Don’t Get S.A.D. Get Hyoo ga!

Here we are again, about to turn our clocks back and return to standard time. It will be dark sooner.  The days are getting shorter anyway and winter is drawing in.

For many of you this means the onset of  Seasonal Affected Disorder – a type of depression that comes and goes according to the seasons.  Also known as winter depression, it is usually at its most severe during December, January and February. i think we could all benefit from using the special daylight lamps and certainly (with professional guidance) from taking Vitamin D which, in this country we seem to be short of all year round.  If you suffer severely from S.A.D. then you must see your GP, they can help. If you want to know more go here 

Just a little SAD?

Most people I know seem to suffer a little bit from S.A.D. They might experience low moods more often, feel less enthusiastic, and struggle to get out of bed in the mornings. They say things like, ‘I always feel like this at this time of year.  To those people I say – let’s try thinking about it differently this year.

If anybody knows about looooong daaaark winters it is the Scandinavians. In Denmark during the winter they often get as little as four hours daylight. They know how to deal with it.  They make hygge

Hygge is pronounced hyoo ga and is very loosely translated as cozy.  I get hygge, especially at wintertime.  For me, right from the onset of autumn, the hygge feeling is heightened by a quickening sense of excitement for the coming of winter.

It’s a warm, contented fuzzy, sentimental, feeling. You know when you have just enjoyed a fabulous meal in great surroundings with people you love, and you take that deep contented sigh?  That’s it. That’s hygge. Or, it’s taking ten minutes to sit by the fire or your own favourite spot to read a good book.

Hygge can be evoked in all kinds of ways.  For the Danes it is a way of being that is embedded in their culture. We can take from it what we like and apply it to our own lives.

Here are some ideas that work for me.

1. Make your home hyggeligt – hyoo ga li (the adjective) You are going to be spending more time at home  during the winter so it needs to feel like a safe haven.  Make it a clean, tidy and clear space, conducive to relaxation, somewhere you want to be.
2. Use candles – lots of them. Nothing creates that lovely feeling of magic and mystery more than candlelight.
3. Create or buy something beautiful. An artwork, a photograph, a sculpture or craftwork and display it prominently. Science has proven that looking at something we perceive to be beautiful raises the spirit.
4. Turn off all technology. If you can, as a family commit to a certain amount of time, even just an hour without computers and, teenagers shriek with horror, turn off your phones!
5. Eat dinner around the table and make it a whole evening event. When my kids were growing up, eating at the table was when we really managed to catch up with each others lives.  It also gave us time to discuss  more important ‘life issues’ in greater depth.
6. The above with friends. Friends and family create hygge.  Apparently, there is a tacit agreement when families come together in Denmark.  Everyone commits to having a good time together. That means putting to one side any disagreements they might have, even if just for the evening. Perhaps not always easy to achieve, but the effort seems to be worth it.
7. Cashmere socks! Or at least, very soft socks. Soft pyjamas or loungewear. This is a great one for me – snuggled underneath a woollen throw watching ‘Borgen’ on TV. Couldn’t resist the Danish connection there, but of course it could be any of your favourite box sets or films.
8. Indulge in a guilty pleasure.  Chocolate cake, for example, and only every now and then, of course.

I could go on but I think you get the message.  Hygge is about creating a warm atmosphere for your self and also for your friends and people you love. Make the ordinary special and always have an event planned for the week ahead that you are looking forward to.

Danish anyone?

So, this year instead of expecting to feel gloomy, have the intention of modelling the Danes. Get hygge.  Given that they consistently  (for the last forty years)  come top in the European commission’s well-being and happiness index, I think they might just have something to teach us. .

 

There are lots of books on Hygge

I bought this one because it includes fun illustrations and I thought it a lovely introduction.

HYGGE THE DANISH ART OF HAPPINESS  by MT Soderberg                    http://amzn.to/2At5V82

 

Hope you enjoy – let me know what you think.

