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Disclaimer
Beverley has prepared the content of Bev's World irresponsibly and carelessly. She therefore disclaims all warranties, express or implied, as to the accuracy, originality or completeness of the drivel presented on this blog or on other linked websites or on any subsequent links. She vehemently denies that the information may be relied upon for any reason. Beverley shall not be liable for inflicting laughter, shame, disgust, torrents of tears and the eventual desiccation or crashing boredom on readers.

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Thursday 15 December 2011

If your happy & you know it clap your hands!

15th December

Listen to the mustn'ts, child. Listen to the don'ts. Listen to the shouldn'ts, the impossibles, the won'ts. Listen to the never haves, then listen close to me ... Anything can happen, child. Anything can be.  Shel Silverstein

This weeks flown by, I can’t believe it’s Thursday already, this time next week, I’ll be rushing round packing a case for Christmas, I won’t have done any shopping and I’ll be freaking out ;) but I won’t worry about that now.  Today’s my last Thursday weighing of the year so I’m planning to have a lovely morning.

I suppose I should be packing this weekend, but I stopped doing what ‘I should’ a good while ago!  If you live in a sea of “shoulds”, you find yourself in an impossible situation.  You’ll end up being disappointed with yourself or fearful of disappointing others.

 “I should lose weight.”

No I shouldn’t neither should you unless it’s want you want to do!  If you live in a world of saying “should” you will end up feeling trapped by a sense of obligation and expectation.  You don’t have to conform to what you think you should do, change it to ‘could’ (if you want to), or ‘will’ (because you want to).  That small change has made a massive difference in my life.

“I could lose weight this month but I won’t because I don’t want to, I will however lose anything I gain over Christmas in 2012”

Notice I’ve wrote 2012 and not January, because I’m not putting myself under any pressure to do it quickly.  January for me will be hectic enough without putting any added pressure on myself.  I suppose Decembers like that for most people, hectic and stressful trying to get everything ready before Christmas Eve. 

So if you are struggling at the minute to enjoy the festive season for whatever reason, here are a few suggestions on how to get Happy in under 30 Minutes and remember making being happy a priority doesn’t mean your selfish, it means you’re self caring, research shows that happier people are more sociable, likable, healthy, and productive, plus they're more inclined to help other people. By working to boost your own happiness, you're making other people happier, too.

Why not raise your activity level to pump up your energy. If you're on the phone, stand up and pace. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Put more energy into your voice. Or even better, take a brisk 10-minute walk.  Try to take that walk outside. Research suggests that light stimulates brain chemicals that improve mood. For an extra boost, get your sunlight first thing in the morning – unlike me wait till the sunrises!

Why not get in touch by sending an e-mail to a friend you haven't seen in a while, or reach out to someone new. Having close bonds with other people is one of the most important keys to happiness. When you act in a friendly way, not only will others feel more friendly toward you, but you'll also strengthen your feelings of friendliness for other people.

This often helps me - rid yourself of a nagging task. Deal with that problem, do the ironing, or make that long-postponed appointment with the dentist. Crossing an tedious chore off your to-do list will give you a rush of elation.

One I’m not good at but when I do, I feel so good is to create a more serene environment. Outer order contributes to inner peace, so spend some time organizing bills and tackling the piles in the kitchen. A large stack of little tasks can feel overwhelming, but often just a few minutes of work can make a sizable dent. Set the timer for 10 minutes and see what you can do.  I’ve been doing a little bit at a time this last week and now I have a bedroom floor ;-)

YOU can beat doing a good deed.  Anything large or small, I saved a dog from being run over the other day, the owner was chuffed and I felt good, whatever you do, however small, you’ll feel good, even if you just put next doors bins out.  Or if you’re feeling brave sign up to be a blood donor or an organ donor, and remember to tell your family about your decision. Do good, feel good―it really works!

If all else fails - Fake it 'til you feel it. Act happy. Research shows that even an artificially induced smile boosts your mood. And if you're smiling, other people will perceive you as being friendlier and more approachable.

I love to learn something new. Think of a subject that you wish you knew more about and spend 15 minutes on the Internet reading about it, or go to a bookstore and buy a book about it. But be honest! Pick a topic that really interests you, not something you think you "should" or "need to" learn about.  I felt great the other week when I learnt to crochet using YOU TUBE and I ended up with a smashing scarf too.

So you happy yet – if not, go get happy!

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