I’m almost getting around to reading through a special edition of TIME magazine I grabbed at least two months ago. Rarely do I pick up side items at the grocery store checkout area but this one caught my attention because it has a bunch of smiley faces on the cover… (I work for BURST) and of course “The Science of Happiness” interests me quite a bit. Smiling and smiles are kinda my things! Seeing this cover again tonight reminded me that I really need to pay more attention to this blog. So today I’m going to talk to you all about finding more things to smile about. And no I will never stop thinking about the oral/systemic link. It’s all connected!
Now I’ll warn you, this isn’t the usual nerdy dental related or patient education ramblings I had time to create just a few months ago. This is goes well beyond brushing and flossing (although super important) and into something much deeper. However it DOES involve smiling so we aren’t that far off track.
Last year I left my 20 years of clinical dental hygiene behind and took a job working from home for an implant marketing firm. I didn’t hate my current job. It was a great career and 18 of those operatory days were in the same family dental practice. No things weren’t perfect there but I got really good at compartmentalizing and making the negative memories get buried by the mostly good ones. (That’s how people successfully use their defense mechanisms to cope)
LONG STORY SUPER SHORT….
Anyway, I had spent several years working odd part time jobs in addition to my full time job as a dental hygienist to make ends meet and then began networking more… which really opened up a whole new world of humans. People that pushed others to learn, find opportunities and generally stay positive. For those that know me, I don’t spend much time hemming and hawing when there’s something interesting on the table. I took the new job and stepped into my bedroom to work from home. That particular job lasted about a year… (and that’s a whole other awesome story) but I’ve found another one that’s equally awesome!!!
I’m not going to bore you with every detail of my journey into this new #workfromhome life.
What are the secrets to happiness? I don’t know because I didn’t actually read that magazine yet! One reason I’m writing this is because the dork in me wants to see how the things I say compare to this magazine next to me. The other reason is that these are the things I know have helped me. In turn, I hope they will help you too. If you aren’t ready to be happy, stop reading now.
Ditch the Debbie Downers
Some people will suck the life right out of you if you let them. It may not be a sudden violent attack like the evil Skeksis from the Dark Crystal as they take the life force right out of those adorable Gelfling. Most likely your internal joy will be drained out of you over time. You may rationalize their behavior for years. Hell, you may even give into that mentality and join their ranks for a while because, well, misery loves company right?!? Eventually if you want to get yourself really happy, you can’t spend a ton of time with toxic people that can’t see at least a glimmer of the sunny side of life.
Find Your People
What does this even mean? It’s so simple. Look around for people you admire. The thoughtful people that are learning and growing. The like minded people that know how to be joyful and go after a better life. The people that you see a spark in. Join groups of professionals, hobbyists or nature lovers that like the same things you like. They aren’t going to see you back unless you make yourself visible. This often means you will need to go way outside your comfort zone…. but the cool thing is you’re actually heading toward a new comfort zone that’s even better.
Carefully Plan YOUR Time
Block Scheduling is everything!!! So, this is a term I learned in dentistry. Although our office never really stuck to the plan, the idea is you schedule blocks of time in your day to complete certain tasks. It makes for a very efficient work flow regardless of your career! When you set up a real plan of action for your day, it forces you to push to complete tasks on time. It also prevents you from multi tasking and getting sidetracked with other things. It can ultimately reduced your tendency to get distracted by social media and television or gossip…. whatever the squirrel in your life might be. The best part is you should reward yourself after each task…. which is especially important when you work from home. Could be a quick break, a walk around the block. Whatever you need to stay on track. After I write this blog, I will reward myself by reading that magazine I just told you about and having a tasty beverage!! BOOM, win win! #goals
Get Grounded
I’m not going on about coffee grounds or a parent’s punishments. I am talking about getting barefoot and heading outside. What everyone needs more of is nature. I recently read a book called The 3 Day Effect. “It boils down to this: your brain needs a break from technology and every day stresses; it takes 3 days in nature for your brain to relax.” Although most of us will not have a desire or ability to detach from everyday life for a long weekend, I really feel like we can gain a ton of happiness and balance taking breaks to get outside even if in spurts each day. Getting away from work, computers, buildings and yes even our shoes is re energizing to a lot of people, including myself. FEEL the earth. SMELL the fresh air. Be in the moment and LISTEN to the world around you. (if you are in a big city, find a patch of grass or something)
I mean, look how happy my chickens are. It’s gotta be the grounding!
SMILE
Easier sad than done? I don’t think so. Happiness is a state of mind and even if things in your life see pretty gloomy right now, you have to know that YOU and only you can really control your level of joy. Not feeling it?
Do this. Stand in front of your mirror. Smile. Like really smile. It’s scientifically proven that the simple action of smiling can release endorphins to help your mood. Keep smiling until you are laughing at how ridiculous you must look. Whatever it takes to make that turn into something real.
Still need a boost, turn to Youtube. Here’s 3 videos to help you crack a smile:
Can You Watch This Without Smiling?
A Bad Lip Reading of Game of Thrones
Now, wanna know what’s REALLY bringing a smile to my face these days? It’s my new WHY! My new gig is helping support my work family and this awesome community of smiley people: Subscribe if you can 🙂
Cheers
Keep up the good work.