Slice of Serenity

EASY activities to reduce stress and increase joy!

I've spent a few years researching happiness and how our brains are triggered to feel happy (and what we can do to increase this), and now have a pretty big list of ideas and actions that have worked for me. I'll be sharing some simple ways you can improve your mental health, sense of calm, and even happiness during these challenging and stressful times. Why is happiness important right now? Well, for starters, there's research to indicate it's probably good for your immune system. And happy people are far better able to increase the happiness of those around them, to be helpful to others, and keep things running smoothly at home and/or at work. We can all help lift each other up, and get through this pandemic - and all the stress associated with it - as well as possible!

Day 1 - Reduce stress and anxiety with this fun activity!

First simple idea: plant something! Watching things grow is always uplifting, and even more so when you've planted those things yourself. No need to be an expert gardener for this: simply save a seed or pit from your next meal prep and see if you can get it to sprout :) I'm using an avocado pit for my experiment, and will be keeping it wrapped in damp paper towel in a glass on the windowsill. Once it sprouts, I'll wait until it's about 6" tall before transferring to a pot with a bit of soil in it.

Day 2 - EASY activity to make you smile!

It may seem almost too easy, but a cheerful colour on your nails really does brighten your day! This one is for the gentlemen as well - nail happiness shouldn't be restricted by gender! Have fun with it - use multiple colours, make an abstract design, and don't worry about the outcome! If you've got kids, this is a fun one to do with them too. In fact, let THEM do your nails! Join me! Paint your nails! Post pictures and tag me @jessicalinphoto - I can't wait to see the joyful rainbow we create together :)

Day 3 - Increase your own joy by making someone happy!

Reach out and brighten someone else’s day! Take 30 seconds to consider who you know that could maybe use a smile today, and get in touch with them. Send a text, email, or even give them a call - send a funny link to something they might enjoy. This will boost your own happiness as well for two reasons: 1. strengthening your sense of community (even introverts are happier if they feel like they have a “tribe”), and 2. because you’re doing something nice for someone else - taking thoughtful action makes us feel like good people, and who doesn’t love that?? Have fun creating a happy web of communication all around you!

Day 4 - an activity to help your brain focus on happy things!

What little I know about how our brains work includes the fact that we have the power to change our own "wiring" by focusing on or practicing certain things. If we are "practicing" stress and anxiety right now, our brains are only going to get better at being in those states. I don't know about you, but that's the last thing I want to do! So what can we do? Practice focussing on positive thoughts, experiences that contain joy, and things that make you happy. This will "teach" your brain how to do these things with greater ease, especially with regular practice. That's great information, but slightly abstract right? So today I offer a simple activity you can do at home to help tune in to your positive thoughts, and encourage them to become a more regular part of your daily life.
One of the things we can do to boost our sense of happiness is to savour the experiences we're having. Really connecting to your senses is a great way to do this! Today's tip is a simple and fun one: pick a flavour and try adding it to every dinner over the coming week. You could do cinnamon, sriracha, dark chocolate (I personally chose ginger - yum!), whatever you like! Start by adding a small amount and taste to be sure you don't put too much in. You might be surprised what new flavour combinations you come up with!

Day 6 - another EASY and fun way YOU can boost your happiness levels today!

Are you ready for a bit of fascinating information? According to neuroscience and research into memory, VIVIDLY REMEMBERING something has a very similar effect on your brain to ACTUALLY EXPERIENCING it in the first place! This blew my mind when I first read it, and is the powerful science behind today's happiness-boosting activity. So what you're going to do is find a picture that represents a happy memory. It could be a place you visited on holiday over the past few years sometime, or a picture of a group of your friends or someone you love, scroll through those pictures on your phone and find one taken during a happy moment. Then spend 5 minutes VIVIDLY remembering that trip or birthday party or whatever it was that happened that day. The more details the better! If you can share this activity with someone and tell each other about your wonderful memories behind your chosen pictures, even better. If you have kids, it could be hilarious to hear what their memories of these events are!! The two key points are: 1. choose a picture with happy memories attached. 2. really take time to VIVIDLY remember (+/or describe) everything you remember about this day. Happy remembering everyone!

