Happiness means different things to different people. Happiness to some means success. To others it has more to do with looks, height or achievements in life.
Happiness is a mental or emotional state of well-being, often defined as “living a good life”. Happiness can also be described as being at peace with oneself… being at one with who we are.
How to be happy
When you are feeling unhappy you have one of two choices .. to stay in that frame of mind or to change your thoughts and your thinking. We all have the capacity to choose to feel differently or to stay in that negative, self destructing state. Remember, no-one can make you feel unhappy. It is your choice to be this way and to stay there. We have choices in every situation. We all have choices.
Our thoughts are what define us, our thinking, both good and bad. In one day our thoughts can vary depending on what we have to do or what we don’t get done, who does or doesn’t talk to us. How we start the day often determines our mood for the day.
We need to look at the reasons why people become unhappy. It is because they allow people, situations, events and things to influence their thinking. To change your thinking can be confronting and challenging. We have a new opportunity every day to wake up and look afresh at life through new thinking. To change your frame of mind, use some self talk. Tell yourself you are a changed person and others will not change or influence your thinking because you have decided to be happy.
The Power of Positivity
Positivity is a powerful strength in any given situation. Smile more, be friendly and be interesting to be around. Ignore comments that are not positive. Look happy, smile and stay happy.
Have a happy attitude to life. You will be surprised how much your demeanor will change others’ behaviour. Whenever a situation arises, realize that you have a choice and become the person you want to be. It is possible to change your situation and if necessary, to change your friends.
Chris Sheldon Diploma Graduate, Australian Institute of Professional Counsellors (AIPC)
Having a Credit card can often lead to racking up huge amounts of debt, well beyond your capacity to repay within the month required by most credit cards.
The holiday season, Christmas time, can be a particularly dangerous time for over-spending. “After pay”, credit cards, tap and go, all are fraught with problems for all of us. Using these easy-pay systems feels so easy and we think we can pay these items off at the end of the month. But the end of the month comes around quickly and we have forgotten about all the other items we also have bought, with absolutely no thought to keeping track of our spending.
Retail stores make it so easy for us to part with our money. We can pay the furniture or TV item off in two years’ time, but that time also comes around very quickly and huge fees can start applying, with no chance of paying it off quickly because in the meantime we have bought several large items, also on the pay-later scheme.
It’s such a trap for us all. Retailers just want our money whether we can afford it or not. We often know at the time of purchase that we won’t be able to pay these items off, but the desire for the product outweighs affordability. We just don’t realise how quickly debt can grow and often these items are things we don’t really need or could put off until we have the cash.
Many of us have been down this path of over-spending and built up credit card debt that has gotten out of control. If you cannot pay back your credit card debt each month, then you have a problem. If you are spending more than you earn, your debt will escalate.
The Solution to over-spending
The answer is simply to BUDGET. We all must learn the skill of budgeting
properly, writing a list of the things we spend on each month.
The first step is to open an account for a DEBIT CARD.
We live in an age where things are changing very quickly and we want
everything now. We don’t want to wait… we want all things bright and
beautiful that we see every day. We want the brand-new car, and a lovely house
to show off to our friends, along with the latest new furniture, of course. This can look very impressive to others but
deep down we know that being up to your neck in debt can cause stress, leading
to some long-term health issues. Our
neighbours, friends and family may also be suffering from a similar debt crisis.
Living well beyond our means is a major problem. From the outside, it looks
like we earn a great wage and manage our debts.
Some of us might be paying off the debt each month, but it is a huge
issue for most people. Banks or finance
companies lend money so easily and retail stores have sales all the time and we
are tempted to buy the latest and greatest. We live with an ”I WANT IT NOW” age.
Why Budget?
The top 4 things that most people want when they retire are …
+ To be debt free, their house fully paid off and to have a nice car
+ To be comfortably retired with enough money to enjoy a great lifestyle, being able to make lots of choices for themselves
+ To be able to travel frequently in their own country or overseas.
+ To be able to help their children financially.
This all sounds so familiar and to many so very unachievable, but by
changing our ingrained spending habits, it can become achievable.
For a lot of us, most of our money each week is going out as soon as we
get it, having to pay for all these items …
The loans for the cars,
Credit card repayments for the things we can’t afford right now
A 25 to 30-year loan for the new home, paying interest to the bank at a much higher rate than we are earning on our savings account.
Over spending creates so many issues.
We struggle to live in balance, causing much unnecessary worry and
anxiety for ourselves.
Borrowing more is not the answer, as the cycle starts all over again.
Leakage and wastage
We need to look at where exactly is the leakage or wastage happening.
