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#2 Habit: Escape Reality

Get away from your normal, and escape your daily reality. Take a mini-retreat for 30-60 minutes or for 1-4 days. A mini-retreat includes active and/or resting activities in your favorite place, or an exciting new place. What can you do to maintain a happy, less stressed, and more relaxed mind? The answer is: daily infusions of happy. Vacations really boost the happy: Vacations are Health Infusing Fun Bombs.

First, take at least 30 minutes every evening just for YOU - no electronics (except music) and NO interruptions. This time is purely for self-pampering. Make this evening session more about relaxing, calming your mind and relieving stress. You can use your lunch time for something active. A hot bath is a great choice, or sitting with a good book by the fireplace.

Second, schedule 1-4 day mini-retreats once a month. You can take a Friday or Monday holiday and add another day for a nice escape from reality.

#3 Habit: Take Lunch Breaks

Take your lunch breaks - even if you're swamped at work. It's earned, you deserve it, and more importantly you NEED it. This is a perfect time to get your heart rate up, muscles activated, and blood flowing especially if you sit all day. Do 30 minutes of fast walking, bike ride, pickle ball or rollerblading. It's incredibly healthy for you and is a great stress reducer. Choose an activity that brings you joy and keeps your mind in it's happy zone.

You can also take advantage of your 15 minute break in the morning & afternoon. Maybe find some friends and have a few good laughs - that'll get the happy flowing.

Definition of a happy place = favorite vacation destinations, activities, food, or your person. It's your happy zone and it can be a combination of places - your favorite activity at your favorite location. I'm sure you already have several happy places.... the key is to learn as many habits as you can to stay rooted in your happy place and maintain your happy mood through much of the day.

To do that you'll need to use these 26 habits to train your mind to live in that happy zone without physically being at your happy place. Staying less stressed or more relaxed is critical to overall happy & healthy. Choose among the habits that fit your needs practice them for 30 days. After 30 days your brain has formed a new habit and will remember to do it.

#1 Habit: Quick Detox

The first habit to practice is to quickly detox every time you begin to feel stressed, frustrated, or overwhelmed. Detox to get back to your happy zone.

Step 1 Detox - begin by doing 2 minutes of deep breathing. Inhale and exhale slowly and deeply, holding your breath for several seconds before exhaling. Focus on the breath - feel your mind empty. Feel your body relax.

Step 2 Detox - think of your happy place. Imagine yourself doing what you love to do as you continue to breathe deeply. It could be a funny scene from a movie you just watched or an afternoon you had with your beloved horses & dogs. Maybe you're soaring past a waterfall in a hot air balloon or snorkeling around an island paradise in the Caribbean? How do you feel now?

#5 Habit: Be a Kid Again

What habits won't you see kids do? They don't worry about their messy bedroom, the math homework that's due tomorrow, or their hair that's wiggin' out.

Kids can imagine fantasy worlds and create superhero capes or swords & shields. They have zero inhibitions and play whole heartedly. Be a kid again and enjoy the simple pleasures of playing. Run thru the park yelling the dragon is loose, and raise your sword in battle readiness. P.S. looking dorky is all the rage these days!!! All jokes aside - there are adult-ish ways to play.

#6 Habit: Get a Pet

Get a pet like a guinea pig, bird, dog, or whatever suits you. If you want your pet to join you on your adventures, you may want to stick with a dog. Pets are proven to lift your mood, lower stress/anxiety, provide loving companionship, and keep you in your happy zone. Read: How do Pets Improve Your Life.

#8 Habit: Change it Up

Bored with the same look? Get your happy back and change it up. Change the style or color of your hair, and every morning when you look in the mirror you'll smile with joy. Or, move your living room furniture around or plant some flowers around the deck. A small change can put you back in your happy place.

#9 Habit: Throw Out the Negative

If you don't want a stressful situation or frustrating person to take you captive - take action. Take control & turn the negatives into a positives. Ask yourself: is this grumpy person trying to cope with a terrible situation? Offer to pray for them and ask if they need help. It might be what they're crying out for - it'll put the happy in your heart.

#4 Habit: Healthier Diet = Happier You

Believe it or not, eating healthier helps the body feel good. If the body feels good, the mind feels happier and more confident. Eat whole foods, less sugar & salt, and stick with healthy fats & complex carbs. Avoid processed foods which clogs arteries & digestion. Being healthier can literally make you happier, see below: Remedies for an Unhealthy Diet.

