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“People are just as happy as they make up their minds to be.”
― Abraham Lincoln

Hope you are staying positive this month and focusing on being happy. Remember it isn’t success that will make you happy but how being happy before can help you be successful.

Being happy is not something that comes natural to us humans. We are made to survive not to be happy all the time. So, I thought I’d give you some helpful steps/benefits on becoming happy and retaining that happiness.

1. Don’t hold grudges-This helps you understand that it’s better to forgive and forget than to let your negative feelings crowd out your positive feelings.
2. Treat everyone with kindness- Every time you perform a selfless act, your brain produces serotonin, a hormone that eases tension and lifts your spirits.
3. See problems as challenges- A problem is viewed as a drawback, a struggle, or an unstable situation while a challenge is viewed as something positive like an opportunity.
4. Express gratitude for what you already have- You will have a deeper sense of contentment if you count your blessings instead of yearning for what you don’t have.
5. Dream big- If you dare to dream big, your mind will put itself in a focused and positive state.
6. Don’t sweat the small stuff- Letting things roll off your back will definitely put you at ease to enjoy the more important things in life.
7. Speak well of others- Being nice feels better than being mean. As fun as gossiping is, it usually leaves you feeling guilty and resentful.
8. Never make excuses- Happy people don’t make excuses or blame others for their own failures in life. Instead, they own up to their mistakes and, by doing so, they proactively try to change for the better.
9. Get absorbed in the present- Don’t dwell on the past or worry about the future. Savor the present, stop and smell the roses.
10. Wake up at the same time every morning- Waking up at the same time every morning stabilizes your circadian rhythm, increases productivity, and puts you in a calm and centered state.
11. Avoid social comparison- You’ll be happier if you focus on your own progress and praise others on theirs.
12. Choose friends wisely- surround yourself with optimistic people who will encourage you to achieve your goals. The more positive energy you have around you, the better you will feel about yourself.
13. Never seek approval from others- Listen to what people have to say, but never seek anyone’s approval but your own.
14. Take the time to listen- The more intensely you listen, the quieter your mind gets, and the more content you feel.
15. Nurture social relationships- Always take the time to see and talk to your family, friends, or significant other.
16. Meditate- Meditating silences your mind and helps you find inner peace.
17. Eat well- Be sure to eat foods that will keep your mind and body in good shape.
18. Exercise- Exercising boosts your self-esteem and gives you a higher sense of self-accomplishment.
19. Live minimally- Clutter weighs you down and makes you feel overwhelmed and stressed out.
20. Tell the truth- Being honest improves your mental health and builds others’ trust in you. Always be truthful, and never apologize for it.
21. Establish personal control- Being in complete control of one’s own life brings positive feelings and a great sense of self-worth.
22. Accept what cannot be changed- Once you accept the fact that life is not fair, you’ll be more at peace with yourself. Instead of obsessing over how unfair life is, just focus on what you can control and change it for the better.

Obviously you don’t need to achieve all 22 steps, but even working on a few can change your level of positivity. So try your best and let us know how it goes! :)

Think about how this applies to this month’s challenge

This month’s challenge is made to make you think a little. Think about your life and see how this can apply to you.

We were inspired by a TED Talk with Shawn Achor for this month’s challenge (http://www.ted.com/talks/shawn_achor_the_happy_secret_to_better_work.html).

We want you to think about happiness and what being happy means to you. From watching this video we have learned some interesting things about what it means to be happy and successful and how they are very different.

