Simple Self Improvement

  Plenty of trees to look at and not a shop for kilometres               Image:Marie Vonow I recently went on holiday and stayed with a cousin and her husband on Kangaroo Island. I had booked my travel arrangements early in the year and was looking forward to the catch up. Then COVID 19 hit and it looked like the trip wouldn't happen. When social distancing restrictions were eased the trip was once again possible. I spent five days away from home and had a wonderful break from my usual routine. Occasionally I am away from home for one or two nights but for me, five nights away is quite a long break. Some people often go on holidays of this length and much longer. When I returned home I was refreshed and found myself thinking about a variety of things in a different way. I think one of the great benefits of going on a holiday is that you break your usual routine, see different things and think some new thoughts . It is not necess...

Image:Marie Vonow Have you ever had a job interview over the phone? Did you find it less or more intimidating than a face-to-face interview? What did you do to get yourself in the right emotional place to prepare for the interview? Many years ago I had a phone interview for a job. I must have managed okay as I got the position. It was strange not to have someone (or more than one person) to talk to face to face. Although interviews make me nervous I would rather have the face to face contact. I like being able to see the person I am talking to so I can judge from their facial expressions and body language if they understand what I am saying. In general, with people I have communicated with over the phone I feel happier if I get the opportunity to meet that person. The next time we converse on the phone I am more relaxed. Recently a friend had a phone interview for a position. She told me she was feeling a bit uptight beforehand. She knew the interviewer would not be a...

                                                                                                     Image:Marie Vonow There are many things I feel gratitude for but recently I have become very aware of how changes in the world around me influences what I feel gratitude for. It's May 2020 and COVID19 has caused many changes in our lives. There are things I now feel gratitude for which three months or more ago I didn't think about. There are other things I will feel gratitude for when life returns to some form of normal. Things I feel gratitude for I walked into my usual supermarket just before ...

Image:Jill Wellington from Pixabay My tip for the final day of March is do what makes you happy (as long as it doesn't cause harm to someone else or infringe on their rights.) Get to know yourself and what makes you happy. Make time for those activities. Activities such as tai chi meditation you tube videos for relaxation CDs for meditation and such music dance being creative may contribute to your happiness. Many studies claim meditation is particularly good for increasing happiness. If you can't work out what makes you happy, I have read technology can give you a helping hand. http://simpleselfimprovement.blogspot.com/2018/08/identifying-your-happiness-triggers.html#more Many ordinary things can make a person happier but this varies from person to person. For more ideas check out   http://selfavenue.com/8-tips-to-boost-happiness/ http://selfavenue.com/what-makes-people-happy-i-already-knew-that/   http://selfavenu...

Image:Marie Vonow Studies claim reading makes people happier, less stressed and less depressed. This tip won't work for everyone because not everyone has learnt to read and some who are able to just don't enjoy it. However, many people love reading, once they find the right book, and will agree it increases their level of happiness. A couple of years ago I went with a neighbour to a book sale held by a library. I was right into decluttering at the time and didn’t know whether to buy any books or resist. I decided to buy a box of books, they were so affordable and I like to support libraries because I borrow from them. After reading them I could donate the books and avoid accumulating clutter I told myself. One of the books I picked up was called The Happiness Factor. Imagine my surprise when I opened the book and saw what the author had written in it. Look at the image below. I had to buy that book!         ...

Image;Tumisu from Pixabay Today's happiness tip is don't over-think everything. I have to admit I don't like to 'wing it' and have a tendency to over- think and over- plan. A degree of thinking ahead and planning is a good thing, I reckon, but over-thinking can drive you crazy and get in the way of happiness. Over-thinkers can be indecisive because they always feel they need to think some more before taking action. Their head is full of 'what if?' and 'What if I make the wrong decision?' They also tend to be very hard on themselves for making mistakes and keep thinking, 'I should have known better,' or 'I should have done better.' How can you handle over-thinking? Firstly, recognise that planning and being prepared is a helpful trait. Then accept the fact no one can be prepared for everything and that sometimes things won't turn out as you expected and planned, but that's okay because you will get throu...

Time alone can boost your happiness     Image:Dana Tentis Today's happiness tip is to spend some time alone. At the moment, with the COVID 19 situation, you will either find this very easy (even if you don't enjoy time on your own and wouldn't normally choose it) or very difficult if you share a house with several other people who are now home all the time. Some people enjoy and actually need to spend a fair amount of time on their own. These people are often called introverts and are sometimes divided into four categories - social thinking anxious restrained Others, generally labelled extroverts, get energised by being with people and they may avoid being alone if possible. Then there are ambiverts or omniverts who have some extrovert traits and some of an introvert. I fit in this category. There, we've got the label thing done. Researchers suggest everyone benefits from some alone time. I'm no expert on the subject, I...