One of the most rewarding aspects of mentoring is helping people find their bliss. It seems obvious that we should all know what makes us happy, but sometimes we lose sight of this in our very busy lives.
I love helping people get back to what makes them tick. They may get a buzz from certain activities, whether it’s painting, gardening or sky diving, but perhaps they haven’t done them for a while. It’s good to remember what gives you that certain lift or buzz. Often I help people write a list of the top half a dozen things they enjoy doing and then we look at how they can fit them into their lives.
Sometimes it can be just establishing certain routines that support your happiness. Like getting the right amount of sleep, eating good nutritious food and doing regular movement, like walking, yoga or dancing.
In her book, The Happiness Project, Gretchen Rubin rediscovers what makes her happy by focussing on one thing a month. It is no surprise that her first month is all about getting good quality sleep. I mean, without sleep how can you even contemplate having the energy for daily life let alone sky-diving and salsa dancing?
Here’s my routine for happiness. I go to bed before 9pm and when I get up in the morning I go for a walk – just half an hour with Tui on our country road, I take 10 minutes out during the walk to focus on what they day ahead holds and then at the end of the day I am mindful of three things that I’m grateful for that day. It’s all very simple stuff, but it’s my secret to contentment.
So what makes you happy?
Click here to read more about Gretchen Rubin’s The Happiness Project.
