tips for feeling happier pt 2

Hi, my name's Caroline, and this is the second in some video clips that are giving you some information on how you can use your body to help your state of mind. It's November, it's foul outside as I look out the window there. It's a time of year when a lot of people really struggle. That big December and the thing that comes at the end of December is an impending Well, wave of fear for a lot of people, all the stress that comes with, with Christmas. So there's a lot of stuff going on this year that tends to feel, or tends to mean for a lot of people, that it's tough. Mood swings increase and tend to be more on the down than they are on the up. So what I'd love to do is, along with some fun yesterday, is to give you another little insight in how you can use your body To help how your mind works and therefore how you feel. So today's little game, very simple this one. First thing I'd like you to do is just stand up. Stand up for me, 2 feet, and just close your eyes and listen as I lead you through a couple of instructions. All I want you to do is to become really aware of how you're standing. Are your— is your weight equally spread between your 2 feet? Yes. Really spread your feet, get comfortable, feel really grounded. Become aware of how your shoulders are. Are they up around your ears? If so, drop them down. Relax those shoulder blades down, feel them go further down your neck. What's happening with your hands? Are they clenched? If they are, unclench them. Give your arms a little shake. Make sure your arms feel very relaxed. Just allow your body to feel really comfortable. And as you stay in this state with your eyes closed, tuning into your body, feeling very calm, I'd like you to imagine a dog. A lovely dog. Whatever image pops into your mind is fantastic. And just hold on to that image for just a moment. Wonderful, well done. Now send that picture away, clear your mind again, and now change your body position. I'd like you to move Your weight over, so you're standing more on one leg than the other. I'd like you to clench all your leg muscles. Really scrunch up now. Tighten your arms, perhaps even cross your arms. Clench your teeth. And in this tense state, I'd like you again to think of a dog. Just allow any picture you choose To come into your mind. That's great. Open your eyes and sit back down. Now, I'm wondering if you had 2 different pictures. Now, certainly the first time I came across this exercise, the first picture I had in my mind when I was in that nice, relaxed, floppy state was my own pet. She's pretty stupid, but she's lovable, and I adore her to bits. That was the image that came into my mind. A lot of other people around me who don't have the dogs, they were thinking of things like nice fluffy Labradors, Poodles, cute, nice, friendly family dogs. The second time, when you're all tensed and scrunched up, the common picture that people were getting in their heads then were things like Rottweilers, Bulldogs, the dogs that we tend to associate more With violence, with viciousness. Not always accurately. I'm a dog lover and I will protect and defend those beautiful dogs. However, it was really consistent how the second image tended to be very different from that first one. I wonder, is that the same for you? But what was the only thing that changed? How you were holding your body. And what I'd love for you to take from this little bit of fun Perhaps you can play it with other people and see what they get. Do they get the same as you? Do it with children, see what images pop into their mind. They're so malleable. Great fun to play with them. But what I was going to say, what I'd love you to take away from this, is how we hold our body leads to certain type of thoughts. When you hold your body in a relaxed state, when you ground your feet, when you let the tension come out of your arms, when you let your shoulders drop, it's much easier to think pleasant thoughts. To see the good in things. When you start to go on one side, tense up, cross your arms, bring your shoulders up, there tends to be an increased likelihood that you will see the negative in things. You'll start to see the bad side. And so use your body to help you feel the way you want to think. If you want to feel happy, if you want to see the positive, use your body to make that happen. Have a go. It's a great fun thing to do and a wonderful skill to learn how to use on a regular basis. Now, if you want to learn a little bit more about how you can use your mind, there's lots of things I put on my Facebook page, which is Adding Zest Limited on Facebook. Have a look at that. There's always things I'm popping up there, or my website, addingzest.com. A load of videos on things, how you can use your mind, whether your problem may be anxiety, stress, insomnia, lots of hints and tips. And I'd love for you to make the end of this year, as the nights get even darker, but we have this wonderful opportunity of the new year, a new start, to make— bring some new things into your life, some new skills, make next year a really fabulous year. So have a look at the website, have a look at some video clips, and just let me know how you get on. I'd love to see. and hear what images you had in your mind. Speak to you soon. Take care.