Joy Energy and Health

How to Beat the Winter Blues.

Seven Simple Steps to Increase Your Energy Level, Create More Time and Get More Productive.

It’s that time of the year, the post holiday season.

We may have eaten too much. We may have indulged in too many sweets and attended a few more parties than normal.

Overindulgence during the season may mean our immune systems may not be at their best.

Shorter days also mean less sunshine. That means less Vitamin D.

Add to that the Christmas credit card bills coming due and it’s now wonder some of us might feel a bit of those “Winter Blues.”

Here are some simple, easy to do steps to beat those winter blues into submission.

Don’t worry…these will actually create more time and productivity.

How can we “create” more time?

We can’t.

But if we are able to get more done in a shorter amount of time, does that not amount to the same thing?

1)      Exercise. Sir Richard Branson was asked how he was so productive, running all those Virgin companies of his. He thought a moment and said it is the exercise. His daily one hour gives him the energy to be as productive as he is.

Now, you and I can’t go from nothing to one hour a day. But what we can do is take small steps. Every bit helps. It’s important to find something you actually enjoy. Otherwise it can be too easy to let it slide.

I recommend considering Laughter Yoga as a first step. Laughter very quickly releases the stress hormones, the cortisol and adrenalin and starts pumping the “feel good” hormones like the endorphins.

Plus laughter is an efficient form of exercise. Dr. Fry writing in the Journal of Psychology in 1938 said: “One minute of hearty laughter is equal to 10 minutes on a treadmill.”

To get the scientifically proven benefits of laughter though, we need to laugh for 10-15 minutes at a stretch.

That’s why attending a Laughter Yoga session is ideal. If you don’t have a club nearby, consider downloading the free video on my website and laugh along with me at work or at home. Here’s the link: http://joyenergyandhealth.com/

2)      Smiling. Highly underrated, we tend to smile at something or for someone. How about smiling just ‘cause…smiling for ourselves? It’s a little known fact that smiling causes the same endorphins to be produced as laughing.

What’s the benefit? You don’t actually get exercise with smiling, but you feel good. And as John Lennon famously wrote: “When you’re warm, really warm, well you get things done like they’ve never been done.”

3)      Breathing. In our rush to get things done, we often may find we breathe into only a portion of our lungs. In fact, that is the modus operandus for most of us. This is a simple habit that can easily be slipped into our day. Once an hour or every half hour, pause, take three deep breaths, filling the lungs and allowing the belly to come out. Allowing the belly to come out means the diaphragm is coming down and that means the lungs can fill up with more air.

4)      Posture. With computers everywhere, more of us are hunched over the keyboard. What we may not realize is that the physical attitude of hunching over affects our mental attitude. Take a moment, breathe deeply, allow the shoulders to drop down and allow the neck to elongate while focusing on relaxing the muscles. This is not a military style posture, but just an elongation of the spine and an opening of the chest. Believe it or not, this actually can support a positive mental attitude and does so immediately.

5)      Gratitude. Super successful New York Financial Advisor Mick Murray credits this one daily habit with having a huge impact on his success. At the end of each day, he takes a few moments and writes a thank you card to someone. Just expressing gratitude once a day can do tons for our energy levels.

6)      Celebrate. Sales coach Blair Singer recommends creating a little ritual of celebrating all wins or victories, no matter how small. Try this now. You have read this article, which can make a positive impact in your life. That’s a little victory. Let’s celebrate. Make a fist. Reach forward with palm up and as you pump the fist back towards your body, say “YES!” out loud or silently if there are people around. That puts us into a positive state immediately. Do this with all victories, large and small and you are making the next challenge easier. You will be in a “state” to more effectively deal with whatever is coming.

7)      Use common sense. We all have intuition and commons sense. You know the kinds of things I mean. Don’t eat junk food. Don’t stay up late. And you will know what to add to that list.

Also use common sense in applying any or all of these ideas. Check with your doctor before starting an exercise program.

Bottom line: we are creatures of habit. None of these ideas take much discipline. It’s just a matter of applying a little energy to create a new, healthy and empowering habit. Each small step helps us move onto the next step of adding another new healthy and empowering habit. Enjoy the process and you will find it easier.

Matti Anttila

P.S. Don’t forget the Vitamin D. Many doctors are now recommending the “Sunshine Vitamin” during the dark winter months. Talk to your health care provider.

Matti Anttila is a Certified Laughter Yoga Teacher, Professional Laughter Dude.

He also is a consultant to a financial planning practice, with 15 years experience as a financial advisor.

His manual “108 Tips for More Joy, Energy and Health” is free to download from his website. http://joyenergyandhealth.com/

Any information provided on this website is not a substitute for the advice of a licensed medical practitioner. Individuals are advised not to self-medicate in the presence of significant illness. Always consult with your licensed medical practitioner first before undertaking anything…be it supplements, exercise programs or other protocols.

The information on this website is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

Do not construe the information provided here as authoritative health advice..or authoritative advice of any sort.

All information provided or referred-to on this website is for informational purposes only.