 

images  https://www.flickr.com/photos/snugglepup/3313257064     www.flickr.com/photos/europealacarte/4702209023

What are your Strengths?

 

STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES

We tend to think that if we are to achieve personal growth, we need to put all our attention on trying to eradicate our weaknesses.  This is not surprising.  Whilst growing up, many of us are made all to aware of our personal weaknesses and encouraged to ‘work’ on them.    This is part of what leads us to being s quick to negatively judge ourselves. In addition, our brains are wired toward the negative.

Think about the last time you were paid a compliment.  Did you dismiss it?  Brush it off as though it were nothing?   The first step towards personal growth is self-awareness.  And, that means also being aware of the positive not, always and only, the negative

Studies have shown that those people who develop their strengths as opposed to those who continue to try to shore up weaknesses are far more successful.  By learning to play to your strengths you will: be more confident, increase your self-esteem, be more likely to achieve your goals, increase your happiness levels – the list goes on.

So, instead of focusing only on your weaknesses and what is wrong with you, let’s look at what is right with you and discover your strengths.   Find out how with us at Happy Stuff and fluff.  Click below to watch the video.

Why Strengths?  

 

Be Positive and Stay Positive

 

 

 

Who would have thought that something so simple could have such a profound effect?

A little exercise that packs an emormous punch –   it will help you to be positive and stay positive.

Three good things.

Try this exercise once a week to begin with.  Look back over the week gone by and make a note of three good things that happened to you.  They don’t have to be big things – anything from, getting a report in on time at work; meeting a friend for dinner, managing to work out five days straight.  Be sure to write it down – if you can, write it in a journal rather than type on computer.  The act of writing itself slows you down and allows you to think more deeply about you are writing. H

That’s it.

It works because, ‘what you focus on expands’.   Each day you will start to look for the good things  and the more you look for good things, the more good things you will find.  You will very quickly expect to find good things.  Once your mindset becomes more positive you will also start to overlook the little negative occurrences that would usually irritate you.  this will increase your sense of wellbeing immeasurably.

Doing the exercise only once a week will ensure it remains a pleasure to do rather than becoming a chore.

Remember, “Happiness is not something ready made. It comes from your own actions.”  The Dalai lama

This is one small action you can take that could just change your life.

Want to know how to put this exercise to great use with your children or grandchildren?  Head over to Happy Stuff and Fluff on You Tube  here.    (Join the conversation by subscribing)

 

 

The Success Habit

 

Unfortunately,  63% of people who make New Year’s resolutions break them, mostly within a month.  By the time we get to  three months 80% of them  forget they ever made a resolution at all.

No, I am not here to depress you.  I’m here to tell you that if you have already broken your resolutions –  don’t beat yourself up about it –  it’s not really your fault.

It’s all in your brain.

Why is changing our behaviour so difficult  – even painful.  Well, it has a lot to do with your brain.

In order for a behaviour to become a habit,  you have to keep repeating it until it creates a neural path way in your brain. Then it becomes a behavioural pattern.  That pattern creates  circuits in your brain that eventually become hard wired.   You’ve heard the saying  neurons that fire together wire together?   Each time you repeat the behaviour the circuits get stronger and even more hard wired.  You become comfortable with the behaviour – it is a habit.  You are in your comfort zone.  You are happy –  your brain is happy.  All is well with the world.

 Then you try to change the habit.

You start to do things that  break up these circuits and  all of a sudden your brain cells are catapulted into panic. They don’t know what’s going on now.  Something different is happening – something weird and your brain begins to sense threat.

Remember, Your brain   is designed to keep you safe, and  to stop you from making a mistake so that you wont get dead. Because your brain is sensing something unfamiliar it starts to rebel. Your brain sees change as a threat.

Real or imagined danger creates the fight or flight response in your body.  This affects the motivational centres of the brain – motivation  ceases.  You want to get back to your comfort zone where you feel better.

