My daughter & I hit Mexican restaurants often. And well... we've been to Mexico a handful of times too. There's definitely an ingredient there somewhere that involves happiness.
Maybe it's the chips & guac.
Maybe it's the music that makes you want to do a little salsa, while eating some salsa.
Maybe it's just the company because we always end up laughing about something when we're together.
Maybe it's the feeling of being so full that you question why you eat so many chips every single time before your food even arrives.
Seriously though... why do we do that every time?
Anyway... are you in need of a dose of "happy?'
Personally I feel like I've had a lot of doses lately. It's a good feeling to have.
But that's life, right? Sometimes you've gotta go through the not-so-happy, to get to the consistently happy.
A friend recently shared some memes with info about 4 ways to activate the happy chemicals in your body, and I loved it so much I thought I'd write it out and share the examples that were given...
Seratonin (the mood stabilizer)
- Getting sun exposure
- Practicing meditation
- Spending time in nature
- Exercising and being active
Dopamine (the reward chemical)
- Completing a task
- Celebrating the small wins
- Eating a good meal
- Taking time for self-care
Endorphin (the pain killer)
- Laughing out loud
- Watching a good movie
- Volunteering or giving back
- Exercising and being active
Oxytocin (the love hormone)
- Giving a compliment
- Physical affection
I don't know if you noticed a trend there... but it appears that exercising and being active was listed more than once.
Having the right people in your life, makes a huge difference too.
Who's in your circle?
What do you surround yourself with daily... whether it's people, your social media news feed, your work environment, etc?
We become the product of our circle of influence... good or bad, positive or negative, happy or sad.
I'm blessed to be able to workout as my job, but I'd do it as a participant even if it wasn't.
I know how I feel when I'm regularly exercising and I know how I feel when I'm not.
It's every bit as much mental as it is physical.
It is more than a workout... it's therapy. Group therapy.
If you're looking for some extra doses of happy in your life... come join me for a class.
Or simply get outside and take a walk.
I can't promise it will solve all your problems, but I can assure you that it makes life feel easier to navigate when you're filling your cup with self-love and self-care.
XOXO
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