- Plan a picnic. Call some friends and then pack fresh fruit, sandwiches, and maybe a bottle of wine. Find a shady tree or a peaceful spot...Maybe even a picnic under the stars!
- Meditate while you walk. Stroll through a familiar part of town and focus your mind on its sights, smells, and sounds. If other thoughts pop up, acknowledge them but return your concentration to what's around you.
- Fine Dine @ home....put out your best linens, your finest dishes,create a beautiful centerpiece from things you have laying around, or simply light a candle. Create an inviting place to sit and celebrate the everyday!
- Sit in the sun for 10 minutes a day...Feel the sun rays on your shoulders and the warmth on your back...The sun may help you produce a natural chemical that induces the feeling of JOY! And you get a dose of vitamin D!
- Dance...Turn up the music and just dance...No one has to know! Leap in the air like Flash Dance and twist and shake like you are back in the 50's ...You will laugh and feel happy instantly! Do this with your kids, too! I dance silly in the morning to make my kids smile! Sometimes I make them join in...though they act like they don't like it...They end up laughing and being silly along with me! And the best part, they walk out the door in the right mindset to take on the day!
- Cruise in your car..Like when you were young and free...We forget that first taste of freedom! Grab some CDs and hit the road! Open that sunroof or roll those windows down and feel the wind in your hair! Think about how you used to feel and recreate it! You could even rent a revertible for the day! Go all out! Maybe even that your sweetie along for some back seat smooching!
- Paint a picture...Get a canvas or something to paint on and grab some paints...Let your imagination flow through the paint brush...If you want you can use your fingers too...How fun if you and your sweetie painted one together one afternoon...Be playful and laugh! You may even want to get silly and drab a little on his nose...But be ready to get some back! :) Hang the painting somewhere special!
- Pay it forward...Every kind deed offered to you...Do a kind deed to someone else....
- Walk outside and look for simple beauty...The sound of the birds, a budding flower,the way the wind is blowing through the trees...Act as though you have never seen this before...How does it make you feel? Relish in that feeling...Don't let the everyday make the simple gifts less than what they should be...A gift from God...A simple miracle...Now if we could only find that same beauty in ourselves...We'd be so much more happier!
- Write a note thanking your neighbors for being "neighborly." Stick them in their mailbox or doors...It will make their day!
- Be in the moment...Instead of worrying about your bank account balance or something you forgot to do, focus on the here and now...So, often we are not present in the moment...Our minds are off worrying about the future...If we can learn to be completely present...we will be happier and healthier for it!
- Laugh out loud!...Just simply laughing raises levels of endorphins and other pleasure inducing hormones and lower production of stress hormones...Look around you and find ways to create more laughter with your family and friends...Grab a funny movie, remember something funny that happened, dress your pet up, tickle someone, or make a silly face out of nowhere...You get the point!
- Use scents to create happiness.... Research has proven that aromatherapy helps create different moods and relieves stress...Rosemary lowers anxiety levels and increases alertness...It is a great scent to give to a student before a test! Lavender increases relaxation....Look into how different scents can help you! And by the way, a smelly house or moldy building can depress you...So, keep your home smelling fresh with flowers, oils, candles, and good, old housekeeping! Want to be nature friendly...Look for ways to clean and freshen your home with vinegar,lemons,baking soda, and other natural cleaners!
- Spend time alone...Although relationships are important and bring us joy... sometimes you need time alone to recharge and reflect... Take yourself out to lunch, catch a movie, or simply spend an afternoon reading a book or magazines, visit a local bookstore, or flea marketing or antiquing....Do things that make your happy...You'll be able to give more of yourself to all your relationships!
- Count your blessings one by one.... People who stop each day to reflect on all the positive things in their lives... experience a sense of well-being,live a more abundant life and are more healthy! Write out a list of what you are thankful for today!
I hope this got your mind thinking of more ways to create a happier life! We all have the ability to change how we live and can create a happier life NOW!
I heard this quote on Rachel Ray's show...It was a quote her Grandfather used to say...It touched me...
"You have two choices in life - You can laugh or you can cry. Which would you rather do?"....Author Unknown
Written by Screaming Meme...Editor In Chief
Scream over to my other blog....www.thescreamingmeme.blogspot.com
Note to readers! We have a winner of our Life and Style Makeover! We'll post more information next week!
I like the sit in the sun idea, but today it is more like "catch a snowflake on your tongue" here! So many ways to enjoy each and every day. Thanks for the reminder!
ReplyDeleteGreat post! You covered all the fun stuff well!
ReplyDeleteAwesome ideas to live life more fully! I loved them and will look forward to applying them to my own life! Thanks so much Meme for the inspiration! :-)
ReplyDeleteGreat ideas! I love your optimism and planned happiness. We all need pick me ups every now and then.
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