Ahh! The comfort zone

Of course all of this is  unconscious – you just give in to your discomfort and slip back to your previous habit and your comfort zone.  The brain takes a big sigh and says ‘ back to normal, life as usual’. All is well with the world.

Except it isn’t because you want to change the behaviour. 

What to do about It.

You have to convince your brain that the  change you want to make is not dangerous but is essential for your well-being.

First of all get clear about what you want – get very clear:

Be absolutely certain about WHY you want it.  Write it down, write it down, write it down.  No that wasn’t a typo  – you must get these thoughts out of your mind and solidly down on paper.  If it is appropriate include a time frame for achievement.

Now visualize yourself having achieved what you want:

Write down what you are doing now that your goal/new behaviour is achieved.  How has it changed your life, the lives of the people around you.    HOW DO YOU FEEL?                           Visualization, coupled with emotion will help to stimulate the motivational part of your brain.

Next think about any of the obstacles you might face along the way:

What might stop you from achieving what you want. Then brainstorm what you can do about these obstacles.  This way when they happen – and they will –they will not take you by surprise and throw you of course.

Finally, think about how you can break down your goal/new behaviour into SMALL steps:

Remember the brain doesn’t like change so you have to trick it into thinking nothing too strange or unfamiliar is happening.  You do this by achieving your success slowly –  step by step. Celebrate each small achievement.  You are creating success pathways in your brain now.

How lovely to have success as a habit.

Watch out for the new CONCEPT course (February) where we put all of the above into action!

Email me for details.  Christine@conroycoaching.com

 

http://www.christinelconroy.com

http://www.facebook.com/christinelconroy – come on over and like if you like.

Maggie Centre Manchester

Within minutes of my sister and I being told that she had stage 4 breast cancer, we were walking up the hospital corridor. We walked in silence to the car park and, once in the car,  she asked me, ‘what do we do now?’                                                                                                          This time I had no answers.  We sat for about half an hour before I felt able to drive.

This experience with my sister,  reminded of a time almost twenty years earlier.

My daughter had been in hospital for a week or so. One day,  I was taken into a room to speak to the consultant and his registrar – I knew we were in trouble when I saw that the registrar was actually tearing up.  They were sending us to another hospital because they feared that my daughter, who was seven at the time, had an Osteocarcoma – bone cancer.

I couldn’t breathe so I walked straight out of the hospital to get some air. Not knowing what else to do I just kept walking.   I eventually became aware of my surroundings an hour later.  I was frantically pacing up and down in a bus shelter on a main road with tears streaming down my face.

My daughter did have cancer and we began a tortuous twenty year journey that very happily  ended leaving her alive and well today.

You can read the stories of my sister and daughter here

In the scenarios above we were pretty much left alone to deal with the cripplingly, desperate pit of hopelessness that these cancer diagnoses threw us in to.

Britain’s amazing NHS provided us with excellent medical treatment, and by that I mean truly excellent – going above and beyond duty on many occasions.  However, given the fact  in the UK there are over 300,000 diagnoses of cancer each year, it is impossible to expect an already stretched service to provide the practical, social and emotional support that would  no doubt have eased our way.

MAGGIE CENTRES

Here in the North of England there are 50,000 cancer diagnoses each year.  That is 50,000 people AND their families ‘thrown into the pit’ as I call it.  Thank God that Manchester now has its very own Maggie Centre with others in the area planned to open soon.

The first Maggie Centre opened in Edinburgh in 1996. I heard about it through reading the work of  the architectural historian Charles Jencks when I was studying for my degree.  Jencks’ wife, Maggie, lived with advanced cancer for two years and during that time she used her knowledge and experience to create a blueprint for a new type of care for anyone affected by cancer.

WARM WELCOMING REFUGE

I remember lamenting the fact that we didn’t have a Maggie Centre with my daughter’s oncologist. Now, twenty years later there are 15 across the country and an online service.