Day 7’s activity is a soooothing one!

Sometimes simple is best, especially when it comes to self-care. Today's suggestion is less about increasing outright joy, and more about becoming quiet and letting go of stress and anxiety. If you have a bathtub*, draw yourself a lovely warm bath. Use epsom salts, essential oils, or bubblebath if you enjoy any (or all!) of those. And then find some relaxing music to set the mood for your ears, light a few candles, and relax. Just be.

*if you don’t have a bathtub, a nice hot shower, followed by a chunk of time to just ✨chill✨ with relaxing music and candlelight.

Day 8 - have fun with this EASY idea to reduce stress :)

I hope you're ready to surprise yourself! Grab a piece of paper (any paper) and a pencil, pen, crayon, etc. and set aside ten minutes. Choose a *something* in nature - bark, a flower, a cluster of leaves, a house plant - whatever grabs your attention. Closely examine this wonderful something.. it's shape, textures, etc. and then DRAW IT :) No "good" at drawing? Me neither. Who cares? A "good" drawing isn't the point! The point is to give your mind something wonderfully plain and magical to really focus on. If you want a "good" drawing, draw this same object 9 times in a row. Take time after each drawing to consider what you wish you'd done differently, or how you'd like to change it for the next one. I love doing this exercise and then lining up the 9 drawings in order to see how they changed from one to the next!

Day 9 - an EASY activity you might even already be doing!

At least I hope you are - but if you're anything like me, then knowing a good reason to do something will likely encourage you to do it more often. Today's idea comes courtesy of Dr. Lisa Watson - I attended a virtual workshop of hers about hormones and found it SO interesting! She explained how stress hormones are triggered so that our body is ready for fight or flight BUT in a situation like this current one, where the stress is going on for weeks or even months, these hormones aren't getting a chance to get out of our system. What's the solution? MOVE! Show your body that you're taking action! It doesn't need to be anything drastic - even getting out for a walk will help :) If you're on strict quarantine and can't leave the house, how about some jumping jacks? Whatever you're capable of is a step in the right direction! And if you want a far more in-depth and professional explanation, I encourage you to check out Dr. Lisa Watson's website (https://drlisawatson.com/) which is FULL of great information and very accessible.

Day 10 - a very gently, passive activity that you can do to reduce anxiety and increase your sense of calm :)

Not every day is a day that we're capable of motivation or action, and especially now. But that doesn't mean you need to feel stuck in a rut of sadness or paralyzed by not having the energy to do anything to get yourself out of the rut! I've spent a few years researching and many months experimenting to find out what triggers our brain to feel happy. My specific goal was to figure out how I could trigger it almost without trying, for those times when I didn't have the energy to try. The result was an immersive, multi-sensory installation called "The Serenity Experience". Spending time in this little hut always calmed me down and lifted my spirits. Since we're all isolating in our own spaces right now, I created a version that I could share with you from afar. It's on my website (https://www.jessicalin.ca/theserenityexperience), along with a couple of simple tips to add the multisensory elements in your own space. I hope you find it helpful. I know I do.

Day 11 - today’s happiness tip is good for you AND your community!

Did you know that we ALL have the power to shape how our communities and neighbourhoods will look in the coming months and years? “How?”, you ask... and the answer is: by supporting the small businesses around you! Vote with your dollars! Your decision to support local small businesses both now and in the coming weeks and months will have a direct effect on whether or not those “little guys” can survive! Amazon doesn’t need your money - your local bookshop or clothing designer does! Local small businesses have stepped up with donations of food, started making and donating masks, etc - they make your community the place you love. Show them you love them!!

Day 12 - sit back, relax, and enjoy today's happiness tip brought to you by my special guest!

A friend mentioned the other day how much she misses hearing music randomly while she's out. We maybe take for granted the background cheerfulness this had added to our days up until now. BUT with just a tiny bit of effort, you can bring music back into your day! Have the radio on, or choose a favourite playlist while you're making dinner. Try different types of music - who knows what gems you might discover? And to get you started, here's a song from my lovely husband :)

Day 13 - use your imagination for this great trick to make yourself happier today!