Many foods are designed to give you that immediate "feel good" feeling.... but it quickly wears off. Then you feel like yucksville. You're full yet you're still craving more. Manufacturers design food to be addictive so you'll buy more. Also, those feel good processed foods contain chemicals, toxic ingredients, fillers, and sugary and fatty substances.

You don't need to go on a diet or count calories. Change the way you eat, and still have a couple "cheat meals" every week. Keep the cheat time to 1 hour so you're not eating sugary junk throughout the day - it's super harmful. Within 30 minutes of eating dinner - get up and walk for 15-20 minutes so your body puts the sugars in the muscles to be used for energy instead of storing it in fat cells. Help Your Body Burn Fat.

If you love desserts - eat healthier versions. There's so many recipes now that include proteins, healthy fats, and low glycemic sweeteners. Try Fage yogurt for protein, ground nuts for healthy fats, some chopped strrawberries, and sweeten with Stevia, Xylitol, or a little Agave. Now drizzle with melted 70% dark chocolate and freeze for 20 minutes for a thick mouse. YUM.... delish & healthy.

#7 Habit: Get Unstuck

If you can't figure out the answer, don't understand the instructions, or if you just can't fix the stupid thing - STOP. Before you get frustrated and stressed out.... walk away. This is a problem I sometimes have when I'm trying to fix some electronic problem, and it can get super frustrating pretty quickly and then POOF.... I lost my happy.

Forget about the problem and go focus on something else for an hour or longer. If you need the situation remedied quickly - a friend might be able to help. Or, just leave it and try again tomorrow. You'd be surprised to know that when your mind is relaxed & happy, how much easier you're able to solve problems.

#12 Habit: Unplug

Unplug... and leave the world behind. Maybe it's 30 minutes every morning during meditation/prayer, breakfast, and sipping coffee while listening to the birds. It's YOU time. And, every evening for your bath time with bubbles, aromatherapy, and gentle tunes.

Unplug every day for at least 1 hour to keep you in your happy zone. During mini-retreats or vacations - plan a larger block of time daily. No work emails, calls, or texts unless it's an emergency. You need this time to unwind & recharge.

#10 Habit: Rest When You Need It

It's risky and harmful to keep pushing yourself to exhaustion. Your mind & body must get the rest it needs. When you're constantly running on empty you'll experience increased heart rate & blood pressure to dangerous levels, anxiety and/or depression, sleep deprivation, weak immune system, risk of chronic disease, and mental & physical fatigue, etc.

Take frequent breaks to breathe and stretch. Take an hour and go read a book in the sunshine. Sit quietly and watch the ocean waves or have a calm floaty down river. If you're drained - take a nap. Take time for YOU every week - refill your tank and recharge. No job or situation is worth ending up in the hospital.

#11 Habit: Don't Beat Yourself Up

Sometimes we make mistakes. Sometimes we forget. Sometimes we can't give it 100%. Whatever it is - don't beat yourself up. Being critical and unforgiving with yourself only brings you further down and away from happy. It's good to be self aware, without being too critical.

Learn how to forgive yourself, because we are all flawed and makes mistakes. If it was an honest mistake, and you tried your best - then you have nothing to feel bad about. Don't loose your happy over a mistake.

#15 Habit: Don't Isolate

One of the worst things for your mental well being is to isolate yourself. Social media is also isolating - and online friends can never give you the benefits like true "in person" relationships do. That's why God gave Adam companionship with Eve.

Friend time also provides opportunities to keep you in your happy place. Be careful, statistics show that people in high stress jobs will often isolate & sometimes self-medicate to feel better which only makes the problem worse.

Isolation can also cause the brain to change, potentially leading to further mental health damage. Get support from a social support network if you feel anxiety, loneliness, or depression.

#13 Habit: Volunteer

One of the best times to volunteer is when you're a little tired, and maybe not so much in the mood. For me - volunteering is a guaranteed mood booster. Helping others gives you feelings of satisfaction, fulfillment, and amazingly enough.... it recharges you with more energy & alertness. It puts me in the happy zone for sure.