In the centres there are professional experts on hand to talk to if you have any un- answered questions about treatment or other issues.  They also  provide  practical, emotional and social support not only for those diagnosed with cancer, but also for their families and friends.  You can drop in just for a chat, a cup of tea or  find someone to talk to about practical challenges or emotional difficulties.  You can even take a yoga or relaxation class

 

MANCHESTER’S WARM, WELCOMING REFUGE  (designed by Norman Foster)

Maggie centres are designed by top quality, famous architects and,  as I have a strong interest in design and well-being, I do find it fascinating to see how they have each approached the ‘Maggie’ brief.

In saying that, and  coming from one who had nowhere to go but the hospital corridor and  an empty bus shelter to process the diagnoses of my daughter and sister – creating a warm, welcoming refuge in any way whatsoever is okay by me!

http://www.christinelconroy.com

(photos from the Maggie centres website)

 

Join us in Bolton: Exploring What Matters

Action for Happiness 8 week course talking about what really matters, if we are to have flourishing and fulfilling lives.

I am delighted and excited to be running two courses on behalf of the charity organization Action for Happiness right here in Bolton.

Exploring What Matters – 8 week ‘Happiness course’

 

Monday 7th March 7pm-9pm, Lostock Parish Centre, Tempest road, Lostock BL6 4EL                                          

Backed by the Dalai Lama and proven to leave people feeling happier!                                       

Here is a taster of what we will be covering: 

WEEK 1: What really matters in life?

WEEK 2: What actually makes us happy?

WEEK 3: Can we find peace of mind?

WEEK 4: How should we treat others?

WEEK 5: What makes for great relationships?

WEEK 6: Can we be happier at work? ?

WEEK 7: Can we build happier communities?

WEEK 8: How can we create a happier world?

ALL THE BIG QUESTIONS!  IT IS GOING TO BE BRILLIANT- I PROMISE.

COME AND JOIN US!  (it might just change your life)            

                   To book your place contact me:  Christine@conroycoaching.com  

http://www.ChristineLConroy.com

http://www.facebook.com/christinelconroy  come on over and ‘like’ if you like

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Write Way to Success in the New Year

How are your new year resolutions going?

I don’t make them. However,  I  have created a vision board  and I do set specific and measurable goals.  One of which I am very excited to tell you about.

If you have made resolutions or set goals for the New Year  I strongly suggest you write them down.  It has been proven many times that those people who write down their goals have much more chance of achieving them than those who don’t.

Throughout my book, Stitch Your own Silver Linings, I extol the virtues of writing for increased happiness levels and personal development. Writing down your goals, writing down your successes and writing during the night when you just cant sleep, are some of the suggestions I make.  In fact, I recommend writing and journaling for all kinds of different things.

I have kept journals for as long as I can remember. Journaling helped me to survive a violent childhood and to come through my teenage years as well balanced, ( if not more so!) as anyone I know.

Writing helped me to heal.  It can help you too.

Now writing helps me to gather my thoughts at the end of the day, organize my time, learn from my meditation and a whole host of other things.  I am a strong believer in  the ‘power of the pen’.  That is the pen not the key board.

The cognitive processes of writing by hand are different to those using a keyboard.  Research by Mueller and Oppenheimer shows that students who write out their notes on paper actually learn more than when using laptops.  Read more about that here.

I think this also applies to journaling. When writing on a computer, mistakes or whole sentences can be easily erased and you can start again. You cannot do this when using pen on paper.  Hand writing is more awkward than typing and therefore slower. You have to think more deeply and carefully about what you want to say.  You have to dig deep to say what you really mean.

This leads to greater self knowledge which is the first step to positive change.  But journaling is not just about personal development.  Professional development can be enhanced through the writing process too.

Three of the most successful men in the world –   Warren Buffet, Bill Gates and Richard Branson all use journaling  to record ideas and gather thoughts.

Branson said, my most essential possession is a standard-sized school notebook.

If it’s good enough for them…

So, the goal I am very  excited to tell you about?

I am publishing a series of journals inspired by Stitch Your own Silver Linings and designed to get you writing to help transform your life!

