. Time constraints do not really seem to be the issue, rather its a question of priorities.” -Roger Mannell, Distinguished Professor, University of Waterloo
Connect with Nature–“People who describe themselves as more connected to nature–who see themselves as part of nature, also report more happiness–more positive emotions and purpose in life…its not that people who live in rural areas, who are surrounded by nature, are off-the-charts happy compared to people in cities. In cities, the people who find themselves near parks where there are some trees, these are the people who are happier. The little things matter: parks, gardens, even bird feeders.” -John Zelenski, professor of psychology, Carleton University
–even just looking at nature can improve your mood. Get outside. Head to a park. Buy a plant. Set your office up by a window.
Feeling down? Turn on some lights–or at least turn them up. In three separate studies, researchers at the University of Toronto and China’s Sun Yay-sen University found a correlation between people’s feelings of hopelessness and their perception of room lighting.
Reduce, Reuse and Smile—Going green is not just good for the planet–it has also been found to put those who do it into a better mood. The Happiness Research Institute of the Danish Ministry of the Environment found a link between behaviors that benefit the environment and individual happiness. Those who instituted household practices such as using recycling bins, composting, or even installing water-saving faucets & energy saving appliances reported an uptick in their level of happiness.
Rent or Buy? A study done in the UK investigated whether people were happier renting or owning their homes. The survey results showed that homeowners were just as likely to list money as their biggest concern. It also found that people renting a room or a detached house were more likely than those who owned their home to believe they had a good work life balance. Not only that, renters reported enjoying relaxing at home more than homeowners, who tend to put traveling as one of their primary keys to happiness.
Ten minutes is enough–Researchers sought out to answer “How much exercise is enough to feel better?” Feelings of confusion, fatigue, and negative mood improved after just ten minutes of exercise. After twenty minutes, only feelings of confusion improved. After thirty minutes of sustained exercise, none of the negative moods saw further improvement. Of course, exercising for longer has plenty of physical benefits, but the researchers concluded that exercising in short, ten minute bursts a few times a day is enough to provide immediate improvements in mood.
Drink more coffee–Spanish researchers following almost 20k people over a decade found that those who drank at least four cups per day had a 64 percent lower risk of dying—than those who never or almost never consumed coffee.
Take a social sabbatical: Danish researchers did a study & asked over 1,ooo subjects to stop using Facebook for a week. The Facebook quitters described feeling a big increase in their concentration, decisiveness, enthusiasm and more.
Snap a Selfie: Researchers took a group of people and separated them into three groups. The first group was instructed to take a smiling selfie each day. The second group, was told to take a picture of something that made them happy and the third group was to take a picture of something they thought would bring happiness to another person & then send the image to others. Researchers studied various measurements of the subjects moods & found an uptick in all three categories in their happiness levels. Their reasons varied: Their smiles became more natural over time, while those taking photos of things that made them happy said they became more appreciative of the little things that brought them joy in life. Those taking pictures and sending them to others reported feeling more connected to the people to whom they sent the images & felt a reduction in stress. So, turn your cell phone into a happiness booster by snapping a smiling pic of yourself or something you like once a day.
Understand that your work should not be about the paycheck: Good rule of thumb–80K is enough. After $75k you hit a happiness plateau. Those making millions may be able to buy nice things, but they don’t enjoy a higher level of happiness.
Other little things: Get a savings jar, move closer to work (commute time can get you down), Turn off the TV, Get a pet, Get some flowers, Grab some nuts, work out with friends, Talk don’t text over long distances, Know that texting kills your GPA, Get plants….there are so many happiness hacks. Go grab this book and learn about ALL the studies that have been done to help bring happiness.
HAPPY HORMONES HACKS: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/health-fitness/web-stories/easy-tips-to-hack-happy-hormones/photostory/108181003.cms
HELP for BUSY BRAIN
BUSY BRAIN CURE by Dr Romie: Heal the Root Cause: Gain insights into the interconnectedness of ADHD, anxiety, and insomnia, and how brainSHIFT reverses these symptoms. She even has brain tests to help you score and see what you need on a personal level. So GREAT!! https://drromie.com/busy-brain-test-resources/
So, What is Busy Brain: Busy Brain manifests in a number of different ways. Does any of this sound familiar to you?
- Low energy when you wake up
- Energy dips throughout the day
- Can’t focus without caffeine or stimulants
- Feeling anxious over simple tasks
- Can’t shake worries out of your mind
- Racing thoughts at night prevent you from falling asleep
- Waking up in the middle of the night and struggling to get back to sleep
A Busy Brain is a pattern of neuroinflammation caused by chronic stress and burnout. Busy Brain manifests as a combination of anxiety, adult-onset attention deficit disorder (ADD /ADHD), and insomnia.
