Wellness | Live Happy

woman creating vision board with cup of coffee.

Create Your Own Self-Love Vision Board

The most important relationship that you will ever have in your life is your relationship with yourself. Creating a self-love vision board is a creative and relaxing exercise that offers an opportunity to cultivate a strong sense of love and acceptance through creativity and the power of visualization. Vision boards are a collection of images, words, and memories arranged to inspire you and help you manifest your goals or vision. Visualization and manifestation are empowering tools to create a positive and more accepting connection with yourself.  When we have a healthy level of self-love and self-esteem, it significantly impacts our mental, physical, and spiritual well-being. Vision boards are an amazing tool to help you tap into Love for Self. Ask yourself: Who am I? What am I calling in? What brings me joy? What do I love most about my life?  Once you create a vision board, we recommend placing it where you will see it often — such as near a mirror or on the wall in a room you use frequently. Remember to take a moment each day (or several times throughout the day) to look at it and reflect on what it means to you. Vision Boarding Materials: Poster board, as big or small as you desire. Pro tip: you can leave space to add on throughout the year whenever inspiration strikes you. Stickers! Give yourself a gold star! Magazines, postcards, cut outs. You may be surprised where you’ll find inspiration and what messages or images you’ll find on everything from receipts to old flyers once you begin looking. Scotch tape, scissors, glue — or even better: glitter glue! Markers, gel pens, colored pencils, crayons. (Yes, crayons!) Childhood photo. Connect with little you, and make time to PLAY! At no extra cost: your own imagination and creativity.  Listen to our podcast episode on Embracing Self-Love to hear how we create self-love vision boards in our workshops — and to get more ideas on how to create yours!

Wellness

Positive People Aren’t Always Happy People

The terms “positivity" and "happiness" are often used interchangeably, leading to misconceptions about their true meanings and implications. As a happiness expert, I emphasize the need to distinguish between a positive outlook and a deeply satisfying, meaningful existence. Positivity revolves around adopting a favorable perspective on life's events. It's the choice to focus on the bright side, to maintain an optimistic outlook even in challenging circumstances, and to embrace the sunny side of situations more often than not. Cultivating positivity is cultivating a mindset, fostering resilience, and a constructive approach to life's challenges. On the other hand, happiness transcends the immediate positivity of a given moment. It is a state of contentment and satisfaction with life as a whole. Unlike positivity, happiness doesn't center around cheerfulness. Instead, it encompasses a broader range of emotions, allowing room for both joy and pain. A happy life involves experiencing more pleasant, feel-good emotions than painful ones, but it doesn't mandate perpetual positivity. True happiness extends beyond fleeting moments and is rooted in a sense of meaning and purpose. It's about finding fulfillment in one's journey and feeling deep connections in the world. Happiness is a multi-faceted concept, encompassing various elements that contribute to a sense of well-being. One crucial aspect is the belief that life holds meaning and purpose. This depth distinguishes happiness from mere positivity, as it requires introspection and a holistic evaluation of one's existence. Understanding the distinction between positivity and happiness is vital for individuals on their journey to a more fulfilling life. Embracing positivity can serve as a tool for navigating daily challenges and fostering a healthier mindset. Simultaneously, recognizing the depth and complexity of happiness allows individuals to seek a more profound sense of fulfillment beyond fleeting moments of positivity. Experts like me acknowledge that maintaining a positive outlook at all times is neither realistic nor necessary for a happy life. Acknowledging positive and challenging emotions is an integral part of embracing the complexity of human experience. So, as you embark on your journey toward well-being, remember that positivity is a valuable companion, but it's not the destination. Happiness, with its depth and complexity, awaits those who embrace both the ups and downs, finding meaning in every twist and turn of life's remarkable journey. Tia Graham is a Chief Happiness Officer, founder of the workplace wellbeing company Arrive At Happy, and author of the best-selling book, Be a Happy Leader. To learn more about Tia, watch her Ted talk, visit her website, or check out her Arrive at Happy podcast. You can also follow her on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.

