Simple Self Improvement

                                                      Image:Free-Photos from Pixabay Wikipedia says a hobby is 'an activity done regularly in one's leisure time for pleasure.' Cambridge Dictionary gives the definition of pleasure as 'enjoyment, happiness , or satisfaction or something that gives this.' Today's happiness tip is to spend time enjoying a hobby. Do you enjoy spending time on a hobby? You have probably noticed having a hobby can make you happier. Involvement in a hobby can also make you healthier. Research has shown a hobby can reduce stress, lower heart rate and make a person happier not just while they are actively involved with the hobby but hours later. A hobby also gives one something to lo...

                                                                                   Image:Marie Vonow Following on from yesterday's tip of spending time in Nature, comes the tip for day 5, spend time gardening. If spending time in Nature makes people happy, it makes sense that time doing some gardening will contribute to happiness. As well, when you are gardening you are getting exercise which increases happiness (happiness tip day 3). Easy to grow plants can be very colourful                    ...

Image: Daniel Reche from Pixabay Happiness Tip 3: Get some exercise each day. Most people have heard exercise is good for one and makes one feel good. When you feel good you are likely to be happy so it makes sense there is a link between exercise and happiness. During exercise endorphins are released. Endorphins produce a positive and energising feeling and can help reduce pain. There are many different forms of exercise, places to participate in exercise and individuals will have different needs in relation to physical activity. Walking is my favourite type of exercise. Walking Now, I am personally not one to exercise just for the sake of exercising even though I know it is good for me. I would find some excuse not to bother to go for a 20 minute walk if it was just to get exercise. However, throughout my life I have enjoyed walking (but not power walking) when there is a purpose to doing it or as a social activity. For example- When I...

                                                                                                           Image:Marie Vonow We hear a lot about living in the moment these days. Nobody used that expression when I was growing up. This 'living in the moment' thing can be difficult if one is stuck in a rut or dwelling on events that happened in the past. Sometimes it makes me feel 'down' to think about the past too much and I don't feel motivated to write or do interesting stuff. When this happens I need to identify ways to make some easy budget friendly changes to get back my energy and that feeling of aliveness.   Music   I love listening to music while I am writing or pottering around the house....

  Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay Everyone gets stressed from time to time. Some people get stressed more often than others and some people experience a greater degree of stress. Stress can occur when 'bad' things happen to us, when we have too much on our plate and even when we are experiencing a change or event we have chosen. What are some ways to help us relax? Relaxing activities to relieve stress in the short term Have some time alone, especially if you haven't had a moment to yourself for some time Work on a hobby such as sketching, pottery, gardening, quilting, oil painting, woodwork etc Do some knitting http://healthyhints.com.au/four-health-benefits-of-knitting/ Read a book or magazine, it can be fiction or factual Listen to an audio book/novel Sing with a group or sing alone in the shower Cook something you enjoy making, be creative Listen to music you enjoy If you can play a musical instrument, do it now ...

                                 Dawn                                 Title added to image by Mabel Amber from  Pixabay The things you do to start your day in a positive way depends on whether you are a lark or a night owl, your personality and your living situation. What works for the lark is unlikely to work for the owl. If you are an introvert your needs will be different from those of an extrovert. If you have young children in your care (or you are a carer for an adult with a disability or someone who needs support due to ageing) your situation will be different from someone who lives alone. There are many other factors that will influence what you are able to do, let's be practical here, and what you will ...

A garden can bring much joy                             Image:Marie Vonow I enjoy spending time in the garden but to be honest I can’t be bothered with any plants that need to be fussed over. There are so many types which are easy to grow that I can’t see the point in actually stressing over plants when I want to enjoy my time in the garden. Some people do enjoy the challenge of getting a delicate or fussy plant to grow but that's not my style, I prefer things that are simple. When it comes to veggies and herbs, I plant easy to grow stuff like loose leaf lettuce, rocket, spring onions, chives, basil, parsley, rosemary, silver beet and tomatoes. I grow some things in containers and others directly in the garden.              Rosemary bush    ...

                                                                             Adapted from Pixabay It is a great feeling to have plenty of energy. However, the demands of work, caring for a family, dealing with traffic and the general frustrations of life can sap energy leaving one feeling low. Sometimes we forget about self care or feel guilty about spending time on ourselves. We need to look at both physical and psychological needs.