3 SUREFIRE WAYS TO DESIGN YOUR OWN HAPPINESS

3 Surefire Ways to Design Your Own Happiness BarbaraFicarra.com

3 Surefire Ways to Design Your Own Happiness | BarbaraFicarra.com

Think DESIGN when you think about your own happiness and health. What steps do you want to take to design a happy and healthy life? Do you think it’s possible to design your own happiness?

A happy and healthy life is about living blissfully, with passion and purpose, and it’s about designing your life. The great news is that you don’t need a complete overhaul. Take simple and small actions every day to design the life you desire, one that will bring harmony and balance.

3 surefire ways to get started to designing your healthy and happy life

Savor Sweet Sleep

Sleep is vital for your health and well-being. If you’re getting the right amount of sleep that is something to smile about. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) declares “Insufficient Sleep Is a Public Health Epidemic.” Lack of sleep can wreak havoc on your health. According to the CDC (reference to Institute of Medicine), “An estimated 50-70 million U.S. adults have sleep or wakefulness disorders.” Sleep helps your brain work properly. If you’re not getting enough sleep you may have difficulty making decisions, trouble controlling your emotions and behavior, and problems coping with change and solving problems. “Sleep deficiency also has been linked to depression, suicide and risk-taking behavior.” Sleep can also help repair your heart and blood vessels. According to the National Institutes of Health — National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, “Ongoing sleep deficiency is linked to an increased risk of heart disease, kidney disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and stroke.” How much sleep is required? For adults, between 7-8 hours is recommended. How many hours of sleep do you get each night?

Simple Healthy Design Actions to Savor Sleep:

  • Design your bedroom so it’s your oasis. A place that is calming, relaxing and clutter free. Use calming and soothing colors.
  • Keep a sleep journal (write in your sleep journal before you get into bed, and in another room).
  • Darken the room.
  • Wear a sleep/eye mask.
  • Take out the technology. Put your devices in another room. This way you won’t be tempted to use them, and no TVs.
  • Avoid large meals before bed.
  • Avoid caffeine.
  • Avoid alcohol.
  • Go to bed the same time each night.
  • Have a relaxing bedtime routine each night. Take a warm shower or bath, listen to soft soothing music.
  • Keep your bedroom at a comfortable sleeping temperature. Choose a temperature between 60 and 67 degrees Fahrenheit.

If you’re concerned about your sleep habits and you recognize that it’s disruptive, talk to your doctor, nurse practitioner or other health care professional.   

Be Positive

“In business, as in life, all that matters is that you do something positive.”- Richard Branson

Be a positive force in your work and life, and push positive thoughts. Get rid of the negative self-talk.

Being positive and having positive thoughts can be as important as getting enough sleep, eating right and moving more. No one is perfect. Don’t put yourself down and don’t let the negative thoughts take over. According to the Mayo Clinic, “positive thinking just means that you approach the unpleasantness in a more positive and productive way. You think the best is going to happen, not the worst.” Cut out the negative self-talk and focus on positive thoughts. Positive thinking is great for your overall health and well-being. According the Mayo Clinic, health benefits of positive thinking may include:

• Increased life span
• Lower rates of depression
• Lower levels of distress
• Greater resistance to the common cold
• Better psychological and physical well-being
• Reduced risk of death from cardiovascular disease
• Better coping skills during hardships and times of stress

Be grateful

Expressing gratitude can boost your happiness and health, according to Harvard Health Publications, and it is associated with increased levels of optimism and energy. “Gratitude helps people feel more positive emotions relish good experiences, improve their health, deal with adversity, and build strong relationships.” It’s important to express gratitude. Let the people in your lives know how grateful you are for them and that you appreciate them. Simply say, “I am grateful to have you in my life and I appreciate you.” Keeping track of what you are grateful for in a gratitude journal can help you focus on the positive and become more optimistic. I like to call my gratitude journal a bliss journal because by writing down things that I am grateful for, it immediately brings a sense of pleasure, bliss. But whatever you call it, it’s something very easy to do, so why not give it a try?

Your turn

How do you design your health and happiness? I would love to hear your thoughts in the conversation section below. As always, thank you for your time.

Thanks for being part of the Healthy Design Community at BarbaraFicarra.com. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me here.

Healthy Design Element: Harmony and Balance

Healthy Design Action: Design ways to achieve happiness. Why not start your own design journal and add these simple steps as a reminder that it’s the simple things in life that can bring great joy.

______ Savor sleep (7-8 hours each night) and try the Healthy Design Actions above.

______ Push positive thoughts

______ Be grateful

 

Design Your Healthy Life™

#DYHL

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My interview on NBC – CT Style talking about sleep, gratitude and more.

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