Even if the volunteer work requires some heavy physical labor - and even though I'm a little tired - I'll leave feeling happy. When I donate financially, I'll feel good as I send the money off, but it never gives me as much joy as being there in person does. Seeing how you're helping people, animals, or the environment is AWESOME.

#14 Habit: Exercise & Activity

Many people hate the thought of exercise. Really, it doesn't have to be agony or boring. Did you know healthier people are happier people? Get at least 30 minutes of exercise or physical activity 5-6 days/week. Exercise boosts physical, mental, and emotional health. Even walking briskly is good: Walk to Live a Better Life and Build Muscle/Bone, Stay Youthful.

Stretch before and after exercising with the proper technique. Stretching helps restore your muscles, and you're less sore over the next 2 days. Breathing deeply also brings in extra oxygen & relaxes any tension you have in your body and calms the mind. Learn the proper techniques: Stretch for Mobility & No Pain.

#19 Habit: Be Thankful

Life will occasionally throw you an upside down day. The key is to find the little treasures and blessings along the way. Keep an eye out and when you happen across one - be thankful. Here's one: "I'm thankful for the traffic jam because the detour I took led me to a new amazing restaurant". It's that simple. If a challenging situation presents itself - find the treasure, find the opportunity.

Sometimes the best places to find treasures is when your day doesn't go as planned and you end up down a rabbit hole. For example: the elevator's broke and I have 5 floors to climb - but I meet the Vice-President of the Department I want to transfer to in the stairwell. Treasures bring enough joy for you to keep your happy. A thankful heart keeps you above the situation rather than stressed underneath it. Thankfulness lifts your mood, calms your mind, and warms your heart.

#16 Habit: Don't Chance It

Whether you're going to work in the morning, leaving for the day, or for vacation - get ready the night before and don't chance getting rushed & stressed. Fix your lunch & snacks, get clothes ready, take a shower, tweeze & shave, fill up with gas, and pack a bag if needed. Now your morning can be relaxed and happy.

Tidy up a bit the night before - take care of dishes in the sink, clothes on the floor, and mail and newspapers scattered around. A clean & organized home is less stressful and & more cheerful. It's really nice when you get home too.

Finally, don't wait to do that "thing" you're supposed to do. Procrastination usually means something will go wrong and/or something stops working.... then POOF, you're stressed. Take care of it today and get it over with.... and no more worries.

#17 Habit: Laugh it Up

You've got to keep the laughter flowing - multiple times daily. The best places to laugh it up is at a comedy club, a comedy movie, a gathering of friends, playing with your pet or little kids. Did you know laughter is actually medicine for your mind & body? For a super quick fix of laughter injection - pull up a YouTube video about funny animals or babies. They're LOL hilarious. Need ways to boost your happy? Read this: Make Happy Hormones.

#18 Habit: Prioritize

Learn to prioritize. The priorities should be: God, family, you time, job, and friends. Then there's chores & the dumb stuff. Doing the dishes is not a priority over date night and romantic walk on the beach.

Decide what's priority and the rest will fall into place. If you have a chore like picking up cookies for the school bake sale - add it to the priority pile. I use these tricks to clean my house - 1-2 times/week I'll do my chores instead of my morning or evening walk.

Do you know the world won't end if you can't mow the yard today? Don't stress about the Lawn Police - it's more important to buy groceries, take the kids to the park, and get ready for your date. Mow your yard tomorrow or pay the neighbor's kid to do it. There.... don't you feel better?

#20 Habit: Music

Music is universal, and can lift your mood in a heartbeat, keeping you in your happy place. Even if you're feeling sad or lonely, it can be a happy comfort.

Don't just listen, kick it up a notch and do the kumbaya thing and sing along. Can't sing? Then we'd all appreciate your choice to dance! If I hear a good beat, I can't help myself... I just start moving.

It drives my daughter crazy. And there it is, MORE happy. I'm not purposesly trying to annoy her - as I said, I can't help it I just start dancing. Plan a night of dancing, dance classes, or karaoke to stay rooted in your happy place.

#21 Habit: Live in the Moment

Part of living in the moment means slowing down to enjoy something beyond what you see. If something is beautiful or fascinating - use as many senses as you can. It could be the ocean's sights, sounds, smells, and the feel of sand between your toes. Wouldn't advise the sense of taste though. LOL

Living in the moment can make you happy relaxed or happy excited. Live in today because it has a lot of good things to offer, and there's no do-overs so make the choice to live it to the happiest of your ability.

