We can often fall under a pattern of thinking and acting unkind to ourselves or those around us, so today take a moment to practice kindness to yourself through a meditation utilizing imagery. One kind thought can often have a domino effect. Let’s tip that domino in your favor!

As quoted in the famous Pulp Fiction movie, John Travolta’s character is asked, “In conversation, do you listen or wait to talk?” This is an interesting question because many people tend to do the latter rather than the more interpersonally effective former. Here’s an article that highlights 8 helpful practices for mindful communication, which include listening, being non-judgmental, showing empathy, being one-mindful, and more.

https://upliftconnect.com/8-ways-mindful-communication/

Showing gratitude is a frequent suggestion on how to increase one’s happiness in life and is also quite overlooked. Gratitude is such a powerful tool that retrains the mind to focus on the positive details in our lives and in turn reduces our suffering of the negative. Studies even show that bronze medalists are happier than silver medalists because they are happy to have received a medal at all! Unlike silver medalists because they compare themselves to the gold medalists which inhibits the gratefulness. Take a moment each day this coming week to list a few things you are grateful for, whether they be small or large. See if there’s a shift in your attitude and level of happiness

Please use the PLEASE skills to take care of your mental health and reduce your vulnerability to unwanted emotions. Tending to your physical health, maintaining your regular physical check-ups throughout the year, regularly visiting your dentist, taking care of your physical ailments, all these and more are all so important. Remember the last time you were sick in bed with a cold? I bet that you were in no mood to deal with any more negative events in your life. That’s because you were already vulnerable to unwanted emotions due to being physically sick. So go on and take care of yourself. Balance your intake around foods and mood-altering substances too (drugs, alcohol, caffeine, etc.). Eat well because you won’t be as resilient toward undesirable news if you’re hangry or hung-over. And what is also often forgotten is the amount of sleep and exercise we all need! Sleep is so important to reset ourselves and rejuvenate our bodies and mind for the day. With the recommended 7-8 hours of sleep a night, be mindful of the appropriate amount of sleep you’re getting. And with the modern lifestyle of continuously being in front of a phone, computer, or TV, we are not as active as our ancestors once were. Get outside and be active for as little as 20 minutes a day. Go for a walk, or go play a sport, whatever you do, mindfully participate and get your body moving! Remember the PLEASE skills and you’ll feel better for it. Give it a shot.

Want to be healthier physically and mentally? Work on having better sleep hygiene. Take care of yourself so that you can prioritize your sleep to gain all the benefits that sleep has to offer. This link highlights 14 reasons as to why you should work on having better sleep!

https://www.everydayhealth.com/sleep-pictures/seriously-amazing-reasons-to-snag-a-good-nights-sleep.aspx#02

Guided mindfulness of the day:

When we’re more mindful, we can see our stressors more clearly. By practicing mindfulness daily, we can build our resilience toward stress that accumulate throughout our day.

http://time.com/4645363/mindfulness-meditation-stress-anxiety-resilience/

A lot of research has been done on mindfulness and data has shown that practicing mindfulness regularly fuels connection with ourselves and surroundings, lower stress levels, greater focus of the mind with reduced brain chatter, and also understanding of any pain we may be experiencing.  Check out this site to learn more tips on incorporating mindfulness into your daily life.

https://www.mindful.org/meditation/mindfulness-getting-started/

Life can be difficult, and mindfulness around difficult times can help us get through them without making the situation feel worse. Accepting unwanted thoughts and emotions can help lead them toward reduced intensity and eventually toward its passing.

https://soundcloud.com/hachetteaudiouk/meditation-six-exploring-difficulty?in=hachetteaudiouk/sets/mindfulness-a-practical-guide-to-finding-peace-in-a-frantic-world

The word “manipulation” has such a negative connotation tied to it, and in actuality, we all do it. To manipulate is to intentionally aim to influence a person’s thoughts or behaviors; depending on whether the intention is kind or harmful is another topic of discussion. To effectively influence others toward liking you, check out this article full of tips on ways of manipulating situations and experiences so that you would have better chances of being in good standing with others.

https://www.lifehack.org/316057/23-body-language-tricks-that-make-you-instantly-likeable