365 Ways to Live Happy (15 page)
Can you say antioxidants? During a crisis, your body responds by releasing turbo-charging stress hormones that flood your cardiovascular system to prepare you to deal with the emergency. But stress hormones flooding the system can also cause damage. Antioxidants, substances found in certain fruits and vegetables, act as scavengers of free radicals (by-products created when cells use oxygen) and can both prevent and repair free radical damage. Squeeze or use a juicer to extract the juice from organic vegetables and fruits such as oranges, lime, strawberries, carrots, apricots, peaches, cantaloupes, and green leafy vegetables. Pomegranate, purple grapes, and cranberries are high in phytochemicals and are good antioxidant agents as well. Drinking fresh, organic juice is especially good for when you are under duress.
If you believe that time spent in a sauna or steam bath is healthy because sweating releases unwanted material from the body and improves circulation, you are correct. Make sure that you are in good health by checking with your physician before stepping into a sauna or steam room. Also, it's important to drink lots of water to replace what you lose from perspiration. Taking a sauna or steam bath can eliminate toxins and excess sodium, relax tense and sore muscles, and enable you to relax into your happy place.
What kind of crisis are you facing — financial, medical or health, spiritual, educational, or relationship? Whatever it is, you can bet that others have faced similar situations. Life beats up on everyone from time to time. If you don't want to reach out to a trusted friend or professional, find hope, optimism, and perhaps a path out of your situation in the stories of others. For example, if your spouse needs an organ transplant, read the stories of patients who have already been through that ordeal. Draw inspiration, relief, hope, and a sense of renewal from your reading.
If you are like many people, as a child you had a little pillow or a security blanket that got you through the night. As an adult facing crisis, you may wish you had something tangible like that to give you comfort. If you don't have a favorite blanket or pillow, get yourself over to the linen closet and see if there's a comfy throw, a worn afghan, or a silky coverlet that you could use. Or go to the clearance table at your local department store and pick something out that could become a favorite security blanket. As a child, you loved your blankey because it was yours and only yours. It had your scent on it. You knew what it felt and looked like even with your eyes closed. In times of crisis, seek comfort in what's familiar and makes you feel safe. Wrap yourself in your blanket and let your inner child feel safe again and comforted.
Unwind with a glass of your favorite wine at the end of an exhausting day or difficult period. According to a number of research findings, wine is good for you if you drink it in moderation and as part of a healthy diet. Wine has nonalcoholic phytochemicals (flavanoids and resveratrol) that prevent free radical molecules from damaging your body's cells. Studies show that wine reduces the risk of getting certain cancers and also heart disease as well as slowing the progression of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. For women, one five-ounce glass a day is good, but the health benefits are forfeited if you drink more.
Do you turn to God when you are dealing with a crisis? If you do, you are like many others who take comfort in knowing that they are not alone in dealing with their troubles or solving their problems. Allocate part of a daily exercise for a devotional walk around the block. Whatever your spiritual belief, during that period, eyes and heart wide open, invite the Divine to be with you as you pray a favorite prayer or psalm. Praying can be done as holy conversation and sacred song as well. The point is to realize that you are not alone in your crisis and to seek comfort, protection, peace, and joy in your spiritual relationship with the Divine.
In spite of the negative circumstances you may be dealing with, find little moments throughout the day to notice the things that, under ordinary circumstances, give you pleasure. For example, take time to appreciate the view of the neighbor's yellow roses that have just burst into bloom, the taste of a perfectly ripe sweet apple, the sound of classical music as the CD plays on your laptop, the painting you bought in Paris that hangs in your office, the feel of your favorite loafers, or the warmth and smallness of your child's hand in yours. Savor the gifts of sight, sense, taste, touch, and smell. They are working even as you deal with crisis. Take comfort in simply noticing the blessings in the small things and short moments throughout the day.
What do you want as an outcome to the crisis? Why do you want that particular outcome and not another? Write the answers to those two questions in your journal. Then use what you have written as points of departure for delving deeper. It is often difficult to get clarity when your brain is befuddled by an unexpected turn of events or bad news. Journaling is one way to fully consider all your options. Get all the ideas out of your brain and on paper so that you can think about them and look at them. Reorganize ideas. See what's missing. What you don't know. What you can investigate or learn more about. Use your journal as a powerful tool to help facilitate making the hard decisions and getting the best moral, ethical, and spiritual outcome.
When you suffer loss, take time to have a cup of tea and write about your loss. Then, consider what you might gain as you are compelled to move forward. For example, after a spouse dies, gone too are the shared dreams, income, and perhaps even the house. Loss pushes you outside of your comfort zone where new opportunities for your new life await. What if you always wanted a small farm in Connecticut? What's stopping you? What if you never finished college? What's holding you back now? You like marriage and want a new partner at some point. What if you could screen her to fit your desired profile? What if she is perfect for the next chapter of your life? Dare to dream a bold new future.