If you’d have told me ten years ago that I would work for a magazine that was all about finding happiness in all kind of shapes and forms, I probably would’ve laughed real hard in your face. I had no idea that my labor of love would be such a profound source of personal growth, of meeting people that inspire me every day, and that it would change my outlook on my life and loved ones.
I can honestly say that I love what I do, and I am truly grateful for that. Even more so because I’ve discovered along the way how terrible a shitty job can make you feel. The lessons I’ve learned in working one year for the Dutch mindstyle magazine Happinez are plenty, but the Happinez festival especially coached me through some very valuable life experiences. I still feel blessed to have been a part of this weekend, where readers and speakers from all over the world come together to search for meaning in life.
Here are three things I took to heart:
Take time for silence and stillness every day
It doesn’t matter how you do this: if it is through meditating days on end in a Zen monastery, going on long walks, daydream in public transport or through cooking or gardening a whole afternoon. You’ll experience that a calm mind is way more stable and effective than an enthusiastic mind. Your brain needs stillness to focus and function properly, and without this essential stage of unconscious processing, the flow of the creative process in our brain is broken.
Be kind
Like the Dalai Lama so aptly put it: ‘Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible.’ Don’t forget there is another human on the other end of every exchange. Be generous with your time, listen attentively, be nice on the phone and in your correspondence and be open for interactions. Don’t let yourself get carried away in stressful situations, and keep in mind that you can’t magically split yourself in two.
Sleep enough
For a person that needs a lot of sleep in order to function properly, this took me a ridiculous amount of time to figure out: enough sleep is extremely important. Don’t think you can skip it: you can’t! Lack of it makes you overeat, gets you in a grumpy mood and simply affects our every waking moment. Don’t think you get a secret award for having such an incredible work ethic, a you-can-do-well-without-sleep medal. There isn’t such a thing, and even if there was: could it ever be more important than your health and sanity?
A new Happinez Festival takes place in 2017, in the meantime we’ll take these lessons at heart.
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BY THIS CHICK'S GOT STYLE
Welcome to CHAPTER FRIDAY! Your online toolkit to an awesome and successful life, curated by Yara (and team of supergirls). Hopefully you are excited about this next chapter, and the natural transformation of fashion blog This chick's got style. Find out more about that process here.
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Yara Michels is a professional blogger, all-round business chick, award nominated marketing author and freelance ELLE writer. She hosts blogging masterclasses, takes on online cases for big companies and is an experienced speaker on online topics. Curious yet?
Such straightforward tips, really, but how most people forget that it can be that simple to be happier!
I feel as though I am kind most of the time, however, the other two I know I need to work on but a part of me just won’t allow it!
I think small reminders of these small and simple things are what will eventually wake people like me up a bit.
What a great gig by the way, writing about happiness in a magazine! Just fantastic.
Kyah
Happiness is something you can really work at. Just try to learn how to be a bit sweeter for yourself by treating your body and mind to things you like to do. Small reminders are the best! Set an alarm in your phone, or post a note on the fridge. You got this! And it’s indeed a wonderful job ;) x
Mooi, vooral die tijd voor rust en stilte kan inderdaad erg belangrijk en fijn zijn.
Klopt, Vivian! Alleen kan het moeilijk zijn om daar op tijd de signalen van te zien. Rust is zo belangrijk.
Wat leuk en interessant om te lezen!
Ah dankje, Fleur! Heel leuk om te horen. x
Great tips! I’ve been doing these things already for quite a long time and it really helps me to feel better :)
Ah that’s so good to hear, Valerie! It really does, doesn’t it? x
Definitely rules to live by! x
http://my-socalledlife.blogspot.com.es/
They are, no? x
Great tips. Though being kind doesn’t always work out. Unfortunately some people tend to take it for granted.
x
That is true: but I see being kind and letting people step over your boundaries not as the same thing. And I like to think that the people that don’t seem to appreciate it, need it the most… :)x