The money that is going on STUFF we really don’t need or can do without. The
one item that give us no pleasure and we don’t feel happy about is CREDIT CARD
INTEREST. And this is one of the biggest
causes of leakage. If you are still paying for the holiday you have not long
taken, you obviously could not afford it in the first place. If you keep putting items on the credit card
and you never pay it off, just keep paying the monthly fee, your debt
compounds.
Sound familiar? If so, you need
to take a good look at the monthly interest that you pay on each credit card or
any other items you are paying off. To
seriously address this leakage or wastage, you may need to take out a loan for
paying off all the items you have listed and reduce your credit card limit and
only use your credit for emergencies or services charges only. Then, take out a debit card where you put in each week an amount you can afford for
food, petrol and essentials each week, to get your spending back in check.
Tip: look around your house and yard and see what items you could sell that you are tired of that could bring in money to help reduce debt.
Our inner microbiome (gut) affects our total wellbeing, from hunger pangs to chronic illnesses, stress and sadness.
It is now well known that gut health is crucial to our overall wellbeing. It is also connected to everything that happens in our bodies. The trillions of bacteria that live in our gut affect our health, our mood and our weight. In a way these microbes work together to form what can be regarded as an extra internal organ and play a huge role in our health.
“Your gut is the centre of your being – it digests and assimilates nutrients from the food you eat”, says wellness expert Robyn Youkilis
Most of your immune system actually resides in your gut and the gut plays an important role in your mood. Robyn had discovered in her practice as a health coach, that healing the gut resolved many of her clients’ health issues, even the most stubborn.
Poor gut health can lead to digestive issues, such as abdominal pain, bloating, reflux and flatulence and other complaints. including fatigue, joint pain, headaches and even skin problems. Robyn says depression, anxiety, mood swings, irritability and poor concentration are now also being linked to the gut’s microbiome. Other more serious illnesses and chronic illnesses such as diabetes, obesity, heart disease and even cancer have been linked to an imbalanced microbiome .
Mental connection
The gut has also even been referred to as a “second brain” because it contains millions of neurones which are sensitive to emotion. Our brain and our gut are, in fact, connected by an extensive network of neurones, chemicals and hormones that constantly provide feedback to and from the brain. These signals carry information about how hungry we are, stress, sadness or even anger. Have you ever felt a sinking feeling in your gut when something happens that you were dreading? That’s the brain – gut connection in action. The emotion is triggering a reaction in your gut.
The connection can be a two-way street as tummy troubles will impact on our mood and happiness. Serotonin is responsible for good mood and it is estimated that 90% of your serotonin is made in your digestive track and reduction of this important chemical is reliant on healthy gut bacteria.
Weight Control
Research suggests that gut bacteria can alter the way that our bodies store fat as well as our response to hormones, making us feel hungry or full. Contrary to popular opinion, it’s not what you eat, or the number of calories you consume, that’s important, but how your body is using what you eat. You might be eating nutritious whole foods most of the time, but still feel foggy, uninspired and generally less than your sparkling best. This is probably because your gut is not in good shape… not properly absorbing all the vitamins and nutrients from your food.
This means that your cells don’t have the fuel they need to carry out their role in absorbing and assimilating nutrients from your food.
Improving memory is a goal that many people share, and there are several things you can do when you know how to improve your memory.
Here are a few tips to help improve your memory:
Stay mentally active: Engage in mentally stimulating activities such as reading, puzzles, and learning a new skill or language. This helps keep your brain active and strengthens your memory.
Exercise regularly: Regular exercise improves blood flow to the brain, which can help improve memory and cognitive function.
Get enough sleep: Sleep is crucial for consolidating memories and improving cognitive function. Aim for at least 7-8 hours of sleep each night.
Eat a healthy diet: Eating a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins can provide the necessary nutrients for brain health.
Reduce stress: Chronic stress can affect memory and cognitive function. Try relaxation techniques such as meditation, yoga, or deep breathing exercises to reduce stress levels.
Stay socially engaged: Social interaction can help improve memory and cognitive function. Spend time with friends and family, join a social group, or volunteer in your community.
Use mnemonic devices: Mnemonic devices are techniques that can help you remember information more easily. Examples include acronyms, rhymes, and visualization.
Remember, memory is a complex process, and some factors that affect memory are beyond your control. However, by adopting healthy habits and staying mentally active, you can help improve your memory and overall cognitive function.
As we age, many of us may think that our mental ability must necessarily decline. But new evidence shows that this is not neccesarily the case.
Many older people think that by regularly
completing crosswords or sudoku, they will enhance their brain power.
