The focus of Act Happy Week is to educate the public about purposeful actions you can take to create chemical shifts in your body that drive Positive Emotions. Here is today’s exercise:
Have you ever dropped a dollar in a charity bucket and noticed how good you felt about yourself as you did so? When human beings reach out and touch others, we fill our own “buckets” as well.
Listen, without judgment. Kindness can be as simple as giving someone the space to vent about a concern or tell a story about some neighbor you’ve never meant. Don’t tell your own story; don’t assess their efforts; don’t try to help them. Just listen, and give them the space to notice their own wisdom.
Be nice to others. Offer a kind word to a harried clerk. Give someone the benefit of the doubt. Help someone who is struggling to get out a door with a full load. Offer someone a bite of your chocolate (to celebrate American Chocolate Week, of course).
Give of Yourself. Sign up to donate blood. Say Yes to volunteering on the community clean-up committee. Visit or call someone who is often alone.
Be nice to You. Give yourself permission for POSITIVE self-talk for a day. Say, “I think you are awesome!” Give yourself a high-five for something you accomplished. Write the story in your journal.
Let it go. Give everyone a “get out of jail free” card and tell them they can cash it in the next time they mess something up. (even if they never do, you both feel better!)