Since February is nearly here, I was inspired to once again speak on a subject about which I feel extremely passionate. Last year at this same time I posted a list of 100 Ways to Spark Your Creative Energy. The list was intended to inspire those who have fallen victim to the "winter blues" or perhaps even suffer from something more chronic and closer to mild or moderate depression.
This year, I wanted to share some resources I've been using that are go-to staples in my everyday happiness and wellness regimen. While many of these cross-over into multiple categories, I thought it might be helpful to group each of the items in case your needs are leaning toward one category more than another.
This blog is being published in conjunction with my video on Tips to Get Motivated to Achieve Your Goals. Click the link to watch it over on my YouTube channel.
This year, I wanted to share some resources I've been using that are go-to staples in my everyday happiness and wellness regimen. While many of these cross-over into multiple categories, I thought it might be helpful to group each of the items in case your needs are leaning toward one category more than another.
This blog is being published in conjunction with my video on Tips to Get Motivated to Achieve Your Goals. Click the link to watch it over on my YouTube channel.
Happiness
The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin
After reading this book, I was left feeling inspired to create my own happiness project, aka set specific goals and intentions throughout the year to inject a little extra happiness into my life. One thing I love about this book, is while Gretchen shares her individual journey, her ideas are general enough to translate to anyone's lifestyle. Find it here.
The Happier podcast with Gretchen Rubin and Elizabeth Craft
Gretchen's book The Happiness Project was so well received, it inspired an entire podcast. Hosted by Gretchen and her sister Elizabeth, this podcast is filled with weekly inspiration both big and small, to help inspire subtle changes in your overall happiness. They touch on topics such as lists of intentions for the year, daily mantras, decluttering, while sharing their weekly gold stars and demerits along the way. You can find it here or wherever you listen to podcasts.
The One-Sentence Journal
My third and final recommendation by Gretchen Rubin is this daily one-sentence journal. What it is is a daily snapshot of your day from January 1st to December 31st that repeats for five years. At the end of it, you have a record of your day that you can compare against the same day throughout the last five years. I, for one, find this idea fascinating. You can essentially "zoom out" and look at your life on a wider scale. Plus, writing just one sentence a day inspires you to focus on the good things that happened out day, leaving out the annoying, inconvenient, or glum bits for a record of the truly awesome moments of your life. Get it here.
52 Lists for Happiness by Moorea Seal
This is a new item that I just picked up at the end of 2019 and have already devoured a good chunk of its contents. It's name speaks for itself: it is a book of 52 lists to inspire happiness along with ideas to "take action" on each of them. It includes lists such as "Times you felt you made a difference in someone else's life," "People you want to spend more time with before the year is out," and "Things that will bring you joy this week." If you're a lover of lists like myself, then this journal may just be for you. Find it here.Wellness
The Jillian Michaels Show podcast
While some may find its host a bit of a polarizing figure, I for one love Jillian Michaels's no-nonsense approach to health and fitness. But what is great about her podcast is that it is full of advice for overall wellness, even if you're not looking for tips on clean-eating or exercise. Personally, I find that my mood improves drastically when I am taking care of my body and this podcast has helped inspired me to do so. You can find it here or wherever you listen to podcasts.
Prana Breath app
Focused breathing is something I was introduced to only just this past year. What I've learned is that flooding your body with oxygen improves your frame of mind and helps you body to operate at its best. This app helps you incorporate Pranayama breathing into your daily routine by building your practice slowly, one day at a time. You can find it in the Google Play or the Apple App Store.
Yoga with Adriene
This yogi has been building in popularity for the last couple of years and rightly so. Type the word "yoga" into YouTube and you'll find her channel immediately. Offering hundreds of free at-home yoga instruction videos, Adriene simplifies the yoga practice and even dedicates some of her videos to focus on specific ailments of the body. I also love her monthly series to help you develop a daily yoga habit, if that is your goal. Yoga is a great way to practice mindfulness of one's body and can definitely boost one's mood as well. Find Adriene's YouTube channel here.