However, this is probably not true. At
best, it will do no more than improve their ability to do crosswords and
sudoku. Unfortunately, there is very
little evidence that these activities, along with the myriad of phone apps
available to improve brain function, achieve anything at all.
According to Melbourne neuroscientist Dr Jared
Cooney Horvath, the secret to keeping your brain fresh is continuing to do
something unpredictable. Recent
research has shown that keeping your brain functioning well is not about repeating
the same activities over and over, rather it is about undertaking new thinking
patterns. Dr Horvath maintains that
there are twelve scientific principles controlling the way that we learn and
remember. He says that the idea that we can use tools to boost brain function
is not supported by current evidence. In actual fact, there is very little that
is known about ways that we can help our brains to function better.
If we understand the way that our brain works, we
will have a better chance of adopting habits and behaviours that will benefit
us to the extent that we can develop a “super-efficient” brain. As we learn, the brain starts to develop an
automatic prediction mechanism. The secret is “you have to keep doing
something unpredictable”.
Learn Something New
Many people, after they retire, will start doing
cross-words and playing golf and and may become very good at these activities,
simply by virtue of repetition and practice. However, if they were to take up something new,
such as learning an instrument or another language or playing a new sport or
even doing something outlandish, the brain will respond and new thought
patterns will develop, thus improving brain function.
The conclusion is that any decline in normal brain
function is not inevitable as we age. In
fact, if any decline occurs, it is most likely not due to any biological
process, but rather sociological effects.
So, the bottom line, according to Dr Horvath,
is… “force yourself to engage in something new and once you get good at it,
do something new again”. If you have
never done a crossword, it will help your brain by starting to do them. But once you get good at it, learn to do something
else, such as a cryptic crossword or solitaire. Keep on stretching your brain to
function outside of its comfort zone.
In essence, the secret to keeping the brain fresh
is continual learning. If you want a well-functioning brain, you
need to feed it new skills all the time.
THREE WAYS TO BOOST BRAIN POWER
1 Follow the Mediterranean Diet
We have long known that exercise, sleep
and stress management are all essential for our brain to function at its
optimum. But in addition to these three things, we can improve our brain health
when we eat a Mediterranean Diet. The Mediterranean diet helps improve
our short term or working memory.
In essence, the Mediterranean dietconsists of eating lots of fruits and vegetables, along with fish, nuts and salads topped off with olive oils. Diets based on these foods have been shown to greatly improve vascular and brain health. These foods can make up a very healthy lunch or dinner with olives, spinach, goat’s cheese, tomatoes, fish, nuts and extra virgin olive oil.
2 Learn Something New
Learning an instrument or learning a new language
can help improve our intellectual skills. As well as this, new sensory and motor
skills can greatly boost the brain function. Reading about new things also
increases our vocabulary and working memory
3 Go out and connect with Nature
Time spent exploring the countryside is time well spent. Go for drives and explore nature. Meditate in nature, relax and have a picnic. Appreciate nature… the sea, the countryside or bush land. Being outdoors gets you out and walking, breathing fresh air. This all broadens your perspective of the world at large around you and your appreciation of nature… bird life and animals.
So slow down, get off the computer or phone and take a picnic and explore nature. Not only will you improve your brain function, you will feel more connected with the outdoors, the people you meet and you will feel more relaxed and calm.
Each year, we celebrate Mother’s Day, a day set aside to celebrate the women in our lives who have special meaning to us… the women who have played a significant role in our upbringing, who have loved us dearly, guided us and with whom we feel a very special connection. These women may be our own dear mother, a grandmother, an aunt or big sister motherly figure, or a carer, all of whom have guided us and helped us to grow.
Mother’s Day is also a special day to acknowledge
all women who have experienced different or difficult circumstances in life… those
who no longer have their mothers, those who have lost their children through
different circumstances and are not able to hold or cradle them in their arms. We also think of women who dearly desire
motherhood but are unable to have children yet. Mother’s Day can, for so many, be a very sad
reminder of a loved mother who is no longer with them.
It’s a day to remember with gratitude
all the times these women have been a source of strength and guidance and have been
there for support when we have needed it… providing us with values to live by
and resilience to bounce back when things get difficult.
Motherhood can be difficult and
challenging at times. There can be lots to laugh about and lots of tears and
sorrow. We need to be grateful to all
mothers everywhere who have come to the aid of others with encouragement,
empowerment and strength of character and who have influenced other women,
throughout history.
Mother’s Day is a great day to embrace
all mothers everywhere, and to encourage all women to be the very best that
they can be.
