Brushing up our Happiness

The alarm blares its wake up sound and another day begins and your eyes open up as you slowly meander out of a sleepy state. This is a pretty common event day after day ,week after week and one most people pay absolutely no attention to .In fact most people I talk to dread this part of the day and are constantly hitting the snooze button throughout the day.

You get out of bed and go about the start up routine of the day. Breakfast (which can all too often be coffee ) Facebook check in then the morning ablutions, wash,get dressed, brush teeth and so it goes. Its automatic , its been drummed into us from when we were very young with the list of tasks before you leave the house ” Have you brushed your teeth? Do you have clean undies on? Did you go to the toilet? Is your room tidy…do you have your lunch “. We are on auto pilot from years of habit to just go through life.

But if you were to take a moment and ask yourself  “Did you stop and brush up your happiness or inner self talk this morning ?What would be your response? You’re probably wondering ” What the heck is that?” and “Why would it be worth focusing on?”

So let me explain.

We never leave the house with out getting dressed, we ensure our  basic hygiene or nutritional needs  are cared for and do our ablutions otherwise its very uncomfortable getting through the day. If we neglect regular diet, exercise or basic hygiene  the impact can be not just painful and smelly but incredibly expensive. But we take for granted our mental – emotional hygiene and expect to get through the day or week only to  then wonder why we are anxious, frustrated, tired and negative.

All it needs to start with is 5 minutes each morning of brushing, feeding and cleaning your happiness to create a knock on effect through the day which builds upon its self over time.

Some simple pointers can include:

• begin a gratitude morning routine of naming 3 things you are grateful in your life
• take time to journal or jot down your thoughts and what a focus for the day might be
• read/listen or watch something uplifting/motivating or inspiring (Ted Talks or Bored Panda are fantastic)
• do a self talk check in and if your already negative ask yourself what’s an alternative, what can I focus on that will bring me happiness
• act of kindness (tell someone you love/care or think they have done a great job)

So my challenge for each of you reading this blog is to include in your daily routine some brushing up of your happiness and after 4 weeks notice the changes in your mental state and emotional wellness.

Article posted 20 July 2017