Tag Archives: happiness

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August 22, 2018

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anxiety, Companion animals, depression, dog, happiness, Life Lessons, Relationships

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Saying Hello is Good for you Health

I remember when Dali first joined our family, we lived in a downtown area.  She was about six months old, maybe close to a year and filled with energy.  She loved saying hello to people, all people.  She would go up to everyone and greet them.  And most people responded in kind, although there were always some who were busy or didn’t want to be bothered, which was no problem for Dali.  She would just move on to the next person.  Though she is nearing 14 years old, she still goes out of her way to greet people and it is clear how happy this interaction makes her.

Social interaction makes a big difference in our health.  It is as important as eating healthy and exercising.

In this seven-minute segment, Shankar Vedantam focuses on the health impacts of social isolation for men, but it has good information for everyone.

 

Researchers Examine What Social Isolation Can Do To Men’s Health

https://www.npr.org/2018/08/21/640437965/researchers-examine-what-social-isolation-can-do-to-mens-health

 

Take time to connect with other people.  Say hello to others on the bus or subway.  Or when you’re on line.  Strike up a conversation with a bank teller or cashier.  I know from my experience, though brief, these interactions can boost my mood.

 

 

 

(Professional Website:  http://www.BethLevineCounseling.com)

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August 14, 2018

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anxiety, Companion animals, depression, dog, happiness, having fun, Life Lessons, personal growth, Pets, play, Relationships

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Laugh Out Loud

Oskar has a sense of humor.

 

 

He will stand at the top of the stairs and push a tennis ball to me at the bottom.  When I get it, I throw it back – down the hall – so he has to run and get it.  He’ll go back to the top of the stairs and wait for me to sit down on the couch and then he will push the ball down the stairs again, so I hear a thump, thump, thump as the ball bounces down the stairs.

As he grew up in our family, and I would give a chew treat to both him and Dali.  He would hide his treat when I wasn’t looking and then give me this look like something happened to his chewy and he didn’t know what it was.  I was thinking maybe Dali was taking it so I’d give him another.  Until one day, I don’t remember why, I thought to look around the house and saw that he was hiding them.  When he realized I was on to him, he stopped his prank.

There are other things he does in the moment and I find myself cracking up.  I look at him and he has a big smile on his face.  We connect over the moment of playfulness and I feel lighter and joyful.

Laughing boosts the immune system and relieves stress, depression, anxiety, pain and social conflict.  Be sure to watch a funny video, movie, spend time with friends who make you laugh, or find other things that make you LOL on a regular basis.

https://www.webmd.com/women/especially-for-women-15/video-balance-laughter

 

 

 

 

Professional Website:  http://www.BethLevineCounseling.com

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April 30, 2018

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anxiety, appreciation, depression, emotions, happiness, having fun, healing, Life Lessons, personal growth, play, self help, self-esteem

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Everyday Beauty

birdonmountain

 

Walks with my dogs help me not only to get outside and get exercise, but also savor the pleasant and interesting things around me.  Just this morning, I saw a baby fox looking at us from a safe distance.  Often, I take a photo of what I am enjoying (unfortunately, I didn’t get a photo of the fox) which helps me amass a riches of positive feelings.  Taking time to stop and smell the roses boosts my positive emotions.

oldtreeroots

In our daily lives, we are often distracted by our thoughts or tasks at hand, so it is good to purposefully take some time to notice and savor positive things around us.  This is one thing we can do to increase our happiness.  A trip to the Bahamas or Belize, though awesome, is not needed for us to savor the everyday beauty around us.

redtreeagainstblue

If you like, try taking a short walk of about 15 – 20 minutes each day, or however often works for you.  Use your different senses to notice some charm in the moment.  Feel the cool breeze on your skin.  Notice the dramatic cloud formation.  Smell the roses.  Keeping a written journal or a photographic journal is an additional way to accumulate a treasure chest filled with simple pleasures.

windshielffrozen

The photos on this blog are some of the visual treats I’ve enjoyed.  Most are from walks with my dogs, but some are from walks I’ve taken without Dali and Oskar.  Yes, that does happen from time to time.  I hope you enjoy.

sunset2

And if you decide to give this “helpful hint” a try, feel free to let me know how it goes by writing below.

