your mood boost starts here
What do you want most in life? What do you want most for your loved ones?
Probably the most common answer to this question is simply, “To be happy.”
But happiness can feel elusive and fleeting. Subconsciously many of us believe we can only be happier as soon as _________ happens. As soon as we are more successful, have lost the extra weight, fall in love, the mortgage is paid, we’ve acquired another possession, or can finally retire.
But is it possible to actually take steps to become happier in the present from within rather than waiting for our outside circumstances to all align?
With May being Mental Health Awareness month,this past week I took a virtual training offered by Zumba and created by Ashlee Cramer titled, “Happiness Unlocked.” I’ll admit on the day I logged on, I wasn’t in the best mood having recently found out I’ll have to move to a new apartment in the coming months. The last thing I wanted to hear was toxic positivity guilting me into looking at the bright side of things.
The facts that opened the training weren’t particularly uplifting either :
— Around 280 million people worldwide suffer from depression.
— Depression is 50% more common in women than in men.
( World Health Organization, 2020)
But what followed gave me great hope. Science says happiness isn't just a fleeting feeling - a portion ( perhaps even up to 40% according to Dr. Sonja Lyunomirsky) it's built on intentional activities AKA your habits! By creating positive routines, we train our brains for the kind of joy that endures even through difficult circumstances.
So this month, if you are looking for a mood boost, get ready to take a look at the thoughts and actions you are filling your days with! Before change can happen, we have to become aware of where we are now.
Next week we’ll delve deeper into building feel good habits! In the meantime, get your joyful movement on by joining us on the dancefloor!
Keep moving!
xx,
Katie
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