Making Mums Happy: day 9
Thought for the day: 'Happiness is like a butterfly which, when pursued, is always beyond our grasp, but, if you will sit down quietly, may alight upon you' – Nathaniel Hawthorne
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10 happiness principles
- Count your blessings
- Have a good laugh everyday
- Do a good turn with a daily kindness
- Treat yourself everyday
- Cut TV viewing and make time
- Say hello to a stranger
- Look after something you've planted
- Get physical
- Phone a friend
- Indulge in some Talk time
- Day to day happiness
Welcome to day 9 of Making Mums Happy
We hope you slept well in your lovely clean bedding last night. Remember to write your cosy feelings down in your happiness diary before you forget them so that you can refer back if you are feeling stressed.
Talk to other mums taking part in Making Mums Happy in the Happiness Club.
Here are your happiness tasks for today!
Write in your happiness diary
Write down 6 wonderful things about each of your children. What are their special personality traits? What are their most lovable moments? Which of their funny little ways really tugs your heartstrings? If you have more than one child, do each one in turn really focusing on each in your heart and mind. If you prefer, turn it into a letter to each child starting "Dear...I love you so much because ..."
Have a daily laugh
Have a good laugh. What makes you laugh? What used to make you laugh when you were a child? A teenager? Do you remember in class when the harder you tried not to laugh the more you wanted to laugh - those giggles you couldn't suppress? What could make you feel like that again? Often it means losing yourself in an activity. A board game is good for this... remember the old ones: Ludo, Tiddlywinks, Snakes and Ladders. How about Twister?
Be friendly
Smile and say hello to a stranger. You're a seasoned expert by now! Just for today, let's really put this to the test. See just how many strangers you can smile at today. (Someone you recognise by sight but haven't spoken to counts as a stranger).
Keep count - and come and tell us in the Happiness Club just how many you've clocked up. Also, record it in your happiness diary - "Today I smiled at 6 strangers and spread a little happiness!"
Daily Kindness
Today we want you to do something kind for one of your friends. Is there someone you know who is ill at the moment? Call them and arrange to visit. Take some flowers or chocolates or a magazine. Find out what you can do that would be helpful - perhaps take their children to the park with yours for an hour or pick them up from school and deliver them home? Maybe its not a friend but a neighbour who might need a bit of shopping?
If no one you know is ill and in need of a hand, think of something thoughtful you can do that will put a smile on one of your friend's faces.
Something for you ...
Someone recently described happiness as the 48 hours after waxing! Whatever your take on hair removal, today is the day. So book a wax or get a new razor blade, or a tube of hair remover and get to it - legs, underarms, bikini line. Check your upper lip too.
Now sort out your eyebrows. Get them plucked or threaded. Ask a friend or do it yourself. A good tip is to line a pencil in a straight line up the side of your nose and where it reaches your eyebrows is where they should start. Now move the pencil to a diagonal line from your nose to the outer corner of your eyebrow ... that's where it should finish. There. Perfect!
How are things growing?
How are your plants or seedlings doing now? Keep up the good work with the watering can! And don't forget to get the children to help.