{Plus I'll share a bonus bit of wisdom from my mom!} Remember back on day 6, when we found a picture that made us feel happy and made ourselves feel good by vividly remembering that time/place/person? Today's activity is similar - we're going to think of something we've really missed doing during this current period of self-isolation, and we're going to take 5 minutes to VIVIDLY imagine doing that thing today. Just like the day 6 activity, this one works because believe it or not, VIVIDLY IMAGINING something has almost the same effect on your brain as ACTUALLY DOING IT!! The more details, the better. Have fun!

Day 14! Today’s stress-reducing idea courtesy of Mother Nature!

So remember last week when we talked about going for a walk or a run to move those stress hormones out of your system? If you can manage to take that walk or run through an area with trees (like a forest, ravine, etc.) EVEN BETTER! Why? Well, visually, patterns in nature are soothing to our brains, and time spent in nature is known to reduce blood pressure and stress-related hormones cortisol and adrenaline. On an even higher level of awesomeness: trees release chemicals called phytoncides into the air that we breathe in, and these chemicals have been shown to boost our immune systems!! To get these benefits, it's as simple as spending time surrounded by trees. If you want to know more of the science behind it, I highly recommend two books: "Forest Bathing" by Dr. Qing Li and "The Hidden Life of Trees" by Peter Wohlleben (get the illustrated edition if you can!). BONUS POINTS if you order one or both of these books from an independent local bookstore, which will make you a Hero in the Saving Small Businesses world!

Day 15! Today’s happiness tip is a bit magical!!

Are you ready for a bit of a creative project? Today we're going to hang something sparkly in a sunny window (somewhere that you'll see it during the day), and then sit back and let it work it's magic on our brains! Our brains are hardwired to find sparkly things soothing and appealing, so why not give them something sparkly to enjoy! This works best if it's hanging, because then it catches the sunlight randomly and will send reflections flying around on your walls. Or - make it something sparkly on your hands (nailpolish, bracelets) so that it will catch your eye throughout the day no matter where you are. If you want to know more about the science behind this, I highly recommend a book called "Blue Mind" by Wallace J Nicols - there are a couple of theories from this book that I used as inspiration when creating my "Serenity Experience" installation. You can enjoy the online version of this installation on my website - I hope you find it as soothing as I do! { https://jessicalin.ca/theserenityexperience }

Day 16 - today’s tip for reducing stress and increasing happiness!

Today’s tip for reducing stress and increasing happiness should be no surprise, but sometimes a reminder is good � Remember a couple of days ago when we talked about how being around trees is so good for your health? Well it turns out that even LOOKING AT IMAGES of trees has been shown to reduce blood pressure and have other calming effects! Artwork is good for the soul as well, and today I’ll show you a couple of my pieces and discuss their stories in greater detail �

Day 17 - join me on an adventure to increase your happiness levels!

Whether you are an avid international traveler, or enjoy weekend road trips close to home, traveling is a great way to learn new things and increase your happiness. Since we're all pretty much stuck at home right now, my idea for experiencing this is a simple one: choose a country or city that you'd like to visit (maybe one you've been to and loved, maybe one that's on your "bucket list"), and find movies, shows, books, etc. that take place there. The key is to pick ONE place, and really immerse yourself in this place and culture over the coming days or even weeks. I always do this before visiting somewhere new, so that I have an idea of what I might want to see and experience when I get there. It also helps extend a 3-week trip to more like 6 months!Personally, I have been in Japan for weeks now. I started with reading "Kafka on the Shore" by Haruki Murakami (who's books are always a bit surreal, so I found that comforting when our own world suddenly seemed like a sci-fi story). Next I read "Kitchen" by Banana Yoshimoto, which is slightly morbid but was also comforting. We recently watched "Memoirs of a Geisha" which is one of my favourite books as well as movies, and I'm currently reading "The Makioka Sisters" by Junichiro Tanizaki. These last two take place around the 2nd World War, so have the added bonus of traveling in time as well as space, and I've found it reassuring to be reminded of extremely challenging global situations that people have persevered through in the past.Do you know where you're going to travel to? Or have you already been doing this? I'd love to know where everyone is going in their imaginations these days!