When we see the news about what’s going on in the world, we soon realize that the negative to positive ratio is more negative than positive. Therefore we conclude that the world is more negative. The lens through which your brain views the world shapes your reality. 90% of your long term happiness is predicted not by the external world but by the way your brain processes the world. We believe that if we work harder we will be successful and therefore we’ll be happier. We’ve pushed happiness over the cognitive horizon, as a society. We think we need to be successful to be happy. But our brain works the opposite way. If we can raise someone’s level of positivity in the present, then their brain experiences the happiness advantage. The advantage is that your brain performs significantly better than it does in negative, neutral, or stressed. If we can find a way to be positive in the present, than our brains work even more successfully. Dopamine that floods into your system when you’re positive, makes you happier and turns on all your learning centers. Therefore there is a big advantage to being happy before being successful. Being successful does not make you happy like society believes it does. Every time we have a success we change the goal post of what success looks like. You got good grades, now you need to get better ones. You have a good job, now you need to get a better job. You never reach what you are aiming for because the goal post is always changing.

So from what we just told you, we challenge you to put your life in perspective and see where your happiness comes from. Are you happy because you are successful? Or are you successful because you have a positive attitude and are happy?

You know how this works! Email us at wellness@callutheran.edu and tell us something you have learned or enjoyed about this month’s challenge and you will win a gift card from a local vendor.

Good luck & live well!

Hey Livewell Challengers! Hope March has been treating you well. There was not a challenge this month but we wanted to make sure you got some information to have a safe spring break.

Safe Drinking Tips:

• Alternate drinking non-alcoholic beverages with alcohol to slow the rate of consumption.
• Set a limit and stick to it!
• Never drink on an empty stomach!
• Drink water. Alcohol and the sun dehydrate you, even in the cold weather!
• Always designate a sober driver.
• Pace yourself! Don’t try to keep up with friends!

Sunscreen Facts:

• Apply to dry skin 15 minutes before going outside.
• Re-Apply every 2 hours or after swimming or sweating.
• Already burnt? Stay hydrated & avoid more sun exposure!

Safer Sex:

• Don’t leave condoms out in hot places. Keep in a cool dry place.
• Gaining consent when under the influence is like gaining no consent.

Date Rape Drug Prevention:

• Do not share or accept drinks from other people (even acquaintances).
• If someone offers you a drink, watch it being poured or open the container yourself.
• Carry your drink with you everywhere, if you leave it unattended, pour it out.
• Don’t drink from common containers (ie: punch bowls).
• Don’t drink anything that looks or tastes strange (blue, cloudy, bitter).

Hope the challenge has been helping you out this month!
The next type of relationship is the one that most people think of when they think of the word relationship, which of course is a romantic relationship. We’ve found some good tips for you and your partner to think about to help strengthen your bond. So check out these tips and let us know how they work for you! 

Try something new together

• couples who participate in exciting activities get a big boost in relationship satisfaction.

Gossip

• It’s tempting — and often prudent — to keep couple conversations behind closed doors, but you may actually benefit from blabbing to a close friend. With relationship issues, it can often be beneficial to hear how people that you trust deal with a similar situation.

Tweak your diet

• Eat up! Almonds, avocados and arugula can boost your sex drive.

Realize that all couples fight

• It’s also important to recognize that there are ups and downs in every relationship. You won’t always be on the same page.

Never stop communicating

• Good communication is a fundamental part of a healthy relationship. When people stop communicating well, they stop relating well, and times of change or stress can really bring out disconnect. As long as you are communicating, you can work through whatever problem you’re facing.

Give and Take

• If you expect to get what you want 100% of a time in a relationship, you are setting yourself up for disappointment. Healthy relationships are built on compromise. However, it takes work on each person’s part to make sure that there is a reasonable exchange.

Be full of Love and Happiness

• To have a successful and healthy relationship, one must already be self-fulfilled, happy, and exude love. It can be destructive to try to go into a relationship seeking happiness when you’re not happy with yourself. You are in control of your happiness. It is a matter of choice. Take the step in finding it in yourself before you find it in someone else. (http://idillionaire.net)

Relationships can be hard but they also have many benefits, especially friendships. Friends can help improve your health and well-being.

