Welcome!!    I am spending the next year working my way through 52 Small Changes:One year to a Happier,  Healthier You by Brett Blumenthal.  I am 7 weeks into my journey to become healthier and happier.   I am glad you have joined me and I hope you are seeing positive changes.

This Week’s Change:  Remove shoes at the door and create a transition space to minimize unwanted outdoor pollutants in your home. 

Did you know that for adults allergies are the fifth leading chronic disease and a major cause of work absenteeism.  I happen to be diagnoses with asthma and allergies.  We have done some things to make our house more conducive to keeping pollutants out of our home.   Blumenthal provides a number of tips to keep pollutants outdoors.  

1. No  shoe policy inside your home –  I tried this, but my hubby doesn’t like to take his shoes off  and on as he goes in and out of the house frequently.   Great idea…didn’t work for my household.  I sweep frequently.

2. Flooring – hard surface that is easy to clean.   We have hardwood floors on our main floor and two rooms that are carpeted in the basement.   This has been very helpful as hardwood floors are easy to clean and don’t collect dirt and dust. 

3.  Accessories that help – shoe scrapper, outside mat and a rug at the entrance of the home are all great way to make sure allergens don’t come into your home.  Exhaust fan to properly ventilate  to reduce chance of mild or mildew forming.

We also find it very helpful to have an air cleaner in the home.  Ours is on our furnace and helps to catch a lot of the allergens.   We have to remember to clean it often during allergy season.   Also if you are having trouble with allergies during a certain time of year, I have found it very helpful to shower before bed to make sure the allergens are off my body and hair before going to sleep. 

My Current Habit:  We take a lot of precautions in this area due to my health.   All the above are steps we take to keep allergens out of the house.  I sweep the floors on the main floor frequently to decrease allergens.  

Changes I would like to make: I would like to get my family to not wear shoes in the house, but that will not happen.    I would like to be better about cleaning the air cleaner at least twice monthly.  

Last Week’s Change: Take a Multivitamin

How did you do last week??  Last week I started taking a probiotic since I was already taking a multivitamin daily.  I can’t say that I felt any better taking the probiotic as I got sick over the weekend.  Overall I have been doing well with my weekly goals, except for keeping a food journal and being active everyday.   I was doing good with being active until I had surgery.  I am cleared to be active, but just haven’t got started again.   I keep saying I will start tomorrow….and then the next tomorrow. Now that I have put that in print I hope it will motivate me to get back on the treadmill.   Public accountability is always motivating to me.   I am doing better with being more intentional with my weekly goals by reading the list of the items I should be working on each morning. 

What worked for you?  Were you able to take a multivitamin each day?

Stop by next Wednesday for the next change and to share your progress. 

Previous Changes:

1.   Hydrate with water.
2.   Get 7 – 8 Hours of Sleep
3.   Get Routine Activity Every Day
4.   Keep a Food Journal
5.  Develop an Optimistic Outlook
6.  Multivitamin Daily
7.  Keep Allergens Out of Your Home

Week #5: 52 Weeks to a Healthier and Happier You – Develop an Optimistic Outlook. 

“ A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty”.  – Winston Churchill

Welcome!!    I am spending the next year working my way through 52 Small Changes:One year to a Happier,  Healthier You by Brett Blumenthal.   I am 5 weeks into my journey to become healthier and happier, I  am seeing results.   I am glad you have joined me and I hope you are seeing positive changes as well.

This Week’s Change:   Develop an Optimistic Outlook

Blumenthal reminds us that “Being Optimistic and practicing positive thinking doesn’t mean you have to be unrealistic or ignore life’s challenges.   Instead, it means shifting your mindset to be more positive and productive.”    Countless studies have shown that those who see the glass as half-full are more likely to stay healthy and enjoy an longer life.  People with the half-full mentality come off as happy, confident and comfortable with themselves.  

My Current Habit:  Today,  I tend to be a very half –full sort of person, this has not always been the case.   I try to find the best in each person and situation.  People have often commented about my life saying how “they couldn’t do it”, meaning my life.   I am always surprised by that, while my life is very busy….I love my life and feel very blessed     Sometimes I find myself being less optimistic than I would like and negative thoughts will creep in.   When I find this happening, I find that humor really helps.   My hubby and I laugh at ourselves frequently, which helps us to decrease stress by finding humor in difficult situations.    My recent surgery being one of those situations, we have had a lot of laughs on my account.     I also try to minimize my time with negative people and surround myself with those who are make me feel good.  And lastly, when I am feeling sorry for myself or a little down, I take some time and remind myself of the good things in my life.   Practice a grateful heart!   I  am very blessed and grateful everyday for my life. 

Around Thanksgiving is a great time to reflect on gratitude.  If you are interested in starting a Gratitude Journal, check out, The Gratitude Journal App.   Commit to reflecting  on what you are grateful for can make such a huge change in our life and attitude.   Give it a try!

Changes I would like to make:  I would like to work on letting things go.  There will always be things and people in my life that I can’t change and that is OK.     Blumenthal suggests “ whenever you feel yourself obsessing about something, ask yourself if it’s really worth spending so much negative energy on”.  I think I will be more mindful of this advice.  The more you surround yourself with positive people, the more positive energy you will have in your life and the happier you will be.

Last Week’s Change:   Keep A Food Journal

How did you do last week??  Since I was feeling better, I was able to cook more fresh meals.   I easily met my goal of eating 1/2 plate of veggies at lunch and supper most days.   Making a point of being more mindful of what I was eating really helped.  I planned most of my snacks each day.   We won’t talk about Halloween and what happened when I was left home alone with a HUGE bowl of candy.    The candy it out of the house and will no longer call my name!  After Halloween, I was once again mindful of my sugar intake.      

What worked for you?  Were you able to keep a food journal last week?

Stop by next Wednesday for the next change and to share your progress.  Now, go have some happy thoughts!!

Previous Changes:

1.   Hydrate with water.

2.   Get 7 – 8 Hours of Sleep

3.   Get Routine Activity Every Day

4.   Keep a Food Journal

5.  Develop an Optimistic Outlook