I’ve learned that we’re all born with a happiness baseline that can be improved from choices made every day. Happiness comes from within; increasing the natural happiness baseline comes from smart choices. Positive psychology studies refer to a ‘hedonic set point’ or general level of happiness that may go up or down during certain periods […]
Retirement Happiness — Make Time for Self-Care
Sometimes the daily schedule is filled with so many activities that it’s difficult to make time for self-care. When this happens, I’m stressed. How did a day of retirement pass without enough time for some exercise, for a few moments of gratitude, for journal writing, or for a hobby project? I had an excuse when […]
Can a positive attitude help you face winter?
It’s mid-January. Earlier this week ‘blue’ Monday occurred. This third Monday of January is deemed the most depressing day of the year. Whether it’s blue Monday, January doldrums, or winter blahs, at this time of year it’s difficult to stay motivated and energized. For many who live in the Northern Hemisphere, the holiday cheer faded […]
How Colour Affects Happiness
In recent weeks two of my favorite happiness gurus, Gretchen Rubin https://gretchenrubin.com/blog/and Margaret Manning http://sixtyandme.com/have been discussing colour and its effect on happiness. Their comments prompted a new recognition of the importance of colour in my life. I am a visual learner and heavily dependent on pictures, mind maps, graphs and other visual cues as […]
Prepare for A Happy New Year
In a few days, we will turn the page on 2017 and prepare for the ‘Happy New Year’ that is wished for us in almost every encounter. There is something special about a new year. The past is gone. A clean slate opens. It’s a time to anticipate fresh opportunities. A ‘Happy New Year’ won’t […]
Unpacking Christmas Memories
Every day of December brings an opportunity for unpacking Christmas memories. Through this month most of us have a schedule filled with preparations, events, invitations, and celebrations of every kind. Many celebrations represent traditions that remind us of family history and link us to our culture. During the past few days, I’ve indulged in reminiscing. […]
Retirement Happiness — Go Outside Your Comfort Zone
How often do you go outside your comfort zone? Most of us like routines. We like predictability. We like to know what’s expected of us and know that we’ll be able to perform competently. A comfort zone is a safe place. We don’t want the stress of taking a risk on something new or unknown. […]
Retirement Happiness — Clear Mental Clutter
Every day I hear about the importance of clearing physical clutter but I don’t hear admonitions to clear mental clutter. When my brain fills with chatter and uncertainty about what I should be doing next, I know that it’s time to step back and clear the mental clutter. Junk floating around the brain is similar […]
Are You a Night Owl or a Lark?
Whether you are a night owl or a lark, it’s important to understand when you are most creative and most productive. I’ve always been a bit of a night owl. In younger years, I regularly stayed awake into the wee hours as my most energetic and focused time extended until 2 or 3 am. This […]
Make your life a ‘work of art’ by living well
“Art is the proper task of life“ — Friedrich Nietzsche Nietzsche’s 19th century writings on philosophy and the meaning of existence encouraged people to live artistically, attaining satisfaction with the self through adhering to aesthetic values and creating works of art and poetry that capture and convey some form of beauty. Did he mean that […]