And it’s making it worse. So “busy brain”—and clinical terms for the clinical folks listening—is a specific pattern of neuro inflammation, inflammation in the brain. And what I call the “busy brain center,” the limbic system and the hypothalamus that’s disturbing the circadian rhythm, the biological clock of the brain, and you’re stuck in the cycle of difficulty focusing and anxious thing all day, and you’re wired and you’re tired and you want to fall asleep and you can’t shut down racing thoughts when you go to bed at night, or you wake up in the middle of the night thinking, “Ooh, I’m wide awake. Let me just get a load of laundry done
Here are some of her TIPS: brainSHIFT #1: Digital Detox
What if I told you that one simple change in your evening routine could dramatically improve your sleep? If you struggle to fall and stay asleep, it’s a sign that your brain is overstimulated.
One of the leading causes of this is exposure to digital devices before bed. The combination of blue light and the dopamine hit you get each time you hear your phone ding is a recipe for sleep disaster.
The Solution is Digital Detox
Follow these steps for 1 week and pay attention to how your sleep changes during this time. For better results, extend the practice for 2 weeks (and keep it going for life!).
- 30 minutes before bedtime, put away all your devices (phone, tablet, computer, and TV).
Replace device time with a calming activity.
- Replace device time with a calming activity.
- Light a candle and spend a few minutes longer on your nighttime hygiene rituals.
- Sip a cup of herbal tea.
- Write down 3 things you’re grateful for today.
- Read a book (but not on your Kindle!).
- Take a few quiet moments to connect with your partner, child, or fur baby.
- If you find this easy, extend your digital detox time. If you can start 2 hours before bedtime, you’ll be amazed at how much your sleep will improve.
Some of her other essentials in her 8 week program
Step One TAKE her BRAIN TEST https://drromie.com/busy-brain-test-resources/ & get your score.
Step two is SLEEP CHALLENGE in chapter 11 (in her book), we have you download the seven-day sleep challenge: This is based on cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia and integrative medicine. And we give supplement recommendations. The whole idea is no matter what’s going on in your world, I want you to reset your sleep-wake cycle, your circadian rhythm, to the best of your ability. That you’re sleeping well, getting restorative sleep and just even psychologically prioritizing sleep.
What you are watching: even if you’re watching something that makes you laugh, it’s still waking you up. So if you’re watching something that garners a positive experience, which is typically pure comedy, which is very rare to find—most of them are still laced with darker themes and this that can raise stress hormone levels. Even if you’re watching a comedy, you’re laughing and it’s boosting dopamine and adrenaline. Wonderful during the day, but at night, all of a sudden you got energy now. But so like, that’s the issue. But you know, most people are watching like CSI crime shows. And here’s something amazing that mindfulness literature teaches us is whatever you’re watching.
So even if it’s a horse race, let’s say, your subconscious mind is immersed in that thinking you’re in the middle of the crime scene, that you’re in the middle of the horse race. So your brain is reacting. So while you think I’m distracting myself, not relaxing, watching this, you’re actually creating a busier brain for yourself. So in the seven-day sleep challenge, we walk you through picking activities and we have a list on the website of our “evolutionaries,” we call them, some of their favorite activities, things. What feeds into the airport traffic control tower of our brains that all of us can control is what we see, what we smell, what we taste, what we hear, and what we touch. So we actually ask you to make a ritual to calm the senses down. (-brainymoms.com interview)
DO the Digital Detox [above]
She has more steps in her book—go check it out.
4 Lessons from Yale’s Happiness Course:
Savor: Savoring is the deliberate, post-activity act of looking back on what you did, and taking time to appreciate it.
Invest in temporal things: invest in experiences. A referenced study by Dr. Leaf Van Bovenfound a negative correlation between spending on material objects and mental wellbeing. Yet spending on experiences was shown to have a significant and positive correlation to mental wellbeing — do to their openness for “positive reinterpretation” over time.
Recognize the GI Joe Fallacy: happiness takes work, not just reading about how to attain it.
Make healthy comparisons. Remember how the things and people you love could have easily not been here. -taken from https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/story/4-lessons-from-yales-happiness-course-193609143.html
What Would Oprah Say: Happiness in five words: ‘Do something for someone else’ [inc mag]
8 DIMENSIONS OF WELLNESS:
Occupational therapist and researcher Peggy Swarbrick defines wellness as “a conscious, deliberate process that requires being aware of and making choices for a more satisfying lifestyle.” It is marked not by the absence of illness or stress, but by the presence of elements like purpose in life, joyful relationships, and satisfying work and play.
