Keeping that Happiness Intact : #MondayMusings #mg #HighlightsofHappy
I haven’t written since last Thursday. For some reason weekends snow ball into a busy time, and though I did try sitting down to write last evening, I drew simple blanks. So this morning after much thought and deliberation which also included exploring writing prompts, I chose to write yet again on happiness. I recently wrote one guest post on Isheita’s blog, as part of her birthday week celebration. You can read it here – Do I Deserve to Be Happy?
The last two days or so I have been one of those crabby, cranky, irritable moods that tend to switch to being tad overwhelmed. So I assume writing a few lines on happiness might prove to be my “perk me up”. I have no reason to be upset as everything seems to be moving in synch in my life. The eight-year-old just turned 9 this Saturday. So we had a small, cosy and happy family celebration. My folks – Ma and Dad arrived from Lucknow to spend some quality time with us this summer. And yes, we just returned from a very relaxed holiday in the placid, serene, pleasantly cold climes of the mountains. I also had taken a girlie trip with my bestie early last month. So I wonder what’s making me so upset and overwhelmed? Honestly, I have no clue whatsoever. Probably I need to get some grounding in place. Like mindfulness meditation.
Yesterday I kickstarted some of my favourite activities, which had taken a complete backseat or had become sporadic. My fitness routine and Buddhist chants. Possibly the lack of them were making me edgy. I also have chosen to go on a diet of sorts. No that doesn’t mean I’m going to starve myself or deprive myself of the little pleasures of food, but it simply translates to mindful eating. Believe it or not my eighteen year old has been eating mindfully and it’s helped her heaps. I however, have been eating recklessly and gained oodles of weight, and this has been bothering me no end. So I’ve made a resolve to eat small portions, and stick to frequent meals over the course of the day. We learn so much from our kids, don’t we? I aim to lose 8 kilograms by July 31st, 2017. It’s a resolve I’m making to myself. I have always been inclined towards fitness and healthy eating, but last year after a little debacle of my back injury, exercising became irregular for me. I stopped running completely, and even the much cherished cycling became an irregular sport. Of course it took me till almost February-March this year to get the back, back in action. I started Yoga in mid April and though, I was not regular (just because I struggled to wake up early mornings), but it helped fix the back to a great extent.
A few days back I took up Shailaja’s 30 day Change a Habit Challenge (you can read it here). This included waking up early at 5:30 AM to workout. I am a morning person when summers arrive, but this has been one summer wherein I have struggled to wake up early. Last year I would wake up at 4:40 AM to go for Boot camp or cycling and that too even in winters. But this year stupor and laziness seemed to have taken over my being. I also added another dimension to my challenge by making Sundays my social media detox day. Yesterday was the first day of the detox. The first half of the day I had the urge to check my Twitter and Facebook account a couple of times, the latter primarily because of all the birthday wishes that had come pouring in for the little one. Then by noon I deleted both the apps from my phone. I was at peace. I did not delete Whatsapp, but I think I shall do so, the coming Sunday. I have downloaded the apps back again today. But will be conscious enough and restrict my engagement with them.
I think this rant has cleared my head a bit. I’m assuming it’s a whole gamut of changes and engagements in my life that are currently making me anxious and leaving me feeling unsettled. I know this too shall pass, as my happiness quotient is far too higher to be bogged down by random stuff and curve balls that life keeps throwing my way. Also the fact that I’m blogging about this is like winning half the battle, as it’s helping me vent and look at my own true feelings squarely and not doubt or judge myself.
So for the month of June, happiness for me will be:
- Sitting in the air-conditioning and “occasionally” digging into a juicy mango (Rujuta Diwarkar says they aren’t fattening and are gold mine for our health)
- Writing every single weekday morning
- Lazing around with my girls, watching a movie or two, painting bottles (been meaning to do that for a while), zentangling
- Exercising regularly and beating the Sh&% out of the heat and my stupor
- Chanting morning and evening
- Spending quality time chatting with my parents, and giving them my undivided attention
- Going on date nights with the DH
- Drinking 12 glasses of water each day
- Lying in bed in the hot summer afternoon and reading up a storm
- Catching up on afternoon siesta
- The mercury might soar but my temperament will be cool as a cucumber or a juicy watermelon
- Working on finalising my book
- Designing the cover of my book
- Cuddling my two furry girls
- Doing my bit for the Strays at Nirvana Pets
- Doling out healthy salads
- Decorating my home and my balconies
- Dancing in the rain, when it comes calling
- Hug more often and spread the love
Phew! That’s a long list but yes they will surely ensure that the scorching summer month of June will translate into a happy, joyous, and a blessed one. Cheers to keeping my happiness quotient intact!