Here is the first. (click image for more info)

 

For my own practice, I wanted a simple journal to record the insights arising from my meditation.  I also wanted something to prompt me to learn from those insights and take that lesson into my everyday life. Silver Linings Meditation Journal is it – simple and effective.

Meditation should not just be about what happens on ‘the seat’ but  about using what you learn  to help you live your life more fully.  That is why I decided the meditation journal should be the first in the Silver Linings series of Journals.  No matter how long you have been meditating this journal will help you get more from your practice.

WRITE YOUR WAY TO HAPPINESS AND SUCCESS THIS YEAR!

Watch out for no.2 in the series – coming soon.

 

Feature image photo: http://www.flickr.comphotosjoelmontes4762384399

Where is the ‘Silver Lining’ for Paris?

Once again, I am profoundly sad.  My heart goes out to those brutally murdered  in Paris  and  their families, whose lives will never be the same again.

Probably just like you, I am glued to the TV listening to the news, and all the opinions being offered, in the hope that I might gain some understanding as to why this continues to happen.    I am not there yet.

In my book, Stitch Your own Silver Linings I talk about the fact that no matter what adversity you face in life, there is a gift to be found within the experience.  Something, often completely  unexpected, comes through your suffering  that enriches your life, makes you stronger and more able to find a deeper long lasting happiness –  A Silver Lining.    I know it to be true.

Those who lost loved ones in Paris see no gift.  They are grieving. They will need all the help they can get in the next few months, just to help them through the days.  I know that too.                   

The murderers who carry out these attacks must be found and punished.  Nations need to come together to bring justice.  I do understand the reasons for them, but revenge bombing attacks are not the answer.

More bombing is not going to solve this problem – we know that, we have tried it before.  What is the definition of insanity again?

‘Doing the same thing over and over again expecting a different result. ’   It is not going to happen.

Politicians from around the world are meeting to come up with solutions. We have to hope that they are not all insane.

It will take time and of course, there are no easy answers,  but I do think that maybe we need to try a different approach.

The Frenchman, Nicolas Henin who spent ten months as an Isis hostage says the following;

…In the meantime there is much we can achieve in the aftermath of this atrocity, and the key is strong hearts and resilience, for that is what they fear. I know them: bombing they expect. What they fear is unity. (Read more of his article here)

There is no Silver Lining to what happened in Paris.

So, it is up to the rest of us to make one!  It is up to the rest of us to Stitch a silver lining and use it to  make us stronger and, in the long-term, enrich our lives and make us more able to create that unity and harmony ‘they’ so fear.

How can we do that?  By bringing communities together, not by ostracising them. Respond with kindness, not revenge.

On an individual level, amongst ourselves, we can respond with kindness. Go out and do something for someone else – show an act of kindness, do something for someone that goes above and beyond what you would normally do. Show that you care for your fellow human beings.

The thing about these acts is that they have a ripple effect. By helping someone else, you cheer them up. They are much more likely to feel charitable towards the next person they meet.  By helping them your mood is lifted and, you too, will carry the mood over.  Goodwill spreads.    (Stitch Your own Silver Linings)

Goodness is all around us.  Look for it.  There are more good people in the world than bad – they are just too quiet about it.   It is time good people to unite and make your voices heard.

Marianne Williamson said the following:

Something very beautiful happens to people when their world has fallen apart.  A humility, a nobility, a higher intelligence emerges at just the point when our knees hit the floor.

It feels as though our world is falling apart and our knees are hitting the floor – allow the beautiful to happen, feel that higher intelligence emerge and use it to create harmony.

Then, we can tell those grieving families ‘your loved ones did not die in vain’.  Thanks to them, we have become the change we want to see in the world – and the world is changing for the better because of it.

 

May all of those who died in Paris rest in peace

 

The Iris:  The French national flower symbolizing hope, wisdom and  courage. photo credit   www.flickr.com/photos/belindah/4689770235/

 

 

Don’t Get S.A.D. Get Hyoo ga!

