Making Happiness a Habit

Have you ever thought about ways to practice being happy?  I sometimes make lists of things that make me happy, so I can remember to be looking for them.

Examples on my "happy list" are rainbows, bird songs, colorful sunsets, flowers, taking pictures of colors and textures in nature...

Today I had a great opportunity to practice!  I recently discovered some "hidden" White Ratany bushes in the desert.  In past years, it's become harder to find, with only a few blossoms to view, so seeing this rare beauty with camera in hand was a great way to start the day!

More thoughts on happiness practice and science from Mindful.org:

Five Science-Based Practices for Daily Happiness

Sleep Matters!!

No matter how beautiful the moon is, don’t let it keep you up.  It’s important  to slow down, relax, and get plenty of good sleep every night to achieve optimum health. Why does it matter?  Here are a few good reasons that recent research has found.

Getting enough quality sleep regularly can:

• Help to stabilize your metabolism, reducing the risk of diabetes and obesity
• Lower your risk of high blood pressure and heart disease
• Lessen buildup of the amyloid plaque characteristic of Alzheimer’s disease
• Improve cognitive abilities, as shown on tests
• Improve awareness of social cues
• Improve decision-making skills
• Increase productivity
• Avoid genetic damage resulting from sleep deprivation

You’re not the only one staying up too late…  According to this November 2016 Popular Science article, more than a third of American adults aren't getting enough sleep:
 “LACK OF SLEEP COULD COST AMERICANS $411 BILLION A YEAR

If you don’t snooze, the economy will lose”

Popular Science has a suggestion:

WANTTO FIX YOUR SLEEP SCHEDULE? GO CAMPING THIS WEEKEND. RESEARCH SUGGESTS THAT EVEN A WINTER WEEK UNDER THE STARS CAN HELP RESET SLEEP

If you can’t get away for a camping trip, here are a few other helpful recommendations:

Sleep Resources from Arianna Huffington 

and the  Sleep Revolution Manifesto

Check out this video from Mama Natural (6:23 min.) with 10 Tips to Improve Your Sleep,