 

 

 

 

 

 

(professional website:  http://www.BethLevineCounseling.com)

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April 3, 2018

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anxiety, authenticity, depression, emotions, energy, happiness, having fun, Life Lessons, personal growth, play, self help

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The Energy Within

 

I went for a hike on both Saturday and Sunday this past weekend.

Being in nature.  Hearing the birds.  Getting my body moving.

I returned, energized to work on projects I’d been avoiding.

Want to create change?  Pump up your energy.

Connecting with your body in a slow, gentle way is important, but so is experiencing the joy and excitement of movement.

I remember taking a dance class many years ago.  We’d learn steps and then dance to pounding music.  I left feeling like I could take on the world.

So walk, dance, move and experience the energy within you.

Good for your heart and good for your soul.

 

 

 

(professional website:  www.BethLevineCounseling.com)

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February 1, 2018

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Being human, Life Lessons

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Leading a Meaningful Life

 

 

How do you find your purpose?

If you’re interested in finding meaning in your life, then I recommend this article:

You Don’t Find Your Purpose — You Build It

https://hbr.org/2017/10/you-dont-find-your-purpose-you-build-it

 

It is a short article, but my summary below is even shorter.

  1. We need to make meaning in what we do.
  2. There are multiple sources of meaning in our lives.
  3. Our sense of purpose is likely to evolve over time.

Here’s to the adventure of bestowing meaning on what we do.

 

 

 

 

(professional website:  http://www.bethlevinecounseling.com)

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January 2, 2018

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Life Lessons, self help, Uncategorized

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Reflecting on this Past Year*

 

 

Even if you don’t like making New Year’s Resolutions, the beginning of a new year can be a good time to reminisce on the passing year.  It can be beneficial for us to highlight certain memories.  Specifically, we can benefit from reflecting on:

  • a time when we successfully dealt with a challenging situation, and
  • an experience that shaped the person we are today.

Research shows that this exercise is uplifting because it promotes resilience and self-exploration.

You might want to take a few minutes of quiet time to come up with at least one example of  each of the above situations.  Maybe you would like to journal your examples.  It might be fun to gather with one or two friends and share your responses.  Of course, feel free to share below.

Happy New Year!

 

 

 

 

*From How to Find Happiness When You Reflect on the Past Year (https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/how_to_find_happiness_when_you_reflect_on_the_past_year?utm_source=Greater+Good+Science+Center&utm_campaign=d4b50f449d-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_January_Theme&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_5ae73e326e-d4b50f449d-52221859)

 

 

(professional website:  http://www.bethlevinecounseling.com)

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November 13, 2017

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anxiety, authenticity, Being human, emotional overwhelm, emotions, happiness, Life Lessons, self help, self-compassion

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Stop Trying to be Happy

 

Stop trying to be happy.

Yep.  That’s the key to happiness.

Of course, it’s not as simple as that, but according to Susan David, author of Emotional Agility, people who focus on being happy are less happy over time.  Dr. David believes that getting to know ourselves, understanding what is really happening for us, slowing down so we can figure out how we would like to respond to our emotions are skills that help us be happier.

Here are some highlights from an interview Maria Shriver had with Susan David:

“One of the first things is showing up. Instead of trying to push our emotions aside or trying to put on a happy face—what I call bottling and brooding—instead, literally drop any struggle that you have within yourself by ending the battle. Not saying to yourself, “I’m unhappy, but I shouldn’t be unhappy.” Or, “I’m miserable in my job, but at least I’ve got a job.”

Really just open up to the fact that we have a full range of emotions. These emotions have helped us and evolved to enable us to position ourselves effectively in the world.”

Emotions offer us important information regarding what is important to us.  In the interview, Dr. David goes on to say:

“It’s important to recognize that our emotions contain data. I’ve never met a mother who’s feeling guilty about her parenting who, at some level, isn’t wanting to be present and connected with her children. Our difficult emotions [point] to the things that we value.

Instead of struggling with whether we should or shouldn’t feel something, it’s important for us to say, “What is the function of this emotion? What is the value? What is this emotion trying to tell me?”

