Month: July 2010

Boost your positivity

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The best way to boost positivity, according to Barbara Fredrickson Ph.D,  researcher and author of Positivity, is to live in the moment.

If you can be present to what you are experiencing right now – whether you are having breakfast, walking the dog, mowing the lawn, driving the car  or attending a meeting –  you’ll significantly increase your chances of feeling positive. “ Our interpretations of our immediate circumstances define our emotions” she says “and we have a lot more choice about those interpretations than we give ourselves credit for”. Turn our focus to the now ( for example, reading this blog post, working at your desk) and you will  have less space in your head for negative thoughts. In addition,  you’ll feel more grounded and creative when tackling the many challenges that the day offers.

Busy

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It has become the standard greeting everywhere: I am so busy.

We say this to one another with no small degree of pride, as if our exhaustion were a trophy, our ability to withstand stress a mark of real character.  The busier we are, the more important we seem to ourselves and we imagine, to others.  To be unavailable to our friends and family, to be unable to find time for the sunset (or even to know that the sun has set at all), to whiz through our obligations without time for a single, mindful breath, this has become the model of a successful life.

How have we allowed this to happen?  This was not our intention, this is not the world we dreamed when we were young and our whole life was full of possibility and promise.  How did we get so terribly lost in a world saturated with striving and grasping, yet somehow bereft of joy and delight?

Wayne Muller, Sabbath

Sunday Quote: On expectations

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Opening to possibilities is empowering; Falling into expectations is crippling.  Recognize the difference and free yourself.

Philipp Moffitt

Six Simple Strategies for a Stress-Free Summer, 6.

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Learn to say No – there will always be Unfinished Business

Many of us have the tendency to measure how successful a day was in terms of things that we got done. We can even prioritize our to-do list items over other activities vital to our wellbeing, such as spending time with family and friends, having quiet time for ourselves, walking in nature. It can be relentless – as items on our “lists” are checked off, new ones simply replace them. What we need to see is that if we are only concerned with what’s not done, we will never find peace. Today let’s remind ourselves that the purpose of life is not to get it all done, but to “enjoy the ride.” On the day we die, there will still be unfinished business to take care of.  And ironically, someone else will do it for us!

Six Simple Strategies for a Stress-Free Summer, 5.

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Allow yourself to be Bored

Summer sometimes marks a change from our usual routines. And even though we may have been looking forward to it, we can sometimes find that we have the thought “I am bored”. To most of us boredom feels uncomfortable and we try to avoid it. We immediately believe the thought and then ask ourselves “what else can I do?” and our head plans and looks for a different activity. This summer, try to notice when you are feeling bored and just sit with it.  Boredom is one of the more interesting thoughts to work with. It tries to draw us away from this moment by suggesting that our lives should be elsewhere. The secret to contentment is being in each moment fully. And sometimes our systems need to do nothing and feel the tension of transition from the rush of our normal lives to a deeper calm.

Six Simple Strategies for a Stress-Free Summer, 4.

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Practice Compassion & Kindness:

Studies show that when we perform acts of kindness,  there is a sharp reduction in stress and a release of the body’s natural painkillers, the endorphins. Acts of kindness and compassion can lead to an experience of improved emotional well-being. So this day, look around at others and think beyond yourself. All kinds of opportunities to help, some big and some small, will present themselves if we pay attention.  Regardless of the size of the act, there is no wrong way to perform simple acts of kindness. The possibilities are endless! This day ask: How will I  practice spreading kindness in my life?