10 lessons learned from a pig I found in the sand.
A few years ago, I watched an interview with a lady who had just turned 104. When asked why she believed she had lived so long, she leaned forward with a twinkle in her eye and said: “I didn’t waste my energy on worry.”
I remember thinking that whilst this made sense, it just wasn’t practical for a natural-born worrier like me…
I have a habit of assuming that the happiness and health of those I love is completely dependant on my commitment to worry about them; perhaps if I worry hard enough, they will be okay!
Every mind creates…
How to find motivation when you’re not feeling it.
A few years ago, I could barely run for ten minutes without wondering if I should call an ambulance. This Sunday, I ran for two and a half hours without stopping, and actually enjoyed it!
I wish I had discovered the joys of running sooner, but now that I have, I am keen for others to experience the benefits too.
There are many times in life when we know what’s good for us, yet there’s a knowledge-action barrier that we just can’t seem to conquer. …
Learn how to activate them more often, and increase your happiness.
“Every time we move our muscles, we are giving ourselves an intravenous dose of hope.”
— Kelly McGonigal, PhD
The power of hope molecules
Lots of us are experiencing an unsettling absence of hope right now, on some level. It’s more important than ever to become guardians of our mental health.
I bring good news…
Scientists have found that whenever we move a muscle (anywhere in our body), we produce ‘hope molecules’.
How cute!
During movement, proteins called myokines are released into our bloodstream. …
Add joy to your to-do list before life passes you by.
Do you feel a wave of guilt if you stop ‘doing’ for a moment? Are you constantly reading about how to maximise every minute of every day?
Perhaps you have a habit of boasting about how busy you are, subconsciously hoping to be crowned ‘Queen of Productivity’ by your friends and colleagues, whilst simultaneously collapsing in a heap of martyrdom and exhaustion…
Maybe now is the time to ask yourself if this is truly how you want your time on earth to be measured. …
#2: It breaks down depression-causing kynurenine.
The feel-good effect of exercise is not the result of endorphins alone — they might have had the best marketing team over the years, but they aren’t the only superheroes! Here are some other reasons why exercise can improve your mood.
- It increases hope and optimism. Kelly McGonigal, the author of The Joy of Movement, refers to the power of myokines released during movement as “an intravenous dose of hope”. Research shows that optimism is also caused by the release of endocannabinoids (the same chemicals mimicked by cannabis), which neuroscientists describe as “don’t worry, be happy” chemicals.
- It breaks down…
A story of hope for anyone struggling to cope with the unforeseeable. This is how I weathered the storm of heartbreak and grief, to discover a peaceful joy waiting patiently on the horizon. It had been there all along.
“When we are no longer able to change the situation, we are challenged to change ourselves.”
Viktor E. Frankl
It was a conversation I never could have imagined I’d be having, and a situation I couldn’t have foreseen. As the gravity of it hit me, everything went black. I was plunged into darkness and I couldn’t see or hear anything. I can still feel it like it was yesterday. It felt like someone had punched me in the stomach, stamped on my heart, and punctured my lungs. I fell to my knees, my limbs turned to jelly. …
Emily Cunliffe
Sharing my journey to a joy-filled life, which started after the heartbreak of divorce. emilycunliffe.co.uk || thehappyvow@gmail.com
