HEAD’S VIEW

Deputy Head's View

by Racael Staines, our Wellness Coach at The Abbey. 22 May 2020

Happiness in Lockdown

Much is being said about the importance of happiness and we all know that a positive mindset is helpful, but what exactly is happiness?

As Russ Harris, in his excellent book, The Happiness Trap states, “we all want it, we all crave it and even the Dalai Lama has said, “the very purpose of life is to seek happiness”. The word happiness has two very different meanings, the common meaning of the word is “feeling good”, the far less common meaning is “living a rich, full and meaningful life”. The reality though, is that life involves pain, and whilst we can’t avoid it, we can learn to handle it better.

Some of you will already have seen the brilliant Action for Happiness programme, which I’d encourage us all to try but here are some other simple tips that you could think about too.

Dr Danny Penman, in his beautifully crafted book, The Art of Breathing suggests that happiness is fleeting whilst unhappiness lingers, it’s called the ‘negativity bias’ and it is hardwired into the very core of our being. It can skew our perception and makes the world seem far bleaker than it is. The brain can routinely trick us, but we can redress the balance by doing the following.

Exercise, release those feel good hormones! Get some sun. Move your workout outdoors to maximize your serotonin boost.

Time it. Aim for at least 30 minutes of aerobic exercise. Any amount of physical activity has health benefits, but research associates endorphin release with continued exercise rather than short bursts of activity.

Exercise has multiple physical health benefits. It can also have a positive impact on emotional well-being. If you’ve heard of a “runner’s high,” you might already know about the link between exercise and endorphin release.

But exercise doesn’t just work on endorphins. Regular physical activity can also increase your dopamine and serotonin levels, making it a great option to boost your happy hormones.

Do you ever feel a longing to be somewhere other than where you are right now? (not geographically, although like me, you might be dreaming of a beach right now) As Danielle Marchant in her book, Pause, suggests, it’s sometimes more about an inner sense that you’re not where you want to be. Perhaps a longing to feel happier, more peaceful, more contented, while in your day to day reality you are anxious, hurried and at times overwhelmed?

Well, you have some choice. By challenging the unhelpful thoughts, you can find some freedom from them. Ask yourself, is this a thought, or a fact? What is the evidence that this thought is true? It’s possible but is it likely? Do I gain anything useful from listening to this thought again?

Write your thoughts down to help process them and to let them go. Can you balance the negativity by committing to paper 3 things each day that you are grateful for or happy memories, pop them in a jar and read them back when you are feeling low.

Whatever we do or feel, our breath responds to it, when we’re in a rush our breath quickens, and when we panic the breath shortens, if we hear sad news we are likely to hold our breath, or in an awkward situation we tighten the breath – but when we hear soothing music, see someone we love (this can work virtually too!) or step in to nature, our breathing responds by deepening.

When we allow the breath to flow more deeply we really do begin a chain reaction for positive change and health, the benefits of breathing naturally and deeply are all encompassing and support every facet of our mind and body.

The book that I referred to in my introduction, The Happiness Trap really is an excellent resource for anyone struggling with stress, anxiety and depression. There is a website of the same name also with free downloadable resources that I would recommend too. As ever, we are all here to support you and if any of the girls feel a sense of overwhelm, please don’t hesitate to reach out for support.

I am available at stainesra@theabbey.co.uk

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