Here we are again, about to turn our clocks back and return to standard time. It will be dark sooner.  The days are getting shorter anyway and winter is drawing in.

For many of you this means the onset of  Seasonal Affected Disorder – a type of depression that comes and goes according to the seasons.  Also known as winter depression, it is usually at its most severe during December, January and February. i think we could all benefit from using the special daylight lamps and certainly (with professional guidance) from taking Vitamin D which, in this country we seem to be short of all year round.  If you suffer severely from S.A.D. then you must see your GP, they can help. If you want to know more go here 

Just a little SAD?

Most people I know seem to suffer a little bit from S.A.D. They might experience low moods more often, feel less enthusiastic, and struggle to get out of bed in the mornings. They say things like, ‘I always feel like this at this time of year.  To those people I say – let’s try thinking about it differently this year.

If anybody knows about looooong daaaark winters it is the Scandinavians. In Denmark during the winter they often get as little as four hours daylight. They know how to deal with it.  They make hygge

Hygge is pronounced hyoo ga and is very loosely translated as cozy.  I get hygge, especially at wintertime.  For me, right from the onset of autumn, the hygge feeling is heightened by a quickening sense of excitement for the coming of winter.

It’s a warm, contented fuzzy, sentimental, feeling. You know when you have just enjoyed a fabulous meal in great surroundings with people you love, and you take that deep contented sigh?  That’s it. That’s hygge. Or, it’s taking ten minutes to sit by the fire or your own favourite spot to read a good book.

Hygge can be evoked in all kinds of ways.  For the Danes it is a way of being that is embedded in their culture. We can take from it what we like and apply it to our own lives.

Here are some ideas that work for me.

1. Make your home hyggeligt – hyoo ga li (the adjective) You are going to be spending more time at home  during the winter so it needs to feel like a safe haven.  Make it a clean, tidy and clear space, conducive to relaxation, somewhere you want to be.
2. Use candles – lots of them. Nothing creates that lovely feeling of magic and mystery more than candlelight.
3. Create or buy something beautiful. An artwork, a photograph, a sculpture or craftwork and display it prominently. Science has proven that looking at something we perceive to be beautiful raises the spirit.
4. Turn off all technology. If you can, as a family commit to a certain amount of time, even just an hour without computers and, teenagers shriek with horror, turn off your phones!
5. Eat dinner around the table and make it a whole evening event. When my kids were growing up, eating at the table was when we really managed to catch up with each others lives.  It also gave us time to discuss  more important ‘life issues’ in greater depth.
6. The above with friends. Friends and family create hygge.  Apparently, there is a tacit agreement when families come together in Denmark.  Everyone commits to having a good time together. That means putting to one side any disagreements they might have, even if just for the evening. Perhaps not always easy to achieve, but the effort seems to be worth it.
7. Cashmere socks! Or at least, very soft socks. Soft pyjamas or loungewear. This is a great one for me – snuggled underneath a woollen throw watching ‘Borgen’ on TV. Couldn’t resist the Danish connection there, but of course it could be any of your favourite box sets or films.
8. Indulge in a guilty pleasure.  Chocolate cake, for example, and only every now and then, of course.

I could go on but I think you get the message.  Hygge is about creating a warm atmosphere for your self and also for your friends and people you love. Make the ordinary special and always have an event planned for the week ahead that you are looking forward to.

Danish anyone?

So, this year instead of expecting to feel gloomy, have the intention of modelling the Danes. Get hygge.  Given that they consistently  (for the last forty years)  come top in the European commission’s well-being and happiness index, I think they might just have something to teach us. .

 

There are lots of books on Hygge

I bought this one because it includes fun illustrations and I thought it a lovely introduction.

HYGGE THE DANISH ART OF HAPPINESS  by MT Soderberg                    http://amzn.to/2At5V82

 

Hope you enjoy – let me know what you think.

