Holistic Happiness Series: 4 Reasons to Ditch Self-Deprecating Humor

Posted on November 22, 2018March 18, 2022

How many times have you found yourself in a situation where your friend says something like,”I like your outfit!” and you retort “Oh you’re just not used to seeing me out of my sweats”? Heck, even J.Law does it! It can be tempting to make fun of yourself for a laugh, or automatically deflect to some reasoning when someone gives you a compliment. It may seem funny, but it can have a harmful impact on your mental wellbeing. Read on for 4 reasons why you should stop making fun of yourself and just say THANK YOU!

4 Reasons to Ditch Self-Depreciation and Just Say “Thanks”

Even when used to get a laugh, self-depreciation perpetuates low self-esteem and subconsciously makes you feel unworthy.
It creates an unhealthy habit of thinking pessimistically, which negatively impacts your mood and overall happiness.
Self-depreciation lowers your energy… enough said!
Talking negatively about yourself trickles down to your kids and young adults, suggesting it’s it’s OK to talk badly about yourself.

Bottom line, start making it a habit to just say “thank you,” and see what kind of change it makes in your confidence and mental wellbeing. If you can’t do it for yourself, do it for the kids (see #4)!

Holistic Happiness Series: Get By With a Little Help from Your Friends

Posted on November 15, 2018April 21, 2021

“Community” is a buzz word and it’s probably because studies are finding that the happiest people have strong relationships and spend time with friends (FB stalking doesn’t count, unfortunately). It’s easy to get caught up and realize you haven’t talked to your bestie in weeks, so give these tips a whirl and report back!

Phone a Friend

Social media makes it feel like you’re totally caught up on your friends’ lives, but we all know what we show on social isn’t always the whole picture. Try scheduling monthly calls (or even better, Facetime) with the people who are most important to you, so you can have some #realtalk…not text messages. It will make you feel deeply connected and supported, giving a boost to your mental state. Plus, it can be a good reminder of what is truly important in life. #blessed

Dinner Parties

In his TedxNashville presentation, clinical psychologist, Dr. Jerome Burt, went so far to say that dinner parties can save lives. The gist of this idea is that people are disconnected, and we wear the word ‘busy’ like a badge of honor. However, this busyness gets in the way of loving and belonging, which are essential to our happiness. Dr. Burt’s take – “you’re born wanting two things: food and belonging,” and breaking bread fulfills both. A little wine can’t hurt either.

Find Your Peeps

We love connecting with friends from all walks of life (obvi, we wrote a whole email about it). But, don’t be afraid to look outside of your squad for another source of support and inspiration. There are lots of organized groups and events that are centered around a specific theme – new parents, life transitions, new to the city, etc. Meetup, local fitness studio calendars, and Eventbrite are all great places to look. And of course awesome pop up events from yours truly that will be coming soon!

Note of Gratitude – People

Keeping a gratitude journal is a powerful tool, but we understand if it’s just one more thing filling up your to-do list. Instead, try grabbing whatever’s close by and jotting down the names of two people for whom you’re thankful to know. Recall a couple specific memories and the feelings you have (or had) when together. It should give you some happy feels, and if you haven’t talked to them in a while, see tip #1 above.

These tips aren’t meant to be a slam-dunk for everyone, but we hope they can give you some achievable ideas of how to inject a few more smiles into your day, and even promote long-term wellbeing. We are so grateful for this new Happy Hour community, and can’t thank you enough for joining us on this journey!

Holistic Happiness Series: Simple Steps Toward a Happier You

Posted on November 8, 2018April 21, 2021

Welcome to the second installment of our Holistic Happiness Series! We hope this series helps you discover some tools to help you become your happiest self. Read on for some more takeaways from our first pop up, Self-Care Saturday!

The Self Care Myth

Self-Care doesn’t have to be expensive or time consuming. The only “right way” is to find several tools that work for your personality, lifestyle and budget, that alsomake you feel uplifted. This can be as simple as taking a few minutes to do something for yourself – a bath, a meditation, a few 1-minute workouts – or something as big as getting a massage. Ask yourself what you hope to get out of these activities – if you’re just adding another stressful expectation or task to your life, ditch it!

Essential Oils

Essential oils are an effective, natural, and super easy tool to help reduce stress and lift your spirits. If you’ve got a diffuser, put a few drops in and let the aroma run in the background, or just take a few sniffs straight from the bottle for instant relief (close your eyes because these puppies can be strong). EOs can react differently to different folks, so try a few and see which do the trick for you. Some of our favorite calm-inducing EOs include: bergamot, lavender and chamomile.

Counseling or Coaching

Whether you’ve got a specific challenge or are simply feeling frazzled, talking to a professional will teach you the tools to be your best, happiest self. There are lots of options out there, and our therapists from Self-Care Saturday are a great place to start. If you’d prefer to go the coaching route, we suggest using the International Coach Federation as a resource. It’s so important to make mental wellbeing a part of your wellness routine. Feeling good starts with your feelings, right?

One Minute Workouts

Don’t have time for a “real” workout? Don’t stress! You’ll see more physical and mental results by incorporating quick, consistent workouts into your schedule than you will by doing one high intensity workout on the weekend. Pick a few one-minute exercises and create an effective workout, no matter how time-strapped you are (we squeeze it in while playing with our kids). Visit trainer Matt Royka’s instagram for one-minute workouts that can be done anywhere. Consistency is key!

Drop us a line if you’ve tried any of the happiness hacks shared at Self-Care Saturday – we’d love to hear how they worked for you!

Kicking off our Holistic Happiness Series

Posted on November 1, 2018April 21, 2021

“Don’t let yourself go unrecognized for the work you are doing, because the work you do on yourself is the work you do for the world.”

– Emmy Singer, Inner Light Yoga

We had some serious wisdom dropped on us at Self-Care Saturday by some incredibly talented folks, and we can’t keep it to ourselves. So, we’re kicking off a weekly series in which we’ll provide you with some of our favorite new happiness tips.

Yoga

Throughout your practice, in yoga and in life, remember to thank yourself. Share love and gratitude towards your body for being strong, and remember to honor what your individual body needs. Take 30-seconds every day to set your intention. Carry your intention and your gratitude with you throughout the day. Taking the time to care for yourself is a bold, brave and beautiful thing.

Nutrition and Mental Health

There is no single diet, workout, or therapy session that will fix everything, as all 3 are linked. In order to optimize your total health you should incorporate a wide variety of nutrient dense foods. Elimination diets can have an adverse effect on your digestion and can convince your mind that it’s in withdrawal, thus increasing anxiety, and wreaking havoc on your overall health. Bottom line: incorporate as much variety as possible, while still caring for yourself.

Herbs for Stress and Anxiety

Herbs are a powerful support system for your stress and anxiety, but they affect everyone differently. Expert Herbalist, Lauren Haynes, says to familiarize yourself with 3 herbs and make teas out of each (or buy them if you’re not into DIY). Get into a zen space, and see how you feel after each sip of tea, where you feel it in your body, and if the feeling increases after additional sips. Lauren’s faves for anxiety are: skullcap, motherwort, milky oats, and chamomile.

Sound Bath Meditation

This practice is about deep listening and paying attention to yourself. Take a few moments to check in with yourself, identify how you’re feeling, and try to understand it. How? Go to a quiet space, close your eyes, and breathe in and out to a count that feels good (try the Insight Timer app for 👌 guided meditation). We’re constantly bombarded with information, and this practice will help you slow your mind and become more present and effective.

The main takeaway is that there is no one-size-fits-all solution to self-care. We hope these tips help you to discover what works best for you!

The Happy Hour

Hollistic Life Coaching

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