Everybody has regrets- some are harmless while others can haunt us for the rest of our lives if we let them. In this episode I'll be sharing some of my regrets and hopefully helping you better manage yours by using the PLAY THEORY principle, Let Go and Play.

Play of the Week: Listen to Taylor Swift's Shake It Off. Turn it up and dance! Then when you feel yourself giving into your doubts, remember how it feels to Let it Go and Play and shake it off.

.

According to the National Institutes of Health, nearly 1 in 3  of all adolescents ages 13 to 18 will experience an anxiety disorder, and these numbers are steadily rising. Adults are no better off. How can Play Theory help turn this trend around? Being in the now dissolves anxiety and regret. In this episode we explore 8 ways to practice being more in the now, an essential happiness skill.

Play of the Week: Everyday, take a minute and choose one of the 8 ways to enter the now— and PRACTICE being present. Here's a quick review of the 8 ways: breath meditation, focus on the inner body, focus on touch, recite a mantra, wait for the next thought, be aware of sounds within silence, listen closely to another's words, focus on movement.

8 ways to enter the present moment  by Einzelgänger

Anxiety in Teens is Rising: What's Going On?

.

How many of you brush your teeth? Do you do it more than once in awhle? More than once a week? Daily? Twice a day? What would happen if you didn’t? That depends on what you consume. Is your life saturated in empty, societal sugars devoid of nourishing nutrients that instead of fueling you fuels the bad players in your mental health? If so, you're not alone, and... you need a Mental Hygiene Practice. You've come to the right place.

Play of the Week: SHARE PLAY THEORY with a teenager in your life that needs a Mental Health Hygiene practice.

CDC Numbers

Downsides to Sugar

What Eating Too Much Sugar Does to Our Brains

In this episode we're sharing another Japanese secret to living a long and happy life. Ikigai is having something that makes you want to get up in the morning, work hard and makes you happy. The centurions of Okinawa all have ikigai. In Japan people never really retire, there isn’t even a word for retirement in the Japanese language. They keep working or if not employed, stay busy with meaningful activities. The centurions living in Okinawa are no different. They have meaningful, purposeful activities that keep them busy everyday. 

Play of the Week: Start each morning with a review of your purpose for the day. Then ask if that daily purpose is serving your larger ikigai. Purpose is often found in serving others. So Look Outward and ask what is needed to make your corner of the community better.  

Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life

Episode 89: How it all Began

In this episode we're talking about an idea that contributes to the well being, longevity and happiness of the women of Okinawa: Shikata ga nai, a Japanese concept meaning “it cannot be helped.”  Some similar sayings are "roll with the punches," "shake it off" and the musically now infamous “Let it go.” There’s also "adapt or die." That one’s kinda harsh but there’s truth in this idea. Remember the dinosaurs? They were the toughest guys on the planet. But they didn’t adapt and now they’re dead. Adapt or die. Think on that when you’re struggling to flex your acceptance muscle. It’s worth the struggle!

PLAY of the WEEK: Write down shikata ga nai and post it somewhere you'll see it to remind you to accept that somethings cannot be helped and to let them go. Review this idea regularly during the week so that when you feel that frustration of not having something go your way, maybe it’s a test, or a even just missing the green light and having to wait a few minutes longer than planned you can LET IT GO and ACCEPT it. 

Boston University School of Public Health Study

KINTSUGI WELLNESS: The Japanese Art of Nourishing Mind, Body, and Spirit by Candice Kumai. 

linkedin facebook pinterest youtube rss twitter instagram facebook-blank rss-blank linkedin-blank pinterest youtube twitter instagram