Benefits of friendships:

• Increase your sense of belonging and purpose
• Boost your happiness
• Reduce stress
• Improve your self-worth
• Help you cope with traumas, such as, a serious illness, job loss or the death of a loved one
• Encourage you to change or avoid unhealthy lifestyle habits, such as excessive drinking or lack of exercise

Why it can be hard to keep and maintain friends:

• Friendships may take a back seat to other priorities
• You and your friends may have grown apart due to changes in your lives or interests
• Moved to a new community and haven’t yet found a way to meet people

As February is the month of love and St. Valentine’s Day, we thought a good challenge for this month would be to focus on relationships. Not just romantic relationships with a boyfriend or girlfriend, but friendships, roommate relationships, and relationships with your parents. Relationships are a big part of life and sometimes it is hard to give them proper attention when we have work, classes, clubs, sports, studies, and many other things to do. 

So for the month of February we challenge you to work on the relationships in your life.

A strong, healthy relationship can be one of the best supports in your life. Good relationships improve all aspects of your life, strengthening your health, your mind, and your connections with others. However, if the relationship isn’t working, it can also be a tremendous drain. Relationships are an investment. The more you put in, the more you can get back. 

We will, throughout the month, give you more tips to work on your relationships. If you have any questions or want more tips on how to move forward with the LIVE WELL challenge email us at wellness@callutheran.edu. If you tell us how the challenge has helped you or something you have learned from this month’s challenge you will be entered to win a gift certificate to a local vendor. Good luck! And let us know how it goes!  

This time of year is crazy enough and when you have to go Christmas shopping on top of everything else you have to do during the holidays, it can be stressful. So to help you enjoy the Holiday Season we want to help you make more and buy less. 

We often get so engrossed in buying the perfect present but I think we tend to forget how a hand made gift can say and mean so much more to the person who is receiving your gift. By making your gifts this year it also might help you de-stress and take a break from your hectic schedule. Here are some gift ideas, just click on the links below to get inspired!

For your sister:

•  http://www.bforbel.com/2012/08/how-to-glitter-starbucks-cup.html

For your brother:

• http://thenotsoblankcanvas.blogspot.com/2012/09/threadbare-memories.html

For the book reader in your life:

• http://www.coffeelightandsweet.com/2011/10/diy-book-bookends.html

For Dad:

• http://www.marthastewart.com/271631/dads-car-travel-kit?czone=holiday/santas-workshop/santas-handmade-gifts&center=307035&gallery=275582&slide=271631

For Mom:

• http://www.brassyapple.com/2010/08/cut-it-out-canvas-tutorial.html

For Grandma:

• http://furloughedtime.blogspot.com/2011/06/cookbook-scrapbook.html

For the neighbors:

• http://bubblynaturecreations.com/2012/12/hot-cocoa-mix-ornaments.html

For your significant other:

• http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m7p38eRvfB1qml1upo1_500.jpg

For the toddler/child in your life:

• http://www.meetthedubiens.com/2010/11/i-spy-bottles.html

Let us know if any of these gift ideas inspired you and you could be entered to win an prize. Email us at wellness@callutheran.edu if you have any questions about the gifts.  

Happy Gifting:)

Happy Holidays!

Thank you for participating in November’s Live Well Challenge, hope you all got some more sleep!

This month the Live Well Challenge is to enjoy the Holiday Season!

Each year when  the holidays come around, it seems to go by faster and faster each year. We challenge you to slow and down and enjoy this time of year which tends to be chaotic. Spend more time with your loved ones, watch a Christmas movie, decorate, make a gingerbread house, see a performance of the Nutcracker Ballet, enjoy a cup of hot cocoa, bake cookies, have a game night, drive around your neighborhood and enjoy the Christmas lights, and read Christmas stories.

Needless to say there are many great activities you can do to slow down and enjoy this Holiday Season. We will post more tips throughout the month with more tips on how to enjoy the most wonderful time of the year.

Remember to let us know why you are enjoying this month’s challenge, or tell us what you are doing to complete the challenge you will be entered to win an awesome prize!
Any questions, comments, concerns, email us at wellness@callutheran.edu.