The 90 Day Mindfulness Journal by S.J. Scott & Barrie Davenport
If you're feeling overwhelmed in your own brain, one practice I highly recommend is mindfulness. While meditation is also a great practice (and free!), if you're not on board for sitting in stillness, journaling is an excellent alternative to decrease stress and give you better peace of mind. Beginning with a thorough introduction and how-to guide, this book includes prompts for 90 days of intentional awareness. Find it here.
Positivity
The Power of Positive Energy by Andrian Teodoro
I thoroughly enjoyed this book filled with helpful and practical tips and strategies to think more positively. If you're looking for a resource to get you in the right head space that isn't a monster to read, then I recommend this book. At only 117 pages, this book cuts out a lot of fluff and filler, leaving you only actionable tips to encourage positive energy. Check out my full review here or buy the book here.
Daily Bible Verse app
This is one that can definitely translate across all three of these categories. However, if you're not Christian, there are surely apps for daily practice of your specific religion. If you're not religious, a motivational quote app would be a comparable idea. What I like about this app is that it injects bite-sized bits of spirituality into my daily routine. With daily notifications to read one of its short verse selections, it's manageable enough to do first thing in the morning before you've even had your first cup of coffee. You can find it in the Google Play or the Apple App Store.
The Before Breakfast podcast by Laura Vanderkam
And speaking of coffee, the Before Breakfast podcast is another one I like to listen to first-thing in the morning. Laura is an author and time-management expert sharing her advice on how to save time and spend more of it on the things you actually enjoy. With each episode lasting between 5-7 minutes on average, Laura's advice is quick and easy to incorporate. If you've ever felt that your life would be happier if you just had more time, then this podcast is my recommendation to you. You can find it here or wherever you listen to podcasts.The Game Changers podcast by Erin May Henry
If you're a writer or creative looking to establish your brand and build an audience, I recommend Erin May Henry's podcast for entrepreneurs. In her episodes, she shares what she has learned as a social influencer and brings on guests that have successfully built large followings that also share their experience. Erin also has a YouTube channel that you can find here. Game Changers is available here or wherever you listen to podcasts.
The 90 Day Gratitude Journal by S.J. Scott & Barrie Davenport
By the authors of The 90 Day Mindfulness Journal, this journal focusing on the practice of gratitude. As Tony Robbins said, "When you are grateful, fear disappears and abundance appears." Sometimes it may seem like there is nothing to be grateful for, but when you stretch your mind to find something even seemingly insignificant, your awareness grows and you discover the things you took for granted (clean water, a roof over your head, etc) are someone else's dream. Just like The Mindfulness Journal, this one opens with an introduction and how-to guide before launching you into your 90-day practice. You can find it here.
The Marie Forleo podcast (or YouTube channel)
Another podcast for entrepreneurs or those looking for motivation to improve their life overall, Marie Forleo's episodes cover a wide variety of topics such as time management and productivity, overcoming fear, manifesting, and business advice. Her podcast is inspired by her YouTube channel which you can find here. The podcast is available here or wherever you listen to podcasts.
The Affirmation Pod app (or Affirmation Podcast)
And to round out my list of resources to inspire more happiness in your 2020, I've saved the best for last. The Affirmation Pod was created as a warehouse for Josie's podcasts where listeners can save their favorite episodes and search episodes by topic. If you've never tried affirmations before, this is a great place to start. Josie dictates a list of affirmations centered around a topic and asks you to repeat them to yourself. Though simple, this exercise is surprisingly effective in boosting your confidence and overall wellness. Personally, I find the daily exercise a bit addictive, as I've fallen in love with the way it leaves me feeling afterward. You can find it here or wherever you listen to podcasts. The app is available in the Google Play or Apple App Store.
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Those are my 15 recommendations for resources to boost your happiness, wellness and positivity. I hope that some of these inspired you and bring good vibes into your life this year and beyond. Don't forget to check out this blog post's companion video over on my YouTube channel.
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