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December 2012 - Catalyst! Newsletter
from Sue Cowan Coaching
Issue 25 | |
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Greetings!
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My wish for you at this time of year is that you take some time out for yourself in the run up to the Christmas and New Year season.
Despite many requests for the annual "End of Year Review Questions" I am not including them this month, but saving them till January to start off the New Year....because this month I wanted to look at how to be happy. Actual concrete things we can do, and ways of being, that have been shown to increase our levels of happiness.
It seemed to me to be a good way to put a real, authentic "HAPPY" into a "HAPPY HOLIDAYS" greeting. Whatever your religious convictions, I wish you all the peace, hope and joy of the Christmas message. So, Merry Christmas and happy Happy Holidays!  Till next year, Sue
You can email me at sue@suecowancoaching.com phone me on (+41) 076 2055 076 (office and mobile) or visit my website www.suecowancoaching.com You can read past editions of this newsletter via the archive here
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Keys to happier living - G.R.E.A.T D.R.E.A.M |
There is a lot written out there regarding guidelines to happier living. The reliable info is based on reviews of the latest scientific research relating to happiness (yes, it's a recognised discipline of study!)
A great job of summarising this has been done by the "Action for Happiness"- a UK based movement of people committed to making a happier society via positive social change.
I have unashamedly taken their "Ten keys to Happier Living" and reproduced them here...
"Although everyone's path to happiness is different, the research suggests these ten keys consistently tend to have a positive impact on overall happiness and wellbeing.
The first five ( GREAT) relate to how we interact with the outside world in our daily activities. The second five ( DREAM) come from inside us and depend on our attitude to life. G GIVING Do things for others
Caring about others is fundamental to our happiness. Helping other people is not only good for them and a great thing to do, it also makes us happier and healthier too. Giving also creates stronger connections between people and helps build a happier society for everyone. And it's not all about money - we can also give our time, ideas, our energy... So if you want to feel good, do good! Q: What do you do to help others?
R RELATING Connect with people
Relationships are a most important overall contributor to happiness. People with strong and broad social relationships are happier, healthier, and live longer. Close relationships with family and friends provide love, meaning, support and increase our feelings of self-worth. Broader networks bring a sense of belonging. Connect with those around you. Taking action to strengthen our relationships and make new connections is essential for happiness
Q: Who matters most to you?E EXERCISING Take care of your body
Our body and mind are connected. being active makes us happier as well as being good for our physical health. It instantly improves our mood and can even lift us out of a mild depression. We don't all need to run marathons - there are simple things we can all do to be more active each day. Go for a walk; cycle; play a game. Garden; dance... We can also boost our well-being by unplugging from technology, getting outside and making sure we get enough sleep! Q: How do you stay active and healthy?
A APPRECIATING Notice the world around
Ever felt there must be more to life? Well good news, there is! And it's right here in front of us... But we need to stop and take notice. Learning to be more mindful and aware can do wonders for our well-being in all areas of life- like our walk to work, the way we eat, or our relationships. It helps us get in tune with our feelings and stops us dwelling on the past or worrying about the future - so we get more out of the day-to-day. Be curious. catch sight of the beautiful. be aware and savour the moment.
Q: When do you stop and take notice?
T TRYING OUT Keep learning new things
Learning affects our well-being in lots of positive ways. It exposes us to new ideas and helps us stay curious and engaged, It also gives us a sense of accomplishment and helps boost our self-confidence and resilience. There are many ways to learn new things - not just through a formal qualification. We can share a skill with friends, join a club, learn to sing, play a new sport, and so much more.
Q: What new things have you tried recently?D DIRECTION Have goals to look forward to Feeling good about the future is important for our happiness. We all need goals to motivate us and these need to be challenging enough to excite us, but yet achievable. If we try to attempt the impossible this brings unnecessary stress. Choosing ambitious but realistic goals gives our lives direction and brings a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction when we achieve them. Q: What are your most important goals?R RESILIENCE Find ways to bounce back
All of us have times of stress, loss, failure or trauma in our lives.
But how we respond to these has a big impact on our well-being. We often cannot choose what happens to us, but we can choose our own attitude to what happens. In practice it's not always easy, but one of the most exciting findings form recent research is that resilience, like any other life skills, can be learned.
Q: How do you bounce back in tough times?E EMOTION Take a positive approach
Positive emotions - like joy, gratitude, contentment, inspiration, pride - are not just great at the time. Recent research shows that regularly experiencing them creates an "upward spiral", helping to build our resources. So although we need to be realistic about life's ups and downs, it helps to focus on the good aspects of any situation - the glass half full rather than half-empty.
Q: What are you feeling good about?
No-one's perfect. But so often we compare our insides to other people's outsides. Dwelling on our flaws - what we're not rather than what we've got - makes it much harder to be happy. learning to accept ourselves, warts and all, and being kinder to ourselves when things go wrong, increases our enjoyment of life, our resilience, and our well-being. It also helps us accept others as they are. Q: What is the real you like?M MEANING Be part of something bigger
People who have meaning and purpose in their lives are happier, feel more in control and get more out of what they do. They also experience less stress, anxiety and depression. But where do we find "meaning and purpose"? It might be through religious faith, being a parent, or doing a job that makes a difference: the answers vary for each of us but they all involve being connected to something bigger than ourselves.
Q: What gives your life meaning?
Enjoy the questions!
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Quote of the Month
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"Happiness is like a butterfly;
the more you chase it, the more it will elude you,
but if you turn your attention to other things,
it will come and sit softly on your shoulder."
- Henry David Thoreau |
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Video / funny
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The Swiss are, as you know, great chocolate fans and there are many chocolate producers here.This short seasonal advert from Chocolat Frey made me smile (it actually screened in Finland). See note below if you speak neither Finnish nor French.... Enjoy!Click here to view (then scroll down till you see the cabin in the snow, and click PLAY) *****-"This is for Uncle Antti. They say this is the best chocolate in the world.- And yet Uncle Antti isn't the best uncle in the world....- Hmm...And he could do with losing a little weight, ....."
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| About Sue Cowan Coaching | | If you are considering working with a coach to gain clarity, focus and direction to help you implement some change in your life, do get in touch:
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