Ways to Feel Happier

”C’mon, Get Happy!”

Last night I was reading the latest issue of Shape magazine, and as usual when I’m enjoying a magazine, I tore a few articles out for future reference. One of the articles I liked was called ”C’mon, Get Happy!” and discussed a blueprint to help one feel more joyful. The author’s strategies to feeling happier resonated with me, and I thought I’d share them with you:

• Embrace ”Good Enough” – The idea here is to resist the urge to be a perfectionist. Wanting everything to be flawless all the time stresses you out and isn’t attainable. Strive to do things well and your best, but don’t go so far that you make yourself nuts.
• Talk Yourself Up – According to new findings, sharing accomplishments and good news with others multiples the joy factor. In other words, don’t be afraid to brag a little and be vocal about positive things happening in your life.
• Pay it Forward – Doing a random act of kindness is an easy way to boost your spirits (and also make someone else’s day!). According to the article, researchers have found that people who perform daily acts of kindness feel more satisfied with their lives than those who don’t. It makes sense – so aim to do someone a favor more often. 😉
• Go Back in Time – Looking at old photos is a nice way to remind you of good times and brighten your mood. This one’s my favorite, since I’m a total picture nerd who has photos up everywhere in my house!

My Eats for the Day 

Moving onto food, here are all of my eats from yesterday:

For breakfast I had a cup of Cheerios with 1/2 scoop of chocolate protein powder, a nectarine and almond milk:

My lunch was a Tofurky, mozzarella, & tomato sandwich on whole wheat bread + an apple sprinkled with cinnamon:

For a snack before the gym, I ate one of my homemade trail bars.

For dinner, I whipped up a Mexican-themed salad that included red leaf lettuce, cherry tomatoes, avocado, cheddar cheese, crushed multigrain tortilla chips, & a dressing made of salsa, sour cream, and mashed avocado:

I make a salad like this when I’m craving something salty and filling, and I just throw in whatever I have in the house that fits the Mexican theme. Sometimes I’ll add black beans and corn into the mix. Last night’s salad filled me up and weighed in as a 400 calorie dinner.

Lastly, for a nighttime snack I ate a chocolate yogurt from TJ’s:

Off to relax and veg out with my little family, good night!