It always happens so fast. Thanksgiving arrives, bringing with it delicious food, family time, and thankfulness. We fill early October with that joyful feeling, the spirit of gratitude and optimism. We prepare feasts and overindulge, and we feel blessed by the people that surround us.
But it’s so easy to forget that feeling once the dishes are done and the leftovers (finally) finished. The speed of everyday life makes it hard to take a moment, to just breath and focus on the good things, to feel part of the world and happy for your place in it.
So with that in mind, let us propose an autumn of mindfulness, of thankfulness, of happiness. Here are a few ways to spend the coming months experiencing a more positive view on life. Because a healthy body is nothing without a healthy mind.
1) #100happydays (https://100happydays.com/)
You might’ve seen the hashtag #100happydays popping up a lot lately, all over social media. The idea behind the campaign was driven by the fact that people say they don’t have time to be happy, but so many people find time to post photos online. So, why not use those photos to get in the moment and appreciate what you’re experiencing? This project asks you to choose one thing a day that makes you happy and to share it by photo or text using the hashtag. By taking the time to get in the moment, to purposefully think about how much you are enjoying it, it becomes easy to find joy in even the simplest things. And while you’re appreciating a single moment, you may find that feeling spreading throughout the rest of your life. And how great is that?
2) Yoga
Sure, yoga is a fantastic way to tone and strengthen your body. That’s why we’ve made yoga a key part of our fitness classes at Women’s Fitness Clubs of Canada. But there’s more to yoga than better flexibility. Many forms of yoga encourage mediation and mindfulness. With its deep breathing and focused movements, yoga naturally grounds you in the moment allowing your mind to relax. Plus, many yoga classes guide you through a period of meditation to quiet your worries and bring your happiness into focus. That relaxation leads to a lasting feeling of well-being that makes life outside the gym feel that much better.
3) Spend more time with family
You might not feel much like cooking between Thanksgiving and the winter holidays, but don’t let that stop you from taking time to see the people you care about. Part of why the holidays make us so happy is that we do see our loved ones. So host a dinner party and order a pizza, or suggest your favourite restaurant. Take the whole family bowling, or for a hike through the beautiful autumnal foliage. You don’t have to spend a lot of money or invest huge amounts of prep time into your family event because no matter what you do, spending a couple hours away from work and stress, with the people you care about, will make every moment feel special.