Wellness

7 Tips to Travel On a Budget and Still Make Happy Memories

Studies show that spending money of experiences rather than material objects will make you happier. You’ll not only be able to create positive memories that will last you a lifetime, but it’s also an opportunity to strengthen your relationships with friends and family too. But if you are currently living on a tight budget, you may feel like you don’t have the means to take those trips that bring so much joy to your life. You will be pleased to know that visiting unique places around the world and having a fun holiday does not always have to be costly. You can still enjoy a meaningful vacation if you budget and plan well. Here are seven useful tips that you can use to take the trips that make you happy without breaking the bank. 1. Plan Your Trip Random and spontaneous trips may sound exciting but if you are traveling on a tight budget, planning is the way to go. You will need an itinerary that clearly defines where you wish to go and for how long, so research on the countries and cities you want to visit and the amount of time you are going to spend in each place is key. Pro tip: Travel During Off-Season. Not only do trips during peak seasons cost more, but you will also be in the midst of heavy crowds and loads of tourists. Summer holidays are something you will want to avoid. You can get quite a bargain on plane tickets and hotel stays during low-season period. 2. Choose Your Accommodations Wisely Opt out of expensive hotel stays and look for dorms, hostels, and guesthouses instead. If you are traveling with your family or friends, sharing rooms can also lower costs. If you are up for it and feel safe, sharing a room with other tourists can also be a good idea. You can make use of popular booking platforms (like Airbnb) to book apartment/home rooms ahead of time at nearly half the cost. Take advantage of any friends, family members, and colleagues who live in the area you are visiting to see if they would let you stay at their house during the trip. Plus, your trip may be less stressful on you if you are around good company. 3. Book Flights Ahead of Time Booking flights ahead and getting a good bargain on return flights will save you added hassle, time and money. Getting tickets nearly a year or even a few months ahead is a good idea if you do not want to worry about running short of money during your trip. When booking your flight, you can always: Pick a flight during the middle of the week such as Tuesday or Wednesday to get premium lower prices. Traveling midweek also makes checking in at the airport easier due to shorter queues. Book economy class instead of business to save up on those bucks. Pick a lower-budget airline with cheap deals and shorter flying times. Pack light luggage as hold luggage costs extra money. If possible, opt for a bus or train instead of an air flight to reduce costs even further. 4. Watch What You Eat If you choose to eat every meal from a fancy restaurant, you’ll burn a hole in your pocketbook quickly. Make sure to explore the area to see what you wish to eat and what it should cost on average. You can buy cheaper food and dishes from grocery stores or local markets. Cut down on unnecessary drinks and sweets and stay hydrated with water instead. If the place where you are staying has a kitchen, you might want to save money by meal planning beforehand and cooking something on your own. 5. Earn During Vacation Working while on a vacation or getaway is a brilliant way to recover money spent during the trip. Doing so can allow you to travel for months on end and explore to your heart’s content. A few ideas to earn extra money include: Turning into a travel vlogger to earn money through social media. You can resize video for Facebook or use other software to make your content more interesting. Offer to host other tourists. Teaching travelers skills like skiing during the winters. Teaching a language. Freelancing 6. Get Travel Insurance Travel insurance can be expensive but is worth it. You can get coverage for financial losses and minimize your financial risks during your traveling period. A good travel insurance plan will cover: Lost baggage. Stolen items. Emergency medical expenses due to an illness. Trip delays and cancelation. Missed flights or vehicle trips. Legal costs incurred due to accidentally damaging property or causing injury. 7. Seek Out Fun for Free Looking for free things that you can do while you are traveling to can help reduce your expenses significantly. For example, many museums or walking tours may be little to no cost as all. You can also reduce costs by carpooling with your friends or other tourists. This way the fare will be reduced by half or even three to four times the cost. Traveling for leisure should be full of fun and doesn’t need to be burdened by the constant worry of running out of funds. If you follow the tips above carefully, you can travel to nearly any part of the world without it costing you an arm and a leg.

