Maybe you’re starting your work week after the long holiday weekend feeling not great. Maybe you’re stressed, or sad, or angry, or anxious. It happens to everyone. These are normal emotions that we all have. It’s what we do with them that makes the difference in our happiness levels. 

I just read this article about four things you can do immediately to feel happier. As someone who has researched this topic quite a bit for my wellness writing (and personal interest) I immediately connected with these four rituals. 

In my opinion, these are simple things you can do every day to help you feel more empowered, in control, and on the right track. 

Maybe give these four rituals a try and see if they work for you? 

Last year, on this very day, I wrote my most read blog post to date. It was reposted by other bloggers, and my local NPR station did an entire show around it, inviting me on to discuss the topic.  Maybe today I am just as passionate about it as I was last year.

I’m talking about my Bikini Body post, in which Discovery Girls magazine ran a spread detailing how to cover up your “flaws” with a bathing suit. Sounds totally crazy, right? Why would a young girl need to be instructed on how to strategically cover up her “flaws” with geometric shapes and other such nonsense?

If your answer is “this is bull honkey!” then please click the link to read the original post. Share it far and wide. Our poor girls (and to a somewhat lesser extent, boys) are having messages of “you’re not good enough” crammed down their throats by television, magazines and social media at an alarming rate. They are being told their self worth is tied up in their weight and body shape. They are being trained that their #1 concern should be to please others (mostly the opposite sex) above themselves. This is unacceptable, and the only way to help our kids to ignore those harmful messages is to talk with them and help them understand that they have the power to decide for themselves.

Maybe we can’t stop this freight train but we can do our best to help our kids decide not to get on in the first place.

Bikini Body

That time between dinner and bed? It’s the least productive time for me. I’m tired from the day, low energy, and generally uninspired. I envy the people who spend those hours cleaning, creating something, or otherwise being industrious. My circadian rhythm doesn’t work that way. My most energetic hours are first thing in the morning.

I have always felt, though, that I could be doing *something*. Content enough to drink my tea or red wine and catch up on reading or Netflix, I haven’t spent much time considering what else I could be doing.

So, I’ve decided my next goal is to fix that. I am not crafty, so knitting, sewing, scrapbooking or similar activities are a non-starter. I generally do my exercising earlier in the day and it’s hard for me to even fathom moving a whole lot later in the day, so that’s probably not going to happen either (except for my weekly evening paddle league in the winter, occasional evening golf in the summer, and once a week or so dog walks with friends). I’m looking for something I can do most nights that makes me feel useful.

Any ideas? If so, please share! Tell me what you do in the evenings to pass the time. Maybe I’ll get inspired and finally land on the one thing for me.

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