Here are some lovely daily goals for health and happiness from
'Elephant Journal' you only get to view a few post a day tho before needing to pay subscription so I have copied and pasted!
I think these are great tips and am definitely going to try and take these on for each day, especially 1. 2. 9. 10. 14. and 16.
Each day try
to:
1. Set a simple intention or goal
for your day, exactly as you do at the beginning of each yoga practise.
The
intention should be something that you can complete that day, not some long
term, big goal. Sometimes my intention is to let things go that bother me and
other times it’s clean out the
linen closet.
2. Prepare a simple meal.
Heating
up hot pockets doesn’t count. I mean something like make a salad, chop up some
fruit.
3.
Eat real food, not too much, mostly plants.
4. Drink water.
5. Spend time outside.
Walking
from your house to the car and your car to your work doesn’t count. I mean
actually be outside for a little while, as long as you can. I find the
more time I spend outside each day the happier I am. Nature recharges us and if
you spend a great deal of time in front of a screen, you need even more time
under the sky out in the open air.
6. Exercise.
I don’t
care what you do. Just do something. Take a walk. Go to the gym. Do yoga. Jump
on the bed. Whatever. Just move. A yoga teacher told us one day that the body
was designed as the spirit’s vehicle in the physical world. In other words, the
body is made to move our spirits around on earth. The body wants to move
because that is its purpose and when we don’t move it, it gets sick because
it’s not being used properly. This was a huge ah-ha! moment for me. Her
words really resonated.
7. Stretch a lot in addition to
your exercise.
Stretch
whenever you can. It’s good for your joints and you feel good. Notice how much
your dogs and cats stretch themselves. They know!
8. Pay attention to your personal
grooming.
Do
something to make yourself look better each day. Fix that chipped nail polish,
condition your hair, stick a Biore on your nose, pluck your eyebrows, whiten
your teeth, get a haircut, anything. Just pick one and do it. Don’t let
yourself look like a mess. When you look better, you feel better. When you
honor your body and take care of it, it responds with good health.
9. Read something for fun.
Reports
from work don’t count. Read an article, a book, an email from a friend, US
Weekly and of course, elephant journal. Whatever makes you happy, read it and
don’t judge yourself, thinking you should be reading something more productive,
more literary or more highbrow.
10. Throw something away.
We all
have too much junk and clutter can suffocate us. Find a little something every
day and toss it out. Clutter blocks our energy.
11. Straighten up.
No one
can function in a mess. When things are tidy we can relax and we are happier in
our surroundings. I’m not saying become a cleaning maniac. Once a day I breeze
through the house and put stuff away. Sometimes it only takes five minutes.
Other times longer. It always makes me feel better.
12. Have tea.
Or coffee. Or whatever hot drink
you prefer. I do this in the morning and in the evening. I even got my three
year old enjoying a cup of chamomile before bed now. Teas are healthy and
taking the time to stop, relax and take a tea break (or coffee too) is calming,
comforting and yummy.
13. Be affectionate with another
person.
It can be
as simple as hugging a friend when you greet them. Humans need loving-contact with
others.
14. Give something to someone
else.
I got
this one from Deepak Chopra’s book The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success. In the book, Chopra
talks about generosity and giving; he says every time you meet someone or go
see someone or encounter someone else, you should give them something, even if
it’s just a compliment. I love this idea. He says he gives people
flowers. I’ve been trying this out lately, giving people things from my garden
or stuff I’ve made; if I don’t have anything on hand, I do what he says and
give lots of compliments. So far, this has been a lot of fun for me and makes
me feel great. Please try it.
15. Spend time with people you
love.
Now I get
that this isn’t always possible in person, but you can always call a loved one
or reach out to them on Facebook. You can write them a letter. Anything that
makes you feel connected to and engaged in some way with people you love, do
it. Every. Single. Day.
16. Do something creative.
I have
always believed that when God said he created humans in his image that he meant
that we, too, are creators. Everyone is creative in some capacity. It is our
nature, so go out and create. Anything! Make something, come up with new
ideas, change something. It’s all creative, whether you’re building a subway
system or making a sticker book.
17. Meditate.
Even if
all the time you have left is a couple minutes as you’re falling asleep, you
will still receive the benefits.
18. Give thanks.
You can
do this as you pray/meditate or you can make it a separate act, but mindfully
be thankful. Some days I swear to you I feel like my life sucks so badly that
all I can think of to be thankful for is my daughter and her good health and
the fact that I am alive at all and that my cat is still alive too. One day I
gave thanks for the paint colour in my dining room because I really love it.
Who cares? You can be thankful for any and everything. Gratitude leads to
happiness and happiness leads to good health.
19. Laugh!
Life is
hilarious and funny things happen to us every day. When we can laugh at
ourselves, our fears and our aggravations, we can overcome universes of
negativity. Make it a point to seek out the comedy in life. Find something you
can laugh at every day and share the
laughter.
I know
it’s a cliché, but laughter truly is the best medicine.
20. Be responsible for your
mental and physical health.
Give
yourself a little scan each day and see if anything feels off or needs extra
work. Make sure you always take your medicine and keep your doctor’s
appointments and get tests done that need to be done. Don’t neglect this and if
you feel anxious or sad or weird in any way do not hesitate to make an
appointment with a mental health practitioner of some kind. There is no
shame in it and you will be a better person for getting whatever help you
need. Likewise, if something hurts or doesn’t feel right physically just go get
it checked out even if it’s nothing. The peace of mind will be worth it.
XXX
