Article by Natalie Savvides
The UN’s International Day of Happiness is on March 20th. Author Natalie Savvides is lending her support to this vital awareness day as part of her mission to help every girl, teenager and woman feel less alone, and happier, by living their life their own way and being true to themselves. Her book, Full Circlehttps://natalieunedited.com/ )
1) Wear a lipstick you like…always. A gorgeous colour lipstick makes you feel good, more alive, more awake and more glamorous in an instant.
2) Stop comparing! Don’t compare the external worlds of others to your internal world. Plenty of people project images that are not a true reflection of their real selves or lives. Comparisons are the thieves of joy! Count your blessings.
3) Eat well & sleep well: Eating well, slowly and mindfully helps our bodies to absorb the essential nutrients and minerals that are otherwise lost in rushing meals or via poor food intake. People who sleep well live longer. We all know how grumpy we feel when we are tired! A 2016 poll of 2,000 UK adults found the average time we spend asleep is 6.8 hours, rather than the optimum 7.7 hours people said they think they need. Our bodies interpret lack of sleep as stress and release the associated hormones. Make a good night’s sleep a priority.
4) Where possible make a call instead of sending an email or text: Keep your relationships alive by encouraging greater human interaction. It’s healthy to talk, to share, to spend time together, yet it’s so easy to slip into a world of virtual communication these days. Spoken conversations are less calculated and it’s just nice to hear someone’s voice.
5) Don’t wait for a special occasion: Wear your favourite underwear, your best skirt, your special shoes. Don’t wait for it – wear it! It will make you feel as special as the occasion you were waiting for. Life is now – it is not a dress rehearsal.
6) Don’t dwell on the past or future – focus purely on the present: As Buddha so wisely put it: “There are only two days in the year that nothing can be done. One is called Yesterday and the other is called Tomorrow. Today is the right day to Love, Believe, Do and mostly Live.”
I think he says it all – and as we all know Buddha is always right!
7) Keep your mind active: Boredom can be a real happiness buster. Bored to death? I’m not saying that boredom can kill you – but the phrase didn’t come from nowhere – and it certainly doesn’t bring happiness. Research shows that boredom can lead to dangerous vices such as drinking, smoking and drug taking. Few of us are happy when we have nothing to occupy our minds for lengths of time. Find a hobby, an interest, something to focus on, to learn. Busy people tend to be happier.
8) Treat yourself, you deserve it: Massages, facials, manicures, pedicures… they are not for just other people, they are for you too! Whatever it may be that tickles your fancy – do it! You are worth it! And if cost is an issue, there are plenty of offers out there (i.e. Groupon www.groupon.co.uk, Wowcher www.wowcher.co.uk)
9) Say no when you want to: So often we feel obliged to do things and end up doing them against our will. This often results in resentment and/or negative feelings. Look after yourself and learn to say no when you want to, it’s empowering and will make you feel happier.
10) Help others: Helping others is validating and makes us feel like a good person. Giving triggers the part of the brain responsible for feelings of reward and also releases ‘feel good’ chemicals. The more you help others, the better you feel.
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