Young women on college campus holding textbook

Wellness

Which Bachelor’s Degree Will Make You Happiest?

Money doesn’t buy happiness — but the right college degree program can. Research into the mental health of students in different degree fields has uncovered that certain programs are almost certain to make you feel happier and more relaxed than other fields, and not just during a student’s time at school. If you are eager to invest in a degree that continues to improve your mood for the rest of your life, you might enroll in one of the following bachelor degree programs: Humanities Though humanities majors are often confronted with the irksome question, “What will you do for work?” it seems that students focused on humanities degrees are some of the happiest on campus. Humanities degrees encompass a variety of studies of the human world, from English language and literature to history and geography, philosophy and religion, law, archaeology and anthropology, arts, modern languages and more. Many humanities studies confront questions about what it means to be happy and how true happiness is achieved, which is perhaps why this degree field is the one most likely to bring joy to students now and into the future. Sports and Exercise Science The human body needs regular movement for proper regulation. In fact, one of the first and best treatments for mental disease is an exercise regimen. Thus, it makes sense that students committed to understanding the physical needs of the human body are often quite contended on college campuses. Certain exercises allow the body to release endorphins that elevate the mood immediately and improve emotional outlook in the long term. Students who are so committed to sports and exercise science that they pursue a degree in the field will likely maintain healthy physical habits, thus all but guaranteeing themselves happiness. Engineering Perhaps a surprising degree on this list, engineering consistently ranks among the happiest degrees — primarily for the job security and high salary awaiting students after graduation. There are all sorts of engineering disciplines for students to explore to find a field that they feel passionate about and capable in. Though engineering programs can be competitive and require exceedingly complex knowledge and skill, students who are committed to engineering are able to find happiness while they pursue their degrees and for decades after. Natural Sciences The natural sciences are a field of study focused on understanding phenomena of the natural world. Some examples of natural sciences include chemistry, physics, biology and geology, though each of these can be further divided into myriad disciplines and specializations. Often, students study the natural sciences because they already feel passionately about them, which means every course offers them more opportunities to explore their passion and refine a skill they know and enjoy. Like the humanities, there are not always clear career pathways for students in the natural sciences, but that does not stop them from experiencing happiness in their studies. Psychology It makes sense that one of the most popular degree programs is also among the most fascinating. A bachelor’s degree in psychology provides students with unique insight into the workings of the human mind, which remains one of the most powerful and mysterious organic tools in the universe. Psychology is a relatively young field, which means there is still plenty of opportunity for students to experiment and innovate new theories to explain human thought, emotion and behavior. When it comes to achieving happiness, psychology students have decades of research to utilize as blueprints, so they are more likely to develop healthy mental and emotional patterns during and after their degree program. Arts and Design Humans have been creating art for far longer than we have been practicing math, pursuing scientific inquiry or writing down histories and laws. There are many theories regarding humankind engages in artistic endeavors, but many art students have a clear and easy answer: joy. Making art involves expressing oneself, and that act can bring balance that leads to a profound and lasting happiness. What’s more, because creativity is often lacking in more career-oriented degree fields, there are plenty of opportunities for success in arts and design after graduation. Plenty of students in degree programs outside of these six experience happiness — just not to the extent of students pursuing degrees in the above fields. If you don’t know what you want to do but you do know you want to be happy, enrolling in one of the above degree programs is a safe choice.