Good luck and Happy Holidays:) 

Happy Almost Thanksgiving!

We hope the Challenge has been going well for you this month.
Our tip for this week is to create a good sleep environment. 

There are many benefits to having a stress-free, calming, and relaxing sleep space.
Here are seven tips to create a good sleep environment:

No. 1: Stick to a sleep schedule

Go to bed and get up at the same time every day, even on weekends, holidays and days off. Being consistent reinforces your body’s sleep-wake cycle and helps promote better sleep at night. There’s a caveat, though. If you don’t fall asleep within about 15 minutes, get up and do something relaxing. Go back to bed when you’re tired. If you agonize over falling asleep, you might find it even tougher to nod off.

No. 2: Pay attention to what you eat and drink

Don’t go to bed either hungry or stuffed. Your discomfort might keep you up. Also limit how much you drink before bed, to prevent disruptive middle-of-the-night trips to the toilet.

Nicotine, caffeine and alcohol deserve caution, too. The stimulating effects of nicotine and caffeine — which take hours to wear off — can wreak havoc with quality sleep. And even though alcohol might make you feel sleepy at first, it can disrupt sleep later in the night.

No. 3: Create a bedtime ritual

Do the same things each night to tell your body it’s time to wind down. This might include taking a warm bath or shower, reading a book, or listening to soothing music — preferably with the lights dimmed. Relaxing activities can promote better sleep by easing the transition between wakefulness and drowsiness.

Be wary of using the TV or other electronic devices as part of your bedtime ritual. Some research suggests that screen time or other media use before bedtime interferes with sleep.

No. 4: Get comfortable

Create a room that’s ideal for sleeping. Often, this means cool, dark and quiet. Consider using room-darkening shades, earplugs, a fan or other devices to create an environment that suits your needs.

Your mattress and pillow can contribute to better sleep, too. Since the features of good bedding are subjective, choose what feels most comfortable to you. 

No. 5: Limit daytime naps

Long daytime naps can interfere with nighttime sleep — especially if you’re struggling with insomnia or poor sleep quality at night. If you choose to nap during the day, limit yourself to about 10 to 30 minutes and make it during the midafternoon.

No. 6: Include physical activity in your daily routine

Regular physical activity can promote better sleep, helping you to fall asleep faster and to enjoy deeper sleep. Timing is important, though. If you exercise too close to bedtime, you might be too energized to fall asleep. If this seems to be an issue for you, exercise earlier in the day.

No. 7: Manage stress

When you have too much to do — and too much to think about — your sleep is likely to suffer. To help restore peace to your life, consider healthy ways to manage stress. Start with the basics, such as getting organized, setting priorities and delegating tasks. Give yourself permission to take a break when you need one. Share a good laugh with an old friend. Before bed, jot down what’s on your mind and then set it aside for tomorrow.

Another helpful way to help you fall asleep, if your mind is still wandering from a long day, is to boost your melatonin production at night. Melatonin is a hormone produced by the pineal gland at night and under conditions of darkness. Exposure to light can slow down melatonin production, either making it hard to fall asleep or interrupting sleep.

• So turn off your television and computer. The light can suppress melatonin production. If you use TV to fall asleep or relax at the end of the day try listening to music or practice relaxation exercises. 
• Change your light bulbs. Avoid bright lights, use low-wattage bulbs instead. 
• Don’t read from a backlit device such as an iPad or Kindle. The light from these devices will slow the release of melatonin down.
• When you are ready to sleep, make sure your room is dark. The darker it is the better you will sleep.  

Hope we are helping you to get more sleep.
Remember if you send us a picture of you doing the challenge or email us and tell us why you are enjoying this month’s challenge you will be enter to win a prize and we will pick a winner at the end of this month.
If you have any questions feel free to email us at wellness@callutheran.edu 

Happy Sleeping!