Here’s a link to the interview if you’re interested in reading further:

http://www.dailygood.org/story/1696/embrace-authenticity-how-to-break-free-from-the-tyranny-of-positivity-heleo-editors/

I know that I am not always happy and positive so reading that my happiness does not depend on me being happy and positive all the time made me happy!  I hope it helps you, too.

 

 

(professional website:  http://www.bethlevinecounseling.com)

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October 29, 2017

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Caring for each other, Life Lessons, Relationships, self help

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Happiness

I was feeling down one recent weekend.  As luck would have it, I was doing some research on what makes us happy.

Turns out, we are not very good at knowing what brings us happiness.  Research by Dan Gilbert bears this out.

One of the best kept secrets on what makes us happy is doing for others.  Material goods or achievements are no match for giving of ourselves in promoting our long term happiness.

A 2012 study by Elizabeth Dunn and her colleagues at the University of British Columbia shows that toddlers under the age of two are happier when giving treats to others rather than receiving goodies themselves.  But the good news about our capacity for feeling good about giving doesn’t stop there.  The study showed that children are happier when they give their own treats away than giving an identical treat away that doesn’t belong to them.  (http://news.ubc.ca/2012/06/19/giving-makes-young-children-happy-ubc-study-suggests/)

The results of United Healthcare/Volunteer Match Do Good Live Well 2010 on-line study shows that 96% of respondents report feeling happier as a result of volunteering (http://unlimitedloveinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/ITS-GOOD-TO-BE-GOOD-2014-Biennial-Scientific-Report-On-Health-Happiness-Longevity-And-Helping-Others.pdf)

So, when my husband came home from his volunteer efforts, taking photographs of cats to increase their likelihood of getting adopted, I asked him to show me his pictures.  Immediately, I felt better as I supported and encouraged him in his efforts and hobby.  I discovered, firsthand, how taking the focus off of me and my ruminations and putting my energies, instead, into helping someone else is a free and easy way to get my happy on.

I highly recommend you give it a try and if you like, share your experience.

If my example didn’t inspire you, this video of Lilica, the dog, and what she does for her family surely will.

 

(professional website:  http://www.bethlevinecounseling.com)

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July 26, 2017

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Being human, Companion animals, dog, Life Lessons, self help, self-esteem

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Knowing Who You Are Through Actions

 

Dali is one of the most strong-willed individuals that I know.  She pursues what she wants with every ounce of energy that she has.  When I had to take my other dog, Oskar, to the emergency clinic, Dali snuck out the front door so as not to be left behind.  On walks, she sits, unmovable, when she doesn’t want to go the way I want to go.  When she desires a neck rub, she sits by my feet and communicates with body language that says it is time.  And there is no alternative for me but to massage her neck.

Pretty good for a 20-pound dog.

Though Dali is getter older and the hot, humid summer is hard on her, she still is clear on what she wants.  She lets me know when it is time to go home.  She makes it clear when she wants to sit and soak in the sun.  And she determines when it is time for her, at least, daily neck rub.

In her honor, I am taking steps to go after what I want.  I am doing art every day, whether painting or writing poetry, even for a few minutes a day.  Taking this first step gave me more energy to do more of the things that are important to me.  I started a Google Group that I’ve thought about for at least a year and am taking a bike ride at least once a week.  I feel better about myself and more competent.

 

“Do you want to know who you are? Don’t ask. Act! Action will delineate and define you.” Thomas Jefferson

 

(professional website:  http://www.bethlevinecounseling.com)

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March 27, 2017

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Belonging, Caring for each other, Companion animals, love, Relationships

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Positive Qualities of Relationships

 

I am sitting on the couch with Oskar, next to me and he moves to get more comfortable and drapes his leg across my leg.  It is comforting to me and I imagine comforting for Oskar since he put his leg there.

This was after Dali and Oskar and I went to a local park. exploring woods we hadn’t been to before.  We all enjoyed the adventure and I felt closer to my companion animals.

According to research, physical affection and doing new things together are qualities of a long-term love.

 

In your relationships, human and nonhuman, make time for contact comfort and exploring the world together.

 

(professional website:  http://www.bethlevinecounseling.com)