#22 Habit: It's OK to Say No

Many people like to make their family, friends, and work colleagues happy by saying 'yes'. Maybe they asked a big favor of you - it's OK to say yes, but maybe you're not available until Saturday. Maybe they invited you to a late night event and pf you're beyond exhausted it's OK to say no. If they ask why, thank them for the invite but let them know you can't make it. Remember your priorities - your health comes before friends.

I'm a strong believer in serving others, and in compromise as long as it's not always one-sided. On the flip side, doing something that places a heavy burden on you - the stress it would cause is not healthy so it's OK to say no.

#25 Habit: Meditate/Pray

Meditation & prayer can bring you comfort, lift your spirits, make you feel safe and loved, provide answers, provide motivation, and give you strength for the day.

Meditation & prayer restores your inner peace, calms your mind, and rejuvenates your soul. That's a very relaxed happy.

#26 Habit: Head Outdoors

Sunshine can always brighten a gloomy outlook. The benefits include fresh air, vitamin D sun, appealing surroundings in nature, chances to meet new friends, and a very long list of fun things to do.

Head outdoors and get what you need. See: What's Always With You?

#23 Habit: Try Something New

Try something new every now and then. How do you know a new food won't be the next thing that rocks your happy world if you don't try? Discover new foods, new people, places, and activities to find more happy places.

The more things you love, the more ways you can stay in your happy zone. The list is almost endless of ways to rok your happy - reaching a new goal, conquering an old fear, and being bold by reaching out to the cute guy/girl you see in the park every weekend.

#24 Habit: Go With the Flow

If you easily get frazzled if plans change at the last minute, or somebody's breaking the rules, or they're doing something the wrong way - you might be a would a little too tight. Don't let other people's behavioral problems ruin your happy.

If you're generally inflexible, chances are you aren't able to stay happy for very long. Learn to let go, and be a little more flexible. Stay relaxed & calm to stay rooted in happy. Sure, some thing warrant an unwavering stand like your moral standards or your child's requirement to unplug and go play with real people.

1. Alcohol, Caffee, Smoking, Drugs - limit alcohol and coffee intake. Avoid smoking and illegal drugs including THC/marijuana due to the serious health risks and destruction caused especially after long term use.

2. Foods to Boost Your Mood - some foods impact the brain producing serotonin & dopamine like salmon, walnuts, blueberries, and spinach. Also dark chocolate, oatmeal, bananas, etc.

3. Foods to Reduce Anxiety - cucumber blended with a banana is said to instantly calm nerves. Also coconut water, milk, yogurt, blueberries, dark chocolate, bananas, salmon, nuts, chamomile tea, matcha green tea, etc.

4. Foods that Can Cause Anxiety - high sugar, processed foods, caffeine, and alcohol.

5. Long "To Do" Lists - Life is full of chores.... and they never go away. Don't look at the whole list and freak out. Pick 2 or 3 things that are most important and do them. The rest can wait. Ahh.... so much better.

6. Better Sleep - Your body & mind need 7-9 hours of quality sleep. If you can't fall asleep or stay asleep - read my blog on tricks to sleep better: Lack of Sleep Makes You Looney Tunes.

7. Chores Can Be Happy-ish - Usually chores are a dreaded event. But what if you could turn chores into something a little more happy-ish? Besides cleaning supplies, grab your rockin' happy tunes and crank up the volume. Now, get to scrubbing. It's a little less dreadful now.... except maybe when it comes time for the toilets!

8. Excessive TV - Harvard's 2023 study says that watching TV excessively, 4 or more hours/day has a greater risk of developing brain disorders like dementia, depression, and Parkinson's disease. Nope - we want functioning happy.

9. Frustrated, Upset, Stressed - Before saying or doing something you regret, walk away. Pray/meditate and maybe some deep breathing to restore your calm. If you're focused, 3-10 minutes should do the trick. If the frustration continues to come from a specific person - my vote is to avoid that person if talking it out doesn't work.

10. Vacations - Before going on vacation, clean your house and leave enough groceries in the fridge for a couple days. Coming home to piles of laundry & a dirty house can zap your happy mood and stress you out. Also, pack extra clothes & essentials for 2 days in case your luggage is delayed. There, that's the way to keep your happy.

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