Illuminate the way to Happiness!....

As you probably know, dopamine is a natural, vital chemical in the brain for experiencing joy and contentment. It's the "happy" juice that our body is supposed to naturally release, but some people, like me, don't get enough of it. This can ultimately lead to a major depression. So, in this case, on top of what I'm about to tell you, go to your physician and get blood work done to determine if you need to be medicated or not.

It is also crucial that you learn how you can naturally lower your serotonin levels, the unexplained belly bloat, and it's not rocket science, people!

The following is your daily prescription to good health:

• Sleeping at least seven solid hours a night
• Exercising for at least 30 minutes a day
• Laughing as often as humanly possible!
• At least five minutes of meditation or yoga
• Spend time with friends and family
• Doing things you enjoy (hobbies, interests, groups, movies, etc...)

And here’s a list of other things you may be interested in trying:

scrap-booking, gardening, joining a book club, a good play, an art show or gallery, a symphony, the opera, spend a weekend at a nearby city, an early-morning boot-camp, practice your photography, journaling, poetry, playing with animals, a cooking class, cake decorating class, volunteer work, church functions, etc…

I’ve noticed that TV-watching, celebrity-gossip paraphernalia, internet-surfing and this new twitter-world stuff, as a hobby, ultimately makes me feel like I'm on the sidelines while I watch someone else’s’ extravagant life pass me by. It’s virtually a mimic of reality and that’s exactly why producers produce it, because it SELLS! It may be a good way of shutting your brain-off after a long day at work, or school, but as far as improving your mental state....completely ineffective.

I learned that I must be pro-active in my own life if I want anything to change for the better. This doesn’t just happen on its own, as nice as that may sound. I make a conscious effort every single day to have five minutes of "quiet time," meaning no self-talk. Next, I make a "to-do list" and I am sure to make at least three accomplishments towards one of my goals each day; even if it is as small as making a phone call or leaving a message to an old friend to clear things up. For my own sanity, I took this challenge; I took the risk; I took a chance and, I’ll be honest, it feels very rewarding for the first time.

There is no ultimate destination or end-result to anything. "Life is a process,” as my Dad puts it. There are no end-results or destinations, there are only small and large footprints made by me, for the world, by each short and long-term goals I set out for myself. When I finally discovered and processed that little bit of information, I gained enormous relief from all of the anxiety and tension I had been holding on my shoulders, for years.

A good life, in my eyes, seemed impossible because my expectations were impossible to reach. Sound familiar? I am true perfectionist and I purposely created impossible outcomes so that I can further prove my point and anguish over “what isn’t” and self-sabotage the present and future; Exhausting to say the very least.

Weekly functions are also vital, especially for people with levels of OCD, depression or ADHD, like me. Make Friday night, “girls night-out, and Saturday evening your “date night;” Plan weekly meals with your family or close friends; look forward to continuous enjoyable outings or events with others.

And lastly, DON'T forget to be a KID, again! And if you have a difficult time grasping that inner-child, play with your pets and small children who never experience worry or fear; they simply live in the moment and have unconditional love EVERYDAY of the week. This is the key to overcoming a depressed, anxious or mundane state-of-mind.


PS: Go out and invest in a book, called "Flow" by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi...it is definitely worth reading!!!!

Next Week's Post: "What makes me so hungry, I wanna feel full!!!"