It is no secret that these days we are more active on social media and websites than anything else. However, this is not all bad. I remember when I was younger how I had to spend hours going through a big box of ‘huisgenoot’ cut outs and big dusty books to get information for an assignment. These days you just type in the topic on google search and Bob’s your uncle. It reminds me of this fun quote I read about how “being an adult is actually just googling how to do a bunch of stuff”, and it is so very true. Continue “7 day smart phone detox”

It’s one of the most difficult things to do, because of the world we live in today.  Looking around us there are many things that discourage us immediately.  And when we have a look at our own lives there are also many things that drag us down.

Often we look for motivational quotes, blogs or books to inspire us to look beyond our problem and stay positive.  I find some people inspiring, but none of them inspire me more than I do myself, because I am the only person who knows and understands all the problems and life situation; therefore I know where motivation is most needed. Continue “Learn: Self Motivation, part 1”

Since I can remember I have always been intrigued by how things work, so naturally my favorite words throughout my life has been why and how. “HOW does this work?” “WHY does it work like this and not like that?”

As we are busy with one of my favorite Happiness HELPS theme which is Learn of course. (HOW could it have possibly been anything else?). We are going to look at sugar as there are so many myths and half-truths regarding sugars. I am sure most of you have asked yourselves some of these age old questions regarding sugars: Is sugar good or bad for me? How does sugar effect my brain? Why do I keep on having these cravings for sugar?

Continue “Sugar and my brain”

Reward
What also helps is to put a goal in place and a reward.  When I finish a race, I tap myself on the shoulder, and think: Well done, you still got what it takes!  I will reward myself with one more day off from training, but if I didn’t complete the race there is no reward!

Motivational language
I formed a motivational ‘language’ that I understand.  It comes back to what I mentioned above about knowing what motivates you.  For example, I’ve heard people say: if Deon can do it; I can do it too.  I struggled to understand it, but when I see someone doing an event that motivates me I’ll rather say: I want to do that too.  This means more because it hits home for me.  I understand it better, so it motivates me.

Continue “Self motivation, part 2”

Good day everyone!

Yesterday’s “Smartphone detox” made me consider my pseudo-addictions. At first I thought the whole phone detox thing doesn’t apply to me, because I really don’t spend that much time on it. Then I realised that there is another thing that I DO spend too much time on: TV.

Don’t misunderstand; I’m not going to go on a ‘lets detox all things tech’ spree, but ask yourself, what one thing are you spending a lot of time on that gives you very little, if anything, in return. “TV does give me a return, I get entertainment from it”, says the little voice in my head immediately, almost exasperated!

But in all honesty, it doesn’t. I literally flip through channels until I find something to watch. (As apposed to watching because I really want to see a specific programme) This means I’m simply “doing TV” instead of just staring out into space, to appease myself that I’m doing “something”.

Just imagine how much time am I wasting!! I could be learning a new language, reading a book – the possibilities are endless! “You can’t always be learning or doing some activity, you need down time,” protests the little voice in my head. That is true, we must have down time, even “dumb time” (time where you do nothing that is mentally stimulating) but spending up to four hours a night just finding the next mind numbing semi-interesting programme, while getting frustrated with having to see the same commercials over and over again, won’t do. Let’s face it; too much “dumb time” is not good!

My resolve:

1) List the programmes I really, truly want to see.

2) List alternatives to TV (or whatever thing you need to detox from).

3) Choose a programme and one or two alternatives each night.

Don’t forget to be proud of you for identifying and making this change!!

Good day everyone!

So, the theme is Play. 

First thought: “What on earth do I say about play?”

So, of course I Google (No surprise there). But to Google “Play” does not get me to anything I want so I Google “the concept of play”. This is where things become interesting.

According to Psychology today (Peter Gray), the Journal of play et al. play is not a simple as you may think. There are many factors related to it, much has been researched on the subject and volumes have been written about it. (I won’t bore you with all the details) I found an interesting thread in what I read though. Play is only play when we want to do it. This goes hand-in-hand with play is only play when the play itself is the goal and not the end product.

This does make sense if you think about play, be it as child or adult. When you built sandcastles it wasn’t so much the castle but the building of it that was the fun (the play). I recall playing with my Masters of the universe figurines and remember that building villages and roads and so on for them and with them was hours of play – there was no goal at all!