 

images  https://www.flickr.com/photos/snugglepup/3313257064     www.flickr.com/photos/europealacarte/4702209023

Finding satisfaction at work

This month saw the publication of a little e-book I co-wrote under the name of Christine Holt. (which is why I am tardy to the party with my blog!)

As you know my family business is  kitchen and bedroom furniture and has been for over forty years.  As such, it is not just a business, but a way of life.  So, although I moved away to pursue personal development writing and public speaking I am still very much a part of the furniture business.

Kitchens: The Insiders’ View.  How to buy your dream kitchen without making expensive mistakes,  shot to the number one best seller in the homes and gardens category on Amazon Kindle and is now also available in print.  More information here.   It is a niche market, but if you, or anyone you know is in the market for a new kitchen, reading this book is a must.

So, what do kitchen furniture and happiness and well-being have in common?  Well, our environment has a huge role to play in creating our sense of well-being, that’s for sure. And, in all honesty, for me there is no division.  Everything I do, I see as a way to help people, help themselves to happiness.  Helping people to improve their lives, drives all of my work.  I feel lucky that I have the opportunity to do that in different ways. And, make no mistake, the absolute pleasure and satisfaction I feel on hearing that a kitchen (or bedroom) client is overjoyed by what we have done for them,  is immense. It is quite equal to the enormous satisfaction gained from helping to transform someone’s life in my capacity as a coach.

Sadly, I speak to many people who don’t  feel they derive that kind of satisfaction from their job. Sometimes far from it. They often feel that their work is meaningless and it makes them feel empty. I have even had this conversation with housewives who stay home to bring up children.  Of course, I understand that changing nappies and doing the laundry can be tedious – I have three kids and I have been a stay at home mum.

However, I strongly believe that the biggest single important contribution a parent can make to the greater good, is to bring their children up to be good citizens.  Remember to  keep your eye on the bigger picture when you are undertaking the more mundane tasks.  And that goes for whatever work you do.

Sometimes, it is simply a case of a shift in thinking.

If you do go out to work and really don’t  like your job or, if you feel you cannot fit in with the culture of your institution, as has happened to me –  look for other work.  In the meantime, try to see your work differently.  Instead of going to work thinking ‘I hate this job’.  look at what you do get out of doing the job.  ‘It pays the bills’ is a start; better still, it funds your weekend hobbies, or you have some great colleagues etc.  Think about the parts of the job you do enjoy and remain focussed on them.

it is a choice.  You can go to work feeling and staying miserable or you can make a concerted effort to approach your days more positively.  A good way to start the day  for me was to play loud upbeat music in the car on my journey.  It might sound simple but it always put a spring in my step.  Have the intention to be and look for the positive.  Try it for just one day – it makes such a difference.

Strengths to the rescue

If you took the strengths test a few blogs ago, reflect deeply on how you can use your top five strengths at work.  There is always a way:

If love of learning or curiosity is a strength, can you apply for training of some kind which will allow you to use your strengths and also get you out of the workplace for a while?

Gratitude – Find things or people at work to be thankful for.   Look especially for the small things.

Teamwork – perhaps you could instigate  a team project or find a way to contribute more to the team effort?

Judgement or perspective – look for problems to solve that will make your life and others easier in the workplace.

If there are other strengths you would like to develop use your job to find ways of doing that.

People who use their strengths at work are more productive, resilient, confident, energetic and happy.

Approaching your working day in this way you might find that there are meaningful aspects to your work, after all.  If not, at least you will be achieving some measure of personal growth whilst you are applying for your ideal job.

As I mentioned in ‘Silver Linings’ I believe that everyone contributes to the greater good in their own way.  That goes for the person keeping our streets clean to the person running the country.

It just takes a shift in thinking.

My passions include art, design, happiness and well-being, personal growth and teaching.  I am always looking for ways to incorporate these things into my daily working life in order to help others help themselves to happiness.  Kitchens: The Insiders’ view is one way I have found to do that.

Please leave your comments and tell us if you have shifted your thinking about your working life

http://www.christinelconroy.com