Blog
Taking Time to Live Well
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Using more positive language can make a big difference to your life, reawakening your confidence and boosting your happiness
Say positive things at every opportunity. Say thank you; give praise, pay compliments.
Focus on your strengths and write three affirmations that begin “I am...” They needn’t be true (yet).
Monitor your speech over a day. Note the patterns you fall into and start rephrasing.
Try some simple switches:
I’m hopeless at... I’m learning to
It’s impossible... It’s a real challenge No problem... You’re welcome
I messed up... I can do better
I’m stressed... I have a lot on
More on using positive language on page 76 of October’s The Simple Things.
The theme for our March issue of The Simple Things is HAPPY. Free with every issue - one of four Happiness patches (find out how to get yours). Meanwhile, here are a few everyday actions that can enrich your life
Be active
Climb a hill. Or go for a walk or run. Simply stepping outside will have a positive impact. Cycle. Play a game. Garden. Dance. Exercising makes you feel good, so discover which physical activity you most enjoy and that works for your level of fitness.
Connect
Gather friends. Spend time and share good food with those around you. Think of home, work and your local community as the cornerstones of your life and invest time in developing relationships there. These connections will support and enrich you every day.
Keep learning
Make a campfire. Try something new. Rediscover an old interest. Sign up for that course. Take on a different responsibility at work. Fix a bike. Learn to play an instrument or how to cook your favourite food. Set a challenge you will enjoy achieving. Learning new things is a confidence booster – and is fun.
Take notice
Watch clouds. Be curious. Catch sight of the beautiful. Remark on the unusual. Notice the changing seasons. Savour the moment, whether you are walking to work, eating lunch or talking to friends. Be aware of the world around you and what you are feeling. Reflecting on your experiences will help you appreciate what matters to you.
What makes you happy? Come over and tell us on Facebook or Twitter.
Plus - enter our competition! Design our fifth patch and you could win a VIP experience to The Good Life Festival 2018.
Image: Stocksy
Meik Wiking is a happiness guru – an advocate for hygge and a collector of smiles. Turn to page 38 of October's The Simple Things for his take on why enjoying togetherness is what makes him, and the Danes as a nation, the happiest in the world.
In his self-created role of director of The Happiness Research Institute, Meik has been running projects and studies, workshops and round table discussions on happiness. He travels the world meeting with governments and organisations, and exploring how everything from social media use to job satisfaction can affect happiness levels. He even keeps a notebook in which he records the frequency of smiles in random isolation in every city he visits. Some of the highest levels he has seen are in Mexico, while the lowest have been in Latvia and Poland. He says he still needs to do more study in the UK, but so far it’s not looking good. What makes people happy is now what gets Meik up in the mornings and, as he told a TED Talk that he gave on ‘The Dark Side of Happiness’ this year*, what makes people unhappy, depressed and suicidal, can keep him awake at night. Incidentally, it’s not true that the Danes have the highest rate of suicide (they rank somewhere in the middle).
Watch his TEDxCopenhagen talk now: The Dark Side of Happiness
We celebrate slowing down, enjoying what you have, making the most of where you live, enjoying the company of of friends and family, and feeding them well. We like to grow some of our own vegetables, visit local markets, rummage for vintage finds, and decorate our home with the plunder. We love being outdoors and enjoy the satisfaction that comes with a job well done.