“Let’s get to the point please!” Growls the little voice in my head.

The point of today’s blog is this: It is possible to incorporate these elements into our everyday lives. Consider this; if you could change your perspective to your job from “it’s work” (i.e. I have to do it) to play (I want to do it) and stop working to get to the day’s end and rather do what needs to be done without constantly charging for the finish line, would work days not be a lot more palatable?

“WHATEVER! You can’t do that, productivity would crash if you don’t work with a bottom line or dead line in mind” objects the little voice vehemently.

I am not saying abandon work ethic completely. I’m simply saying change your approach and viewpoint and perhaps your process.

First get your mind around the fact that you work because you HAVE to and in turn you HAVE to do what the boss wants and says. How? Well do you want to or HAVE to live where you live? Do you want to or HAVE to drive a car? Do you want to or HAVE to eat at the restaurant you went to the other day? The answer is WANT! We may want bigger and better but we certainly do not live in a nice warm dwelling because someone forced us to. So we actually work because we want to, because we want to be able to do the things we do.

Now, manage your activities in such a way that (for the most anyway) you do them when you want to as opposed to when your dead line forces you to. It is so much more enjoyable doing an activity without the stress of a looming deadline.

There you go! Give these elements a chance and see if you can turn Work and hassle into something more resembling play.

Have a tremendous evening everyone!

Most Fridays you will hear “so what are your plans for the weekend?” usually followed by “not much, just going to take it easy.”

‘Take it easy’ if you are like most of us translates into spending as much time in bed or on the couch as possible or at least wishing you were there.

“Agh! Here we go, what stinking exercise must we do now?” complains the little voice in my head. The answer; no exercise. BUT (“I knew it!” little voice) try not to spend time on the couch or bed either. Don’t misinterpret, sleep when you need to and rest when you need to. All I am talking about is not ‘over’ –sleeping and / resting.

This weekend try to see how many of those ‘I wanted to do’s’ you can fit in. For example, how many times has Monday rolled around and you thought to yourself “o bother, I still wanted to reorganise the passage cupboard”. (For the last six weeks now…)

I hope you get the idea …

So have fun this weekend by tying up some old loose ends. You will feel better for it!! (..and don’t tell your little voice, but it also counts as a physical activity)

Have a tremendous weekend everyone!

Monday morning my energy levels were low but I convinced myself that after swimming I would feel better.  Half way in swimming class my left arm didn’t co-operate.  It was so tired that in the end I could hardly lift it out of the water.  I started laughing at myself because I felt crippled, but on Tuesday it was better.  Wednesday I took part in a five kilometre run with a friend.  I really enjoyed it.  Thursday morning after swim class I had no energy left.  I had planned to go cycling afterwards, but at that point I could feel my body screaming: I have had enough; I’m tired; give me a break!  So I rested for the rest of the day, but went swimming on Friday for thirty minutes. Continue “Difficult week”

Good day everyone!

Do you just float from one day or event to the next or do you learn from each passing day?

What on earth are you on about?” says the little voice in my head (Rude isn’t he?)

What I’m asking is whether we learn each day to make our lives a little better. Do we use the little things that we do and better them every day?

Here are a few examples of what I am trying to say: 1) Yesterday you went to the supermarket, which is on your way home. For the umpteenth time they did not have three of the ten things you had to buy in stock. So today do you just go there again hoping against all logic that they have improved today OR do you make your life a little better and go to the shop that is two kilometres down the road, but has always got stock. In other words do you frustrate yourself or do you go home smiling because you got what you needed?

2) Yesterday you got home and followed the same tired routine you have been doing for the last months or even years. Today you (If practicality allows) you first play with the dogs before you just plonk down their food so you can get on with dinner and wonder above wonder you mix it up  – you make Spaghetti on Fish Tuesday – WHAAAAAT!

3) You drive the same route to work and back every single day. You even recognise the cars that are always stuck in traffic with you. Try a different route. Even if it’s a little further, if it gets you around that traffic jam and provides different scenery you will be happier for it.

Creating a refreshing change in your routine is at times just the thing you need to feel better about yourself and your life. It can make the mundane, interesting, the mind numbing, enjoyable.

Lastly: where something didn’t work the day before, try to improve on it the next day. This too will make life a little more worth it!!

Have a tremendous evening everyone!