Level Up! With Shay

“Happiness is not something ready-made. It comes from your own actions.” – Dalai Lama

Day after day, week after week, year after year so many people wake up waiting for something to happen to make them happy. They wait until their paycheck hits their bank account, the person they like at the office says hi to them, until after their coffee kicks in. Well, guess what? YOU DON’T HAVE TIME TO WAIT FOR YOUR HAPPINESS! You have to create it!

DISCLAIMER: This is not a formula for covering up trauma or stress or any of those things that should be dealt with properly and with care. This is a WAKE-UP CALL to those who have found their days have gotten a little gray and monotonous and they want to use their own small actions to bring in a little sunshine!

1. Practice Smiling

“Sometimes your joy is the source of your smile, but sometimes your smile can be the source of your joy.” —Thich Nhat Hanh

Have you ever gotten out of bed in the morning, taken a shower, made breakfast and coffee, and as you’re in your car, halfway to work you realize you haven’t smiled at all? Your face has been stuck in a frown like Beaker from the Muppets for hours! It’s not like you’re in a bad mood, but you just didn’t think about it! Well, wherever you’re at, in the car on your way to work, in front of the bathroom mirror washing your hands, making dinner – SMILE! According to an article posted in Psychology Today (There’s Magic in Your Smile), smiling activates the release of neuropeptides that work toward fighting off stress. The feel-good neurotransmitters—dopamine, endorphins and serotonin—are all released when you smile and can result in the lowering of heart rate and blood pressure. Now relax those eyebrows and SMILE!

2. Shoot Someone A Text

Chances are, if you aren’t reading this on your phone already it is probably within about 5 feet of you. Use the power of the telephone and means of communication to send a loved one a short and sweet message. It can be as simple as “Thinking of you today!” Don’t use this as an opportunity to text that ex you’ve been trying to find an excuse to get ahold of or a time to ask for a favor or something in return. This is just an opportunity to potentially brighten up someone’s day. While the reason for reaching out is NOT to get something in return, the universe will have it’s way finding different avenues in which to give back. As Orison Sweet Marden said, “We must give more in order to get more. It is the generous giving of ourselves that produces the generous harvest.” Give, give, give!

3. Meditate

Did you know this one was coming? I harp on the benefits of meditation all the time. I hope you all don’t get tired of it! If you don’t already have a meditation practice, I URGE you to start one! Finding a guided meditation on YouTube is very easy. Just search “Guided Meditation”. I would give you mine, but I listen to so many! The audios usually have a visualization aspect or affirmations! You can also sit in silence! Just 10-15 minutes a day! People average a little over 3 hours a day on their phone (Source). Take 8% of that time and use it for meditation. It will make you feel GREAT TODAY!

4. Gratitude

“Gratitude is the healthiest of all human emotions. The more you express gratitude for what you have, the more likely you will have even more to express gratitude for.” —Zig Ziglar

Do you have a car that takes you anywhere you want to go? What about good looking clothes that fit just right? Do you have food in your cabinets to enjoy breakfast, lunch, and dinner? When was the last time you acknowledged those certain things with gratitude? Another way to feel great TODAY is to get out a piece of paper and a pen (use your phone if the other things aren’t handy, but paper and pen are recommended!) and write down 10 things, people, and experiences that you are grateful for, WHY you are grateful for them, and end it with “Thank You!”. The WHY is very important. It is one thing to say “I am grateful for my mom” and it is another, more powerful thing to say “I am grateful for my mom because I can always rely on her when I need advice. Thank you!” Starting your day off focused on gratitude will allow more things to show up in your life to be grateful for! It’s a never-ending, beautiful, and fun cycle!

5. Exercise

Whether you are the top dawg at the gym or you’ve never stepped foot in one, exercise should be at the TOP of your list to have a great day. We all know there are various benefits to exercise – increase in good mood, decrease in depression and anxiety, higher brain function including memory, injury prevention due to the strengthening of muscles and bones, and the ability to live longer! So not only will you have a GREAT day TODAY by exercising, chances are, you will have many more to come than if you did not exercise! You don’t have to be on a strict workout regimen to get these benefits. Just going on a walk outside or on a treadmill will do the trick. So get out there!!

There are so many ways to attract happiness into your life and it starts with what YOU are doing to allow it to happen! Try these out today and let me know how it goes! What other things do you do to bring about happiness during your days? Do you do any from the list above? Comment below!

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