Back in the 1990s, Swarbrick began developing a version of the “wellness wheel” model that many educational and health institutions rely on today. That model identifies eight interconnected dimensions of wellness: emotional, physical, intellectual, environmental, social, spiritual, financial, and occupational.
The EMOTIONAL dimension “involves the ability to express feelings, enjoy life, adjust to emotional challenges, and cope with stress and traumatic life experiences,” per Swarbrick.
Emotional Self-Care Practices
-Mindfulness meditation: There are tons of free videos and apps that make mindfulness accessible.
-Jot down how you’re feeling first thing in the morning or right before you go to bed to get better at connecting with and expressing yourself. Not a fan of writing? Try voice journaling.
-Listen to an audiobook of your favorite story or novel from when you were a kid. This one is just a great way to feel warm and cozy and reconnect with your inner child (and it’s perfect to pair with a bubble bath). LibriVox is a free website with thousands of public domain audiobooks to stream or download.
The PHYSICAL dimension–It’s important to move your body, eat nutritious foods, minimize harmful habits like smoking, and keep up with preventative health care measures.
Physical Self-Care Practices
-Develop a nighttime routine. Good habits are key when it comes to overall wellness — and creating a nightly ritual before bed can help you lock in those seven to nine hours of slumber every evening. Here are 23 tips to get started.
-Sitting a lot? Start adding short bursts of activity to your day.
The INTELLECTUAL dimension— It should come as no surprise that keeping our brains sharp is part of cultivating overall wellness. Lifelong learning is tied to decreased cognitive decline and increased memory, according to the University of Cincinnati.
Intellectual Self-Care Practices
–Discover an educational podcast.
-Check out these brain exercises to help improve memory, cognition, and creativity.
-Pick up a new hobby: Try one of these 31 suggestions.
The ENVIRONMENTAL dimension— Swarbrick defines environmental wellness as feeling physically safe, living in safe and clean surroundings, and having access to clean air, food, and water. It applies to both our “micro-environments,” like our homes and offices, as well as “macro-environments” — our cities, states, countries, and the planet we all live on.
Environmental Self-Care Practices
-Tidy up: Scrubbing your tub may not feel like self-care, but a clean house is associated with improved mental health. Here’s a 20-minute cleaning checklist.
–Have houseplants? Touch base with them. Do they need misting? New soil? Not only does tending to your plants help keep your home beautiful, but spending time with greenery is good for you.
-Pick up litter around your neighborhood (and get some fresh air while you’re at it).
The SOCIAL WELLNESS dimension–Social wellness, as defined by the eight dimensions model, “involves having relationships with friends, family, and the community, and having an interest in and concern for the needs of others and humankind.”
Social Self-Care Practices
-Write a longhand letter to a family member in another state or country, or find a new pen pal to start exchanging snail mail with.
-Video call a friend: Texting and liking each other’s posts on social media are great for keeping in touch, but sometimes you just need to see someone’s face.
The SPIRITUAL realm of the eight dimensions model is all about finding balance, purpose, and peace. That may be through belonging to a religious community, participating in cultural traditions, or simply engaging with the natural world.
Spiritual Self-Care Practices
–Create a mantra for yourself to repeat when times are tough. This writer is partial to author Glennon Doyle’s famous motto (and the name of her podcast), “We can do hard things.”
-Connect with nature in whatever way you can — maybe it’s going skiing or maybe it’s just sitting by a window and reading a book. Tip: Get a fresh sense of perspective by checking out the views on a high elevation hike or rooftop restaurant.
The FINANCIAL dimension–a sense of financial agency and security is important to wellness. There are many free budgeting tools available that can help with the elements of our finances we canexert more control over, like spending and saving.
Financial Self-Care Practices
–Do the 100 envelope challenge.
-Set your financial intentions by identifying and prioritizing your goals.
-Donate: Feeling like you have that agency over your finances can also be achieved by giving back and sharing with those who are less fortunate.
The OCCUPATIONAL dimension—the occupational dimension is not solely concerned with career. Rather, it refers to occupying your time with meaningful activities, whether that’s employment, volunteer work, or playing a role in helping care for loved ones.
Occupational Self-Care Practices
–Find a volunteer opportunity that you can take part in weekly.
-Declutter your desk (or, if you’re feeling more ambitious, your laptop).
-Cook a meal for people in need in your community.
–8 Dimensions of Wellness taken from Nice News https://nicenews.com/health-and-wellness/8-dimensions-wellness-self-care-practices/
I hope you will find those little things that will help with your overall Well of Happiness. We must constantly be filling up the reservoir of what our soul needs. May you find all the resources you need to flourish. xoxo. -Peace, Love and Light to you. -H
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