Day 18 - an EASY daily way to increase your happiness!

Today I'm suggesting something you might have heard of before, and some of you might have already done this activity in the past. It's called a "Gratitude Jar". The idea is that every day, you take a small piece of paper and write something you're grateful for. Then you fold the paper up and drop it in the jar. Seems simple right? But it encourages you to focus on appreciating the good things in life right now, which is super-important. As the little pile of folded papers grows in your jar, you'll also have an instant visual reminder of how much you still have to be grateful for even in the middle of a pandemic and all the stress that goes with it. If your jar gets full, move to a bigger jar or add another one! And then at the end of the year, dump all the little pieces of paper out, and read them one by one. It's amazing how this will shift your awareness to positive things, and ease your stress about the negative things :)

Day 19 - Have FUN with this one!!

This might sound silly at first - and that's kinda the point - but today I'm going to suggest DRESSING UP! Dig out an old Halloween costume, or that great party outfit you haven't worn in ages.. it doesn't matter that there's no party to go to, just have fun! OR, organize a dress-up virtual cocktail party with your friends! Even better, show up at your next zoom meeting in costume! This one is something kids will enjoy too (they've probably already been doing it over the past few weeks at home!). I'd love to see pictures...!

Day 20! Today I’ll share an EASY recipe that has given me happiness lately!

Sometimes happiness comes from very simple pleasures, and today's idea is one of those. One of the ways we can increase our enjoyment of life is to savour things, and really engage the senses. A fun way to experience this is to try new recipes! The following recipe comes from one of my all-time favourite cookbooks, "The Garden of Vegan". Even though I've never had a vegan diet, I've loved this cookbook for easy and tasty meatless recipes. Until a couple of weeks ago, I'd never attempted to make anything in the "frozen dessert" food group (that's a food group, right??), but this one was so easy and included two of my favourite flavours: pear and ginger! Here it is: 2 large pears, cored & cubed 1 banana, sliced into coins 2 tbsp lime juice 1 cup apple juice (plus maybe a bit more) 3/4 cup sugar 2 tbsp fresh ginger, grated (or more, if you really like ginger) Toss pear and banana in a bowl with lime juice; put in freezer to freeze. In a small saucepan over high heat, bring apple juice, sugar, and ginger to boil; reduce heat and simmer 5 mins. Cool to room temp. In a blender, blend together the frozen fruit with the juice mixture until smooth. If the consistency is too thick, add a bit more apple juice. Spoon into an ice cube tray (or other small containers) and return to freezer. ENJOY!! If you're looking for a great meatless cookbook, I highly recommend checking this one out! And the movie I highly recommend right now is called “About Time” with Rachel McAdams.

Day 21: a gentle and powerful way to shift your reality right now :)

You might have heard of this idea before, or you might even have done it in the past.. my stress-reducing suggestion for today is: Affirmations. The way I do this is I choose 3 statements that I need to remind myself of, and write each one 10 times. Here are some examples to get you started: - I am doing the best I can - Pandemics are challenging times - I'm taking care of my health - the only things I can control are my actions and my behaviours You can do the same ones each day, or choose new ones every time. The repetition of writing them 10 times really helps it sink into your brain, and will noticeably shift your mindset. A shifted mindset, in turn, will lead to a shifted experience of reality. It sounds like science fiction, but it's actually possible to change the world around you by changing what you focus on and how you choose to think about it. Powerful, right?! YOU CAN DO THIS. And when you've written your affirmations for the day, give yourself a high-five! You've taken a step towards changing your day, your life, and the world around you :) If you want a few more ideas for gentle, affirming phrases, you can also check out my "Serenity Experience Online" which includes lovely phrases that float in and out like clouds in the sky: https://jessicalin.ca/theserenityexperience . . . #affirmations #mentalhealth #sliceofserenity #selfcare #selflove #begentle #youaregreat

Day 22: today’s de-stressing idea is a classic - for a very good reason!