Live Happy's Tips to Say Goodbye to Clutter

Wellness

Say Goodbye to Clutter and Enjoy the Freedom of Letting Things Go

Clutter not only junks up your space, it also seriously messes with your health, happiness and productivity. According to studies from Princeton University’s Neuroscience Institute and UCLA’s Center on Everyday Lives of Families, our overstuffed homes rob us of focus, drain our energy, spike stress levels, invite depression and leave us perpetually searching for our keys. But take heart. You can outwit clutter in less time than you’d think. Start with small steps to embrace the things that uplift you and dispense with those that get in the way. End the Paper Chase Find a basket, bowl or tray large enough to corral all incoming paper—mail, catalogs, school forms, coupons, receipts, invitations and warranties. Then marvel as your counters and tabletops magically resurface, and you can instantly find any paper you need. Go through the contents once a week with shredder, recycling bin and folders close at hand. Scan any info you don’t need in hard copy form, sign up for paperless billing and automatic payments and ditch manuals that can be found online. Edit mail preferences at directmail.com (free) and dmachoice.org ($2 fee). Think Small Choose a space you can clear in one short burst—a single shelf, a drawer, a section of a counter, a dresser top, even a laundry-burdened chair. Once done, declare that area strictly off limits to future clutter. Continue with a new spot each day. (Note: Moving the clutter to another space is cheating.) Lose the Baggage Give yourself permission to let go of incomplete art or craft projects lying around in varied states of disarray. Ditto for workout equipment, supplies from past careers or musical instruments you don’t use. You won’t miss their constant nagging. Trust us. Find a Good Home Shoes will pile by the front door until the end of time if you don’t add a rack, basket or other storage solution. Likewise, perpetually lost items— keys, eyeglasses, phones and wallets—also need a place to go. The National Association of Productivity and Organizing Professionals reports the average American loses a year of his or her life searching for things. We know you have better things to do. Think Digital You can’t work efficiently if folders, files and icons look like a 500-piece jigsaw puzzle dumped onto your computer screen. Neither can your computer. Dedicate 15 minutes a day for a week to reorganize, delete old downloads, archive folders, clean out your inbox and uninstall and delete apps you don’t use. Trim the Excess Most cooks utilize the same pots, pans and bakeware repeatedly, so edit to your chosen few. Place utensils and small gadgets in a container. If you pull an item out for use, wash it and return it to its original kitchen spot. With the exception of annual helpers like a candy thermometer or turkey baster, anything unused after a month can go. Box It Up Indecision is clutter’s best friend. Whenever you catch yourself saying, “I’ll deal with it later,” place the item in question in a maybe box that you seal and tuck out of sight for six months. (Put a note on your calendar when to check back in.) If you didn’t need or miss anything in the box in that time frame, take it unopened to charity that day. And on that note, if you stumble across a box of things you forgot you had, consider that donation decision already made. Write Away Gather all your pens, pencils and markers alongside a paper pad to test with scribbles. Select 20 winners, then donate the rest. Buy from Home “Shop” your own wardrobe as though you’re in a boutique seeing each item for the first time. Select only those items that you’d buy today. When finished, hang your “purchases” back in the closet; bag unselected items for consignment or charity. Don’t panic if your closet looks spare. You’ve just done yourself the favor of identifying your core style—a feat comparable to upgrading from a department store’s jam-packed clearance rack to the must-have apparel on the mannequins at your favorite boutique. Live with your capsule wardrobe before filling in the gaps. And look for a common thread among your rejects to avoid future error. Clear the Calendar Unnecessary appointments or meetings count as clutter, too. Only spend time on things that matter to you. Celebrate Simplicity After each holiday, cull decor that didn’t make it to this year’s party, whether ornaments, an inflatable yard witch or that whimsical set of Easter Bunny plates. What you do with the surprise discovery of any chocolate treats is up to you. Supply Only the Demand Save time and money by gathering duplicates, such as batteries, sticky notes, lightbulbs and rolls of tape. Keep what you’ll realistically need in the next year and donate the rest. Got 5 Minutes? Nab empty cardboard boxes and grocery bags for recycling. Unsubscribe from three email newsletters (of course you’ll want to keep Live Happy’s). Toss expired products and empty containers from the medicine cabinet. Recycle mismatched plastic containers and lids. Clean the car using one bag for trash and another for items to relocate. Outwit Common Clutter Cons I might need that. If you haven’t used it in a year, it’s not serving your needs. Hypothetical uses infringe on how you really live. It’s an heirloom. You can love Grandma without loving her crystal. Realize the tug is about the memory, not the thing. Take a photo or keep just one goblet, then pass the rest along. I paid a lot for that! Maybe so, but now it’s costing your peace of mind, too. I don’t want to waste. Donating extras is sharing the wealth. I could give that to so and so. With few exceptions, don’t get bogged down in a Plan B. This article originally appeared in the October 2018 edition of Live Happy magazine.