Linking this post to Carol Camelon’s #HighlightsOfHappy blog link 46, Corrine’s #MondayMusings and Mackenzies’s #mg and Deborah’s #AnythingGoes
32 thoughts on “Keeping that Happiness Intact : #MondayMusings #mg #HighlightsofHappy”
Oh wow deleting the FB and Twitter apps is hard core!
Thanks for linking up to #AnythingGoes 🙂
Debbie
Lol just for a day Debbie. That is pretty doable I promise you
I do hope you achieve this great list, and some of your positivity leaks out into the world! Good luck with the whole gamut of things! #mg #highlightsofhappy
Thank you so very much Lisa. Means a great deal. Coming by to your blog soonest. 🙂
Just reading this post made me happy so you’ve already done one thing right 🙂 So very happy to see your list for June and belated birthday wishes to the little one!
Excellent move on deleting the apps from the phone. Yay you!
Thank you so much for the shout out and here is wishing you a month and a year of joy, health and much more mindfulness as you desire. Love and hugs.
Thanks dear Shailja. You always inspire me and like how. Hugs and big love❤️
Oh it’s ok to feel out of sorts. Life happens to all of us. You must have been really busy with all the things happening to find time to write so don’t berate yourself for not writing.
Glad you’ve shaken off your blues and hope you become 8 kg lighter and write every day.
Go for it !
You are right Sunita. I do get a tad hard on myself at times.
Your wishes are like elixir to my soul ❤️❤️
Hi there, quite often when we feel out of sorts, getting back to doing something that’s fallen by the way-side is what we need. That list is a great idea. Even if you don’t get through it all, at least you can dip in when you need to. I quite often mean to chant when I meditate but must admit that I quite often just like being in my own zone. I will try one day. It’s lovely of you to link up to #HighlightsofHappy and it would be great to see you again.
Thank you Carol. I enjoyed linking up with you.
Have you tried Buddhist chanting? Let me know if you’d like to know more. Will fill you in with further details.
Dancing in the rain sounds awesome. Now if it would only rain so I could dance – and have a wet garden, and see our dams filling. We are in the most dreadful drought here in the Eastern Cape of South Africa. Apple-ginger Tonic. A refreshing drink with oodles of health benefits.
Oh dear Shirley. I’m praying for the drought to recede and for the rains to come calling and shower you with lots of good weather and promising times.
Thank you for reading my post and coming by.Love and Light!
Our drought has just become disaster status. We are only allowed 600 litres per day now. Sounds a lot until you start to count up!
Hope you achieve all the things you want to in June and stay cool in the heat 🙂
Gracias gracias :)))
I am sure that long happy list must have turned around your mood for good. I wish you luck with your list. Mindful eating and regular exercising is something I need to pursue after having spent a long vacation and ignoring these two aspects. #mg
Yes, being mindful in life seems to be the key. We get so caught up living by a routine and sometimes start operating mechanically like robots. Wish you luck getting back to exercising and mindful eating too. Love
dancing in the rain sounds lovely, we had rain today, but it was too cold outside to dance in it being winter time, but I love being in the rain on warm days, and inside listening to it on cold days. Happy 9th birthday to your little one too! I have been a little flat lately too, I think when we don’t eat right and forget to look after ourselves we get down. Feel better xx #mg
That June list sure does sound relaxing!
Thanks Joanne. I hope to keep up with it. Glad you stopped by. Thank you 🙂
What a great idea to make a list, I feel like this is something I could benefit from. Thank you so much for inspiring me X #mg
Oh I’m so glad this post could inspire you. I usually try and list down my goals beginning of every month. This one is a more fun one though. And hey, thank you for swinging by. 🙂
That’s a great list and you have motivated me for sure to follow some of it 🙂
I’m so glad Neha. And believe you me it’s so worth it. Thank you 🙂
Great list for June, Natasha. You seem to have a plan for getting the happy back. The exercise and/or yoga in the morning is a good one. Starts the day off on a great note. And a happy birthday to the 9-year old
Hey Kimmy girl, where have you been? Long time! Do you also kick start your day with a work out? Thank you for the wishes for the little tyke xoxox Hugs
I’m so swamped with work right now, I barely have time breathe lol. I do kick start the day with a workout. Usually about 60mins in length and a combination of cardio and weights. But I love yoga too. I always feel calmer and more grounded after some yoga. Hugs to you my friend xox
Great list Natasha .I feel.cranky if I can’t exercise too !That’s a sure fore way to feel.good !
Oh tell me about it Amrita. Exercise is elixir to my soul, though it’s taking me a bit of an effort to get back. What form of exercise do you practise? Thank you for reading and commenting.
That is quite the list for June. But achievable I think
Yes, I hope so too Ger! Wish me luck 🙂
Good luck