If 2020 was a year of worry, stress and health scares, here are six simple steps to boost your happiness for 2021
Get clarity
Founder of the Life Reboot Camp, Sophie Le Brozec, believes that in order to get happy, you first have to know what makes you happy. Buy a small notebook and jot down 10 things that you believe will bring you joy.
Don’t: Make a general life shopping list: family, work, money, health.
Do: Be specific and write down goals like: Go on adventures with the kids. Increase my income by 15 per cent. Clear my credit card in the next year. Do less housework.
Sacrifice
What are you actually doing to get the things you want?
Sophie says that making a sacrifice is often the key. If happiness means spending more time with your kids, consider sacrificing a hobby that you love. Refer back to the clarity list you made and ask yourself, what are you prepared to give up to get these things?
Write a list now and stick it on your fridge to keep the realities of reaching your goals firmly in sight.
Try it!
If I want… to lose weight, I need to give up… sausage rolls
If I want… more action in the bedroom, I need to give up…social media in bed
For more tips and to learn about Sophie’s Life Reboot online programme, visit sophielebrozec.com/camp.
Turn back the clock
In times of difficulty, we have a natural tendency to turn to happier memories of days gone by. Feeling nostalgic is a normal reaction to periods of prolonged emotional and physical turbulence, with studies showing that looking back at photos boosts our mood.
So fish out those childhood photo albums, or have a laugh with schoolmates about the teachers you drove bonkers.
You can even pick up a copy of a nostalgic book that will plunge you into another time, transporting you away from your troubles for an hour or two.
Forest bathing
Connecting with and being in nature is known to be beneficial for our physical and mental health. Something as simple as being quiet in a green space, walking on a beach or gazing out over a lake, soothes frazzled nerves and lowers our heart rate.
If you’re feeling really zen, kick off your shoes and walk barefoot on grass or sand. This act of ‘earthing’ is known to reduce stress and promote healing and good sleep.
Did you know? In Japan, shinrin-yoku or ‘forest bathing’ is a national pastime, believed to promote wellbeing.
Deep breaths
How many times have you told a loved one in distress to take a deep breath to help them calm down? That’s because it works!
‘Long-life’ breathing is a simple technique that triggers your parasympathetic nervous system, restoring your body’s ability to calm your body and mind.
As detailed by Sandy Taikyu Kuhn Shimu, in her book Boost Your Natural Energy: 40 Simple Exercises and Recipes for Everyday, this technique makes you feel naturally at peace, boosting energy and creativity.
How to do it: Sit upright somewhere comfortable, close your eyes and breathe in and out of your nose. Take a deep breath in, directing a third of your respiratory capacity into your belly, the next into your side ribs and lower back (kidney area), and the last third into your chest and upper back, without lifting your shoulders.
Breathe out slowly from top to bottom, without tipping your torso forward or letting your shoulders slump. It takes a bit of practice, but try to do it daily for 5-10 minutes, taking care not to get out of breath.
Ask for help
If you’re experiencing an exaggerated feeling of responsibility in the home, this is because women often do the lion’s share of domestic tasks.
But it’s important to realise that it’s not down to you to cater for the whole family’s needs on your own.
Share out jobs and lighten your load wherever you can, so you don’t end up burning out.
There’s no shame in asking loved ones to help you by pulling their weight.
Edited by Punteha van Terheyden