Live Happy's Tips for Preventing Decision Fatigue

Wellness

Do You Have Decision Fatigue? Here’s What It Is and How to Prevent It

Standing in the grocery store at the end of a long day, it’s not usual for me to feel irritated and indecisive. The question that puts me over the edge: “What’s for dinner?” I’ll do anything I can to divert that monumental question to my husband. Ask him to run to the store, or text to see what he’s in the mood to eat, or what I should grab. Anything so that I don’t have to face a decision that doesn’t just impact me, but everyone in the family (who all have their own strong opinions on what should or should not be served). Why is it that I can function all day, juggling work, kids, and home, but some days the thought of dinner feels like too much? The answer is decision fatigue, and if you’ve ever found yourself stressed, frozen, irritable, or just plain exhausted at the thought of making a decision, you’ve faced it too. What is Decision Fatigue? Decision fatigue is defined as “difficulty in making a good decision experienced as a result of the number of decisions one needs to make.” The more decisions you make in a day, the harder it can be to make those decisions. Your brain has a limit and if you surpass that limit you can begin to feel the effects. We make a crazy amount of decisions each day. It is estimated that the average adult makes 35,000 decisions in a day, according to Dr. Joel Hoomans, an Assistant Professor of Management and Leadership Studies at Roberts Wesleyan College. From the mundane—what should I wear or eat for breakfast, to the complex—planning a work project, or deciding where to enroll your child for school next year. What makes understanding decision fatigue difficult is the limit of decisions you can handle in a day is not set and can vary. Factors that can influence your rate of decision fatigue include how rested you are, the food you’ve eaten, the amount of stress you are facing, and how much you are trying to handle on any given day (while multi-tasking may feel necessary at times, it is can be very draining for your brain). Individuals struggling with ADHD, depression, or anxiety can also experience heightened levels of decision fatigue. Making a decision involves multiple networks in your brain working together. The networks involved in making a decision are the same ones that contribute to your executive functions. These functions are the high-level brain functions that dictate your ability to sustain focus, override impulses, think, learn, plan, and make decisions. High-level functions of the brain also require high amounts of fuel to support their actions. This means the more you’ve done in a day involving your mental capacities, the less fuel you’ll have remaining to support thinking and making decisions. If you struggle with challenges related to ADHD, anxiety, or depression you may be more likely to find yourself facing decision fatigue. Here's How to Prevent Decision Fatigue Next time you find yourself stuck when facing a decision, remember this—decision fatigue is your brain’s way of communicating with you. Your brain is telling you that you’ve reached your limit. To push past this limit successfully your brain needs extra support! If you’re able to, press pause on your decision and take time to implement one of the following energizing strategies first: Rest - a quick nap, mindfulness meditation, or a good night’s sleep can go a long way in providing your brain a chance to recharge Eat - a high protein snack that includes healthy fats such as avocado is a quick way to provide more fuel to your brain Exercise - 20-30 minutes of exercise that engages your muscles and spikes your heart rate can help to increase your ability to focus after exercising Switch gears - if something is causing you stress, taking time to set it aside to engage in something enjoyable, like time spent outside, can help you come back to face the challenge feeling more refreshed Connect with a friend or family member. Taking a few extra minutes out of your day to connect with someone you care about can help to recharge your mood and energy! Thoughtful planning can help to reduce your frequency of decision fatigue: Use the weekend to plan outfits and meals for the week, to reduce the number of decisions you need to make during your work week Make your biggest decisions first thing in the day, when you are rested and fresh Create habits and routines whenever possible to minimize the little decisions (do your grocery shopping first thing Saturday morning so you don’t need to decide that week when to go) Create to-do lists that include days and deadlines to minimize procrastination (which creates more decision fatigue due to stress and a backlog of decisions!) Don't Make Decision Fatigue a Family Habit If you’re a parent, keep in mind that decision fatigue is just as real for our kids as it is for us! Our kids also face days full of demands and stressful decisions. Next time your child melts down when you ask what they want for dinner, know their brain is showing you they’ve had enough for one day! Implementing the same strategies that help you, can help support your child’s needs as well. We can’t make the stresses and challenges in life go away, but we can work to be better prepared. Knowing how to identify your threshold for decision fatigue and what to do when the moment strikes will hopefully set you up for success in your 35,000 decisions tomorrow. Weekends are a great time to address decisions such as meals and outfits for the week, reducing the number of decisions you make during your work days. Save the big decisions for times when you are fresh and focused - first thing in the morning, or after you've eaten or exercised are great times to tackle the more challenging decisions, or longer lists! Dr. Rebecca Jackson is currently the VP of Programs and Outcomes for Brain Balance, where she designs and implements programs focused on strengthening the brain to optimize human performance for a variety of ages and abilities. She has been featured on national media outlets, including ABC’s The Doctors Show, NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt, Forbes, Business Insider, TODAY, Huffington Post and more.