Meditation. There's nothing new about this stress-reducing activity, but it might be new for you. Or perhaps you're like me and know this works, but have not been keeping up your practice as often as you'd like - if so, here's a friendly reminder ;) When I read that studies have shown only 28 minutes of meditating for two months PHYSICALLY CHANGES YOUR BRAIN, I took it as sort of a dare to myself to try it. It doesn't even have to be 28 minutes all at one time, so 15 minutes in the morning and 15 minutes before bed works too. Or whenever. Why change your brain? Good question. In my own experience, meditation has helped me to be able to bounce back a lot quicker from distressing situations, and to be more deliberate in my responses to what's happening around me. We're in the middle of one of the most distressing global situations of our lifetimes right now, and the added pressure and anxiety of being isolated from most of the people we know is making it really hard. My meditation practice has helped me immensely over the past couple of months. Like anything new that you're trying to build up, I would suggest starting slow and trying it for 5 minutes. Personally, I have trouble sitting still and just "being", so I find guided meditations work best for me. I've been using an app called Unplug, which I would highly recommend (there are also a couple of other recommendations in the comments below). I'm not going to lie - this is probably the toughest suggestion yet in this series of de-stressing ideas, which is why I've saved it until now. If you don't feel ready for this, simply go back to some of the easier exercises and continue those until you do feel ready. Or please feel free to use my "Serenity Experience" online piece, since this is what it's designed for: to be a sort of baby-step towards building a meditation practice. You can find it here: https://www.jessicalin.ca/theserenityexperience Happy brain-changing!

Day 23 {part 1}: about Pandemic Expectations, and what you’re doing right in all of this :)

{Hilariously, in this video about how nobody is perfect, I dropped my phone while broadcasting live. And then couldn't get it to film properly, so there's a part 2 that follows!} So we're all seeing people bake amazing things and have concerts off their balconies, and while that may inspire or lift our spirits, it may also give us a nagging feeling that we aren't doing everything we could or should be doing right now. Well, I'd officially like to call bullshit on that nagging feeling! We are all doing our best! These are tough times! Everyone is sharing their wins, but it doesn't mean their whole days are full of wins. My idea for you today is to forget about all the things you're not doing. Make a list of the things you ARE doing. Start simple: getting out of bed. WIN. Eating. WIN. And then maybe ask friends or family what they think you're doing well but you've maybe overlooked. Give yourself a high-five :) And then maybe choose one of those things, and draw yourself as a superhero with this Pandemic Superpower! It doesn't need to be a "good" drawing! It just needs to remind you that YOU ARE DOING OKAY. We are ALL failing at things right now. Don't focus on that. Focus on what you're winning at! Now go check out the 2nd part of this video, because I have a couple of exciting announcements to share towards the end of it!!

Day 23 {part 2}: about Pandemic Expectations, and what you’re doing right in all of this :)

{Hilariously, in this video about how nobody is perfect, I dropped my phone while broadcasting live. So if you missed part 1, definitely go watch it first so that my epic fail can give you a good laugh today!} So we're all seeing people bake amazing things and have concerts off their balconies, and while that may inspire or lift our spirits, it may also give us a nagging feeling that we aren't doing everything we could or should be doing right now. Well, I'd officially like to call bullshit on that nagging feeling! We are all doing our best! These are tough times! Everyone is sharing their wins, but it doesn't mean their whole days are full of wins. My idea for you today is to forget about all the things you're not doing. Make a list of the things you ARE doing. Start simple: getting out of bed. WIN. Eating. WIN. And then maybe ask friends or family what they think you're doing well but you've maybe overlooked. Give yourself a high-five :) And then maybe choose one of those things, and draw yourself as a superhero with this Pandemic Superpower! It doesn't need to be a "good" drawing! It just needs to remind you that YOU ARE DOING OKAY. We are ALL failing at things right now. Don't focus on that. Focus on what you're winning at!

Day 24: the final installment of my Slice of Serenity series of videos!

Today I'll share a few ideas to help you get grounded and enrich your connections. Let's also consider how we might rejoin the world with intent as far as what we invite into our lives and schedules moving forward into this post-pandemic reality. And for bonus points, google "post traumatic growth" :)