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It takes regular and committed practice to develop and maintain a healthy mental mindset. Every day we have to get up and try again. It takes intention and the commitment to follow through on those intentions Encouragement and support are essential as we take these transformational steps. That’s what The Happiness Playbook is all about. We want to be your personal trainer for your happiness practice.
Play of the Week: Go all in on your commitment to a happiness practice. Lean in and accept the weekly challenges and take action with intention. If you’re on Social media tag The Happiness Playbook on a post and let us know you’re officially on Team Happiness.
Improving Her Depression, Woman Tries Something New Every Day for a Year–And Vows to Keep it Up
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How do we make our dreams come true? What if I said that’s a trick question? You see we are constantly bringing what we’re dreaming about, or in other words focusing on and desiring, into reality. When I desire to binge the next K-Drama on Netflix more than I desire to write curriculum or edit a script, that’s my current dream and guess what, I can easily make that dream come true. The real question we need to ask ourselves isn’t how do I make my dreams come true. The question we should be asking is what's my real dream? Because... Dreams really do come true. So be careful what you wish for.
Play of the Week: Be more present with your desires. The next time you reach for the remote instead of your homework or the draft of your novel be present, take a deep breath, calm your mind, look outward towards what your real, deep down desires and then ask yourself “Is this what I truly want?”
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Good bye 2022! Anyone thinking about their New Year’s Resolutions? New Years’ used to be all about out with the old, in with the new, a chance to start anew; A NEW START. And that’s exactly what I’m super excited to share with you today; 8 foundational Principles for a NEW START to improve your mental well being.
Play of the Week: Take a few minutes to evaluate which of the 8 principles from Dan Banos' Ted Talk you can better implement in your life right now. Then make a plan on how you can shift your current routine to embrace these changes in natural ways.
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Full disclosure, this is a repost of an episode from last year. Some things bear repeating and these 4 timeless ideas continue to be helpful when put into practice. So make the most of your Holiday season and keep practicing Play Theory!
Play of the Week: Don't let your happiness practice slide just cause it's the holidays. Keep up for intentional focus on Being Present, Letting Go and Playing when things don't go your way, Accepting and Building even if that means you validate the gift giver despite hating the gift and finally Looking Outward and asking where and how you can lift and serve others during the holidays.
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Even if someone expects an apology from us we are not obligated to give one unless we feel inclined to do so. It would be egregious to accept the responsibility for all of the disappointment and heartache of others. We can though acknowledge other’s suffering without accepting responsibility for it. And when we are in error, we can thank others for their understanding and patience with us and we can Let Go & Play and say the words that allow us to do a reset and start again with greater understanding and awareness. Finally to mend relationships we need to Look Outward and attempt to make amends when we have been the cause, either knowingly or unwittingly of another's suffering.
Play of the Week: When someone in your circle of relationships is disappointed in your behavior, be it a conscious choice or something you had no control over, Let Go & Play and Look Outward and apologize using these steps.
Should You Make Your Kids Apologize?
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How do we offer support and care for others who are suffering the loss of a loved one? It can be scary if we're afraid of saying or doing the wrong thing. The last thing we want is to make it worse. In this episode we'll talk about an immediate loss in my theater troupe and offer some tips and encouragement on helpful things to do and say when some one you know is grieving.
Play of the Week: Take a deep breath. Hug a loved one for an extra 10 seconds, don’t be the first to let go. Lean into life remembering that no matter how much we exercise or practice good health habits, ultimately we don’t call the shots on when it will end for any of us. Be present with your loved ones in this precious experience we call life. Savor the moments. And if you know someone who is currently going through the unimaginable, Look outward and let them know you see them, you love them and that you’re here for them.
Pushing Through the Unimaginable, by Emily Schofield
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Feel less stress and more connection during the holidays. If you’re listening in real time it's Thanksgiving week. That means lots of food, family and expectations. And we all know what happens when our expectations aren't met. We're disappointed, frustrated and discouraged. So how do we navigate a season with so many expectations riding on so many factors out our control? If the expectations and demands of the holiday season stress you out, listen in as we share the greatest predictor of happiness, especially during the holidays. Surprise, surprise, this idea of social support is all about the PLAY THEORY principle, Look Outward.
Play of the Week: For the big holiday event, Look outward and find someone you can support or help out. Then each day this week. share an uplifting, validating message or a note of gratitude with some one you know. If you keep it up for 3 weeks you’ll see long term shifts towards improved optimism. Yes the holidays can be stressful, and they’re also a great time of year to improve our over all feeling of well being and connection to offset the stress brought on by the increased demands on our time and resources.
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How long has it been since you’ve indulged in some good old time playing with play dough? Remember the wonderful squishy texture that is so pliant without being sticky? Rolling it out into snakes or just squishing it in your hands over and over was so soothing. Clay is an amazing medium. Our brain is a lot like clay. Our thoughts make imprints that can be erased and rerouted if we are earnest about wanting to make changes. This episode gives some helpful tips in how to transform a negative thought or habit into something more positive as we Let Go of the old and Play with a new idea.
Play of the Week: Here’s our play of the week. Identify an unwanted habit or thought. Maybe it’s not putting the lid back on the toothpaste. Maybe it’s not drinking enough water. Maybe it’s a nagging little almost imperceptible idea that you’ll always fail so why try. Next make a plan to do something instead of what you've been doing. With the toothpaste, plan to hold the lid in your hand until you’ve squozen the toothpaste out onto your tooth brush, then your brain will be better able to remember to put it back. If its drinking more water- make a plan to fill up a water bottle with the amount you want to drink in the day and take it with you. If it’s that negative thought you almost don’t notice but believe, decide on a counter affirmation that you start you day off with, repeating while you brush you hair in the morning. Then throughout the day when the negative thought trickles into your consciousness, repeat the positive affirmation.
https://declutterthemind.com/blog/neuroplasticity/
https://www.instagram.com/kindakindco/
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What if instead of focusing on the negative aspects of our society we looked for the good? One artist, Saira Siddiqui wants to help people see their world in a more positive light by inviting them to look for acts of kindness. Her Peace Dots Project invites others through out the world to track random acts of kindness in an attempt to increase our tendency towards positive self-fulfilling prophecies.
Play of the Week: Let go and play and share an act of kindness you observed or did on the peace dots website. Doing so will help you look for the positive and encourage you to be part of the solution rather than merely a herald of the negative. Go to peacedotsproject.com, and help kindness to shine!
Find Peace Dots Project on instagram: peacedotsproject
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When we’re feeling something awful it’s natural to want to escape and try to buffer from uncomfortable feelings. Some people escape into mind numbing social media or screen time. Some people drink alcohol that can numb negative feelings and increase feelings of well being. Others may turn to drug use, illegal or medically prescribed medications. Are there less harmful ways to deal with negative emotions and the strain of being somewhere we really don't want to be?
Play of the Week: Sometime this week you’ll face a disappointment or loss. When you find yourself trying to escape your current life experience by buffering with food, alcohol, social media, TV or other distractions, ask yourself if there's a positive way you can buffer from this pain? Also ask if you would be better served by being fully present with the pain at this time rather than running from it? Is there something you can can learn from this discomfort?.
