I got this in an E-mail and wanted to share it with you today!
Thought for the Week: "Whoso trusteth in the Lord, happy is he." Proverbs 16:20b
An unhappy life causes negative emotions. This can invade your professional and personal relationships and destroy your self esteem. I have dealt with this in counseling individuals many times in various degrees. Sometimes people are unhappy in a job situation, their marriage or in life in general. We must learn to dig up the roots of the cause, just like you have to dig up the roots of weeds in your flowers or your garden to ever get rid of them.
What are we to do ? Focus on what makes you happy by doing some simple exercises.
Week One: Keep a daily diary. Identify daily activities, interactions, and occurrences that make you happy. Keeping a diary will help identify situations and people who make you happy.
Week Two: Fake it till you make it. Learn to smile even if you are feeling blue, grumpy or burdened.Studies show when you smile, you send a signal to your brain that says- "I am Happy". If you are smiling, you'll seem more approachable by others, people are more likely to smile back.
Week three: Create a diversion. When you are drowning in a sea of negative thoughts(like- I'm over weight, I'm unlikeable, Why am I here?) You need a strategy to stop. All you need are one or two escape mechanisms. If you are alone, put on your favorite music or go for a long walk. In a social setting try to concentrate on what others are saying rather than what 's going on in your mind.
Week Four: Random acts of kindness. Do one act of kindness each day. Put some change in some strangers parking meter. Send someone a thank you note. Pay someone a compliment. Give yourself a burst of positive emotion. When we practice small acts of kindness, we will perceive ourselves and others more positive. You will learn to appreciate your good fortune.
These two changes will help too. Take a sunshine vitamin. Vitamin D increases serotonin which is your mood neurotransmitter. It boosts your immunity, promotes health, helps protect you from cancer. 15 minutes in the sun a few times a week will accomplish this. Sunscreen prevents getting adequate vitamin D, try skipping sunscreen for just 15 minutes a couple of times a week. Vitamin D is also in milk, egg yokes, or supplements(1000 units a day). Then,Cut out caffeine. I can hear the yells already, "W-h-a-t-, me cut out my caffeine!!!!
Coffee increases anxiety levels, especially if you get more than 300 mgs. a day. Anxiety causes irritability.
You may want to try green tea, it has 1/4 the amount of caffeine found in coffee. Caffeine causes headaches,especially if you get over 300 mgs. a day. Caffeine causes fatigue, caffeine is addictive, so you may be physically dependent. Cut back gradually until you are off it completely. These helps along with walking with the Lord in fellowship with him will make a difference in you.
Pam
No comments:
Post a Comment