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The Get Happy Challenge!

By Kelsey

on Sep 27, 2018

The question I get more than I ever thought I would: How are you so happy and positive all the time?

Now don’t get me wrong – it is not ALL the time, but for the most part I am a very happy person!  This is for many reasons I am sure, but a huge factor is knowing what brings me joy.  We can all get so wrapped up in the day to day and end up in a funk – it happens to the best of us! It can be hard to remember to check in with yourself and think, what can I do to improve my mood?  So I wanted to take a minute away from food (which also brings me tons of joy) and focus on MOOD!

Next week, starting on October 1st, we are going to start off the month with the #gethappychallenge.  I use a hashtag as the real party is over on instagram – but if you don’t have IG you can still participate!  Each day there will be a simple challenge for you to complete. They are listed below and I will be posting about them each day on instagram as well as sharing what I am doing for it on instagram stories.  I really want you to join in and find what brings you joy!  Once you complete the 7 days of challenges, you will be able to figure out what worked to boost your mood and those things will be your new go-to happy playbook.

So let’s get happy:

Day 1:

Get Dancing. What a better way to start a week of happy than with a dance party?  You can do it alone in the bathroom while getting ready for work, with the whole family while cooking dinner, or anywhere and with anyone you want.  First thing you gotta do though is make a small playlist with 2-3 of your favorite songs that will get you movin and singin. On my playlist? 2002 by Anne-Marie, No Brainer by DJ Khaled and Come Alive by Hugh Jackman in The Greatest Showman.

Day 2:

Get Moving.  People keep telling me exercise is great for you and give you all kinds of endorphins. Everytime I work out or take a walk and feel great after I think DANG! Those people are right.  So today, do any kind of physical activity you can fit into your day. It could be a quick 15 minutes of squats, burpees and planks, a walk during your lunch break, or a spin class – whatever your heart desires!  My tip – try to get it done earlier in the day so you can ride that “proud of myself for doing it” wave all day long. BONUS POINTS – do it with a friend!! A walk with a friend is bound to make you even happier.

Day 3:

Go pay it forward.  According to research, when we’re generous our brains release several chemicals that give us a sense of joy and peace.  It makes sense right? Anytime I give back I instantly feel better. So today the goal is simple – do something nice for someone.  It could be finally going through your closet to donate clothes, paying for the person behind you in the starbucks drive thru, donating blood, etc.  Short on time or money? That’s easy, smile and say hello to everyone you pass today. If you see they are wearing a cute outfit or you love their sunglasses – give them a compliment and tell them!  

Day 4:

Get your Greens.  This is the one day of the week that is actually food focused!!  If you follow me you probably eat pretty healthy already, or at least strive to, so this one should be easy.  Try to add greens into every meal today! This could be as simple as having spinach in your morning smoothie and salads for lunch and dinner, or adding greens to the side of your eggs and also on the bottom of your burrito bowl.  Putting an effort into eating well should make you super proud and happy!

Day 5:

Get Talking.  This day is all about the sweet feeling of connection.  Call a friend today and catch up! This could be on your commute to or from work, while you are taking a lunchtime walk, or bonus points if you meet up in person for dinner or happy hour!  Trust me I know it’s so much easier to have your phone in your face all day then switch to netflix at night – but connection is proven to lift your spirits.

Day 6:

Get Grateful.  This is honestly the #1 thing that helps me any time I am in a funk.  Thinking of how LUCKY I am!! No matter how many not so great things could be going on in your life, chances are there are a few things that are going great.  Are you alive? AWESOME. Be grateful for that. Live in a place with running water? UM SO COOL. Think about all the people in the world who don’t. Have access to food every day?  LUCKY DUCK! So many people go hungry yet here I am trying to keep myself from eating too much. #blessed for real. Think about all the things in your life you are lucky to have and you might quickly be overcome with gratefulness… and possibly a few tears.   

Day 7:

Get Stretching. It’s the last day and you must be full of glee at this point, and possibly a little tired from smiling so much. Time to take it easy and stretch it out!  This could be simple stretches or a youtube yoga flow – just go on youtube and search “yoga for ___”. Fill in that blank with whatever part of your body needs attention. Back, hips, mind – you can find a video for anything!  While you are stretching think about the week you just had and think about what days made you feel best. It could be dancing and greens that really boost your mood the best. It could be gratefulness and movement. Whatever it is – that is your mood boosting formula.  Now you know how you can keep happiness present in your life!

If you are joining in, be sure to share about your week using the #gethappychallenge so we can all support each other!

Need a PDF of all of the challenges to keep on your fridge for the week?  Get the whole family involved and HAVE FUN!!