Josie's Guide to Mindful March 2021

Josie, from the Action for Happiness team, takes us on a short journey through the 2021 Mindful March calendar, sharing hints, tips and musings about some of the actions for this month. A must-listen for anyone with an interest in positive psychology or mindfulness.

Podcast Link: Click HERE

Josie's Guide to Joyful June 2021

Josie, from the Action for Happiness team, takes us on a short journey through the 2021 Joyful June calendar, sharing hints, tips and musings about some of the actions for this month. A must-listen for anyone with an interest in training your brain to find joy wherever possible! 

Podcast Link: Click HERE

1. 10 Keys to Happier Living (guidebook)
2. 340 Ways to Use Character Strengths (Download)  - Practical ways of using character strengths based on research by Tayyab Rashid
3. A Primer in Positive Psychology (Book)  A comprehensive overview of the field of positive psychology.
4. https://www.coursera.org/learn/the-science-of-well-being - Free online course " The Science of Well Being"
5. Dr. Laurie Santos is hosting a podcast at Listen to The Happiness Lab. January discussion is “Are you ready to be kinder to yourself” she will talk about how science shows the secret to fulfilling your new year’s resolutions is to simply be... nice to yourself. Strict diets, brutal exercise and going cold turkey on your bad habits doesn’t work.
6. Tiny Habits: The Small Changes That Change Everything (Book) -  by BJ Fogg
7. Positive Intelligence (Book) - Shirzad Chamine
8. This Too Shall Pass - Julie Samuel

January: Pledge Month

Join us as we make 2021 as positive as possible. All month long we focused on supporting our community, Council, and employees to take a pledge focusing on making this year (and each one after that) better than the last. Get your family, friends, and coworkers involved to help spread life and hope into our every day lives. Our Beaumont Action for Happiness Pledge can be found HERE. We also put together a January Calendar with actions that you could take every day to stay positive and spread kindness to others.

Friendly February

Did you know that research shows that being kind to one other not only increases our own levels of happiness but also for those you are kind to? We encouraged everyone throughout the month of February (and beyond) to do kind things as we continue to grow and support a more positive community. An action calendar was put together to help with kind actions each day. That calendar can be viewed HERE.

Mindful March

Let's take the time to pause, breathe and really take in what's all around us. During March we encoured you to take some time to look within. Learning to be more mindful and aware can do wonders for our well-being in all areas of life - like the way we eat, the things we notice or our relationships. It helps us get in tune with our feelings and stops us dwelling on the past or worrying about the future - so we get more out of the day-to-day. It can also help us identify what we're grateful for, which has been proven to help boost your happiness levels! You can view the Mindful March calendar HERE. 

Active Coping April

April was Active Coping April and we encouraged you to get active, get outdoors and take care of your body. There are simple things we can all do to take care of our bodies - for example unplugging from technology, getting outside, breathing more deeply, laughing and even singing.  Our body and our mind are connected, being active makes us happier, and it improves our mood and can even lift us out of a depression. Remember to take time to rest….

You can view the Active Coping April calendar HERE

Josie from Action for Happiness takes you on a short journey through the Active April 2021 calendar:
Podcast

Meaningful May

Meaning in your life could come from making contributions to others — be it financially, in good deeds, or in personal time and energy. It begins with an increased awareness and thoughtfulness of others and leads to a sense of purpose and, fulfillment.

Finding meaningful experiences in life is a journey that could start with something as simple as a pen and paper, deep reflection. Or your journey could start by stepping out the door and connecting with a neighbor, making a new found friend, or starting a hobby you have wanted to explore but never got around to. 

Most important is to find a meaning that makes sense to you and recognize that this meaning might change as you go through different stages of your life.

You can view the Meaningful May calendar HERE

Joyful June

Feeling positive emotions is good for us.  We can benefit by finding ways to build more of them into our lives. There is scientific evidence that positive emotions are contagious and when we feel good it can also positively affect those around us. We need a healthy balance between enjoying the moment and doing things that bring meaning and fulfilment in the long term. There are lots of different positive emotions and not all of them come from "having fun". For example, some are feelings we get when we're truly interested in something or have put our best effort into achieving something. Others come from quiet moments, like a few minutes of peace and calm in an otherwise hectic day.

You can view the Joyful June calendar HERE

Jump Back Up July

July's theme was all about resilience and understanding how we can build skills that will help us to bounce back. We can't always predict or control what life throws at us, but we can build a range of skills and nurture our resources to help us respond flexibly, effectively deal with challenges, recover more quickly and even learn and grow as a result.

You can view the Jump Back Up July calendar HERE