Wellness

Handle With Care

Patti Patton-Bader, concerned for her son when he was deployed to Iraq in 2003, started shipping care packages to him from her home in Pasadena, California. When he relayed to her that many of his fellow soldiers were not even receiving letters from home, she and a group of neighborhood friends decided to take action. Soon, the whole platoon started to receive care packages and Soldier’s Angels was born. “I wanted my son and his buddies to know that we cared and that they were going to make it,” Patti says. “It’s hard enough to be out there in a war without having an America that is not supporting them. To me, I was so thankful that people decided that we did want to support them and show them we cared.” Since then, she says thousands of people have volunteered for Soldiers’ Angels and more than a million service members have been helped. “The soldiers got help because so many people stood up and said they cared,” she says. “They wanted to make sure no soldier went unloved, that they had supplies and backpacks, and if they were wounded, the families knew someone cared. To me, that’s the best feeling.” Now, the organization offers a variety of programs including a letter-writing team, mobile food banks that feed veterans and their families, and even baby shower gifts delivered through its Operation Top Knot team. “We call our volunteers Angels, and that is truly what they are,” says Michelle Julazadeh Chavarin, a communications manager and one of fewer than 10 people employed by Soldiers’ Angels. “They go above and beyond every day for our service members and in everything that they do.” Soldiers’ Angels have shipped more the 800,000 care packages, handed out 33,000 blankets and sent 1.4 million letters. Support is given to the deployed, the wounded, the veterans and their families. Michelle adds that Soldiers’ Angels is one of the few military nonprofits that works within the Veterans Affairs hospital system. She also says the feedback they repeatedly get from service members is that it means a great deal to them to know that complete strangers back home care enough to show their gratitude and appreciation for their sacrifices.

Create Your Own Self-Love Vision Board

Positive People Aren’t Always Happy People

7 Tips to Travel On a Budget and Still Make Happy Memories

Which Bachelor’s Degree Will Make You Happiest?

Say Goodbye to Clutter and Enjoy the Freedom of Letting Things Go

Do You Have Decision Fatigue? Here’s What It Is and How to Prevent It

Handle With Care

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