12 simple tricks and tips to help you relax, de-stress and enjoy the holidays! Kristen Webster

Transcription

1 12 simple tricks and tips to help you relax, de-stress and enjoy the holidays! Kristen Webster

2 Happy for the Holidays - Holiday Coloring Book and Relaxation Journal Kristen Webster Color-Happy.com Copyright 2016 by Kristen Webster/ColorHappy. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, photographic, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without express written permission from the publisher. Reviewers may quote brief passages. Enjoy this book responsibly: Never color, read or journal while driving. When you are in a safe and comfortable location, visit Color-Happy.com and download your FREE GOODIES ~ because the world should have access to more free stuff! ISBN-13: Cover and Interior Illustrations by Kristen Webster Editing and research support: Gillian Sender Journal layout & design by Blue Sky Unlimited Printed in the USA Sonergeia, LLC

3 Happy for the HOLIDAYS Welcome 1 Holiday Tip 1: Discovering What s Right in this Moment 5 Holiday Tip 2: Creating Space to Breathe 11 Holiday Tip 3: Cultivating Gratitude 17 Holiday Tip 4: Laughter is the Best Medicine 33 Holiday Tip 5: Mindfulness and Meditation 37 Holiday Tip 6: Hug Therapy 41 Holiday Tip 7: Dance it Out 45 Holiday Tip 8: Phone a Friend 49 Holiday Tip 9: Visioneering Your Ideal Holiday 53 Holiday Tip 10: The Smile Factor 63 Holiday Tip 11: What Else is Possible 67 Holiday Tip 12: Sacred Self-Care 71 Bonus Coloring Yourself Calm: 12 Snowflake Mandalas to Color Love Notes to You 75

4 HOLIDAY TIP 4 Did you ever notice that for the most part kids are just happy? One of the reasons might be because they know how to laugh and they do it often. In fact, research shows that kids typically laugh between 300 and 500 times a day, compared to adults who tend to laugh only 15 times a day. I have a daughter who loves to laugh and I adore that about her. She has a flare for the dramatic and loves to get me to fall over laughing as she embellishes the stories of her day. Hearing her in her room each night giggling endlessly at funny videos or with her friends on FaceTime is truly a delight. (I am admittedly envious). I am sure you have heard it said that laughter is the best medicine. Although it hasn t been proven to be a cure for all ailments, I am pretty certain it is possible. Does that sound far-fetched? I guess it could, but I for one am choosing to stick with that belief. I have read countless stories of people who have cured themselves of anything from depression to cancer by committing to a daily laughter practice. In fact, I believe in it so much, that a little over 5 years ago, I became I certified Laughter Yoga Instructor and I love hearing stories from my clients about how much better they feel overall because of the practice. There is so much data mounting about the positive things laughter can do, and the best part is, you don t need any special equipment to make it work. Laughing doesn t have to take a lot of time out of your day, and it doesn t even matter if you use fake laughter or real laughter physiologically, your body doesn t know the difference. You ll receive the same benefits no matter how you do it. Personal experience has taught me that fake laughter inevitably turns into real laughter if you keep at it long enough. But don t take my word for it go ahead and see for yourself right now. Do your best to spend the next couple of minutes or so pretending to laugh and see what happens and how you feel. A good laugh has an immediate positive effect. Not only does laughter make you feel lighter in the moment, the process of laughing actually fires off physical changes in your brain and body chemistry that alter the way you feel. In the short-term laughter can: Enhance your ability to breathe more deeply, stimulating your heart and lungs and increasing your intake of oxygen. 33

5 Help your body release tension by increasing blood circulation to your muscles, joints and tendons. Lower the level of stress hormones (epinephrine, cortisol, etc.) in the blood. Increase the level of endorphins being released by your brain, which helps lessen depression, anxiety, and overwhelm. Laughing has many long-term effects as well. Laughing can: Improve your immune system by creating a more positive state of mind. Positive thinking helps to release neuropeptides that fight stress and potentially more-serious illnesses. Help move the fluid in the lymphatic system to flush your system and remove toxic waste. Reduce blood pressure. Relieve pain by causing the body to produce its own natural painkillers. Increase your quality of life. Laughter is a positive energy, which helps people to connect with other people more quickly and improve their relationships. Adding more laughter to your holiday season can make everything flow more easily and joyfully. Below I have listed a few resources and ideas for bringing more laughter into your life. Please feel free to jot down other ideas that you may have for how you would like to include it in your day. 1. Practice fake laughing for a few minutes each day. Driving in the car or while taking a shower can be a great place to do this. If for no other reason than the priceless looks you get from other people as they drive by or from your family as they wonder what the heck you are up to in the shower. 2. Bookmark pages on the Internet or check out YouTube to find short video clips that make you laugh. Animals making babies laugh are pretty irresistible for me, but decide what your own sweet spot is. 3. Find a laughter buddy, as my daughter calls them, and make plans to connect and laugh together. 4. Create a laugh session with your husband or kids the younger the better (teenagers tend to be a little less open to this). This can help to strengthen your family relationships and enjoy each other more. 5. Visit LaughterYoga.com to find a laughter yoga class near you

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7 HOLIDAY TIP 10 Similar to laughter, a smile is not only contagious, it can have a powerful positive effect on your well-being as well. When you smile, numerous physiological changes occur in your body that you may not even be aware of. Here are just a few fun smile facts: Smiling releases endorphins the tiny, but oh so powerful chemicals that are responsible for making you feel happy, and lowering your stress levels. Endorphins also act as the body s natural pain killers. If you suffer from chronic pain, laughing and smiling can be very effective in pain management. Endorphins counter act the stress hormone cortisol which is released when you feel stressed or anxious. A fake smile works just as well as the real thing. Your brain doesn t know the difference, it is simply getting feedback from the muscles in your face that are required to smile and fires off the same sequence in your brain regardless. The more you smile the more relaxed and happier you feel. Smiling makes you more attractive and approachable. A smile is contagious and helps other people feel better creating a win for both of you. Smiling helps you see the positive and free the brain from negative patterns of thinking. You don t have to be a rocket-scientist to know how to smile. It s easy, just do it! But, just in case you need some ideas here are a few smile tips: Practice in the mirror. Make it a game with your children, see who can smile the funniest or who can get the other to laugh first. Watch funny films, YouTube videos, or uplifting clips on the Internet. Spend time with friends and family who make you feel happy. Surround yourself with happy, fun-loving, optimistic people. Smile just because. You don t need a reason or a moment create one. (I love doing this in the car because it creates a what the heck moment from passers by, and THAT makes me laugh.) 65

8 Exercise: Take a minute now to write some of the reasons you would love to smile more, as well as any ways you can think of to accomplish that. Think of how smiling can benefit you. Creating a solid why for doing something gives you more leverage and incentive to actually do it

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