Encourage Your Brain: Gifts that Keep Giving

Hey everybody, it's Susan. We're in the middle of the gift-giving season, and I was reminded of the Kodak commercial, "The gift that keeps on giving," that phrase meaning something that invokes good feelings over time. I'm still working on a few items on my shopping list, but I was also thinking of the presents that we can give to ourselves. I have one family member who buys what she wants wraps the presents and places them under the tree. She knows what she wants and she gets them. And I'll keep her identity anonymous, but I do resemble that remark. So my message this week, in the midst of multiple holiday celebrations, is to give yourself a gift that will keep on gifting. And here's why: when we give ourselves a gift, whether it be some time to catch up with a good friend, or a massage, or an afternoon curled up with a great book, or treating yourself to some flowers, your brain says, I'm important enough to be appreciated, I'm worthy to be pampered, I'm able to receive love. And Kristin Neff, the self-compassion expert, mentions that when we do those kinds of acts towards ourselves, it activates the oxytocin-opiate system in our brain. And when that oxytocin-opiate system is activated, we actually have much less rumination going on in our brains. And when there's less rumination, there's actually studies that show we have less depression and anxiety. No surprise. But those are something that the world could do a little bit less of these days, especially after a year like we've had. So what's your gift to treat yourself this holiday season and something that would keep on giving? Something that will activate your self-compassion and boost your brain's oxytocin, opiates, wisdom. So happy Hanukkah, Merry Christmas, and the happiest of holidays to every one of you.