Corean (00:02.606)
Welcome back to the Remember to Live podcast where we help each other live happier, more joyful, more fulfilled, no regret lives. I'm your host, Corean Canty, and today is the 10th episode.

Corean (00:23.022)
And since I'm in the season of life where we celebrate the wins big and small in honor of this 10th episode milestone, I want to have a whole episode dedicated to finding more happiness in our lives.

Corean (00:47.854)
One of the books that heavily influenced this podcast and how I'm currently living my life is The Top Five Regrets of the Dying by Bonnie Ware. Now in this book, one of those top five regrets is I wish I would have allowed myself to be happier.

Corean (01:13.23)
And this is a regret I'm seeing up close and personal with my mother in the season of her life every day.

And that's why it's so important for me to not only find ways to show up to my life right now and live every moment of it, but to also help you show up to your life and find as much joy and happiness as we can.

Corean (01:42.67)
Too many of us are putting off our joy and happiness for one day. One day I will.

Corean (01:55.246)
Life doesn't wait for one day. And I believe that we can find joy and happiness every day if we just take the time to look for it.

Corean (02:12.494)
So here are my.

Corean (02:18.254)
So here are my 10 simple habits for everyday joy.

Corean (02:31.822)
Number one is choose.

Corean (02:39.31)
We first have to start by giving ourselves permission to be happy.

Corean (02:49.582)
The idea that happiness is something that we have to earn or work really hard for or put off for one day in the future when we feel like we deserve it.

Corean (03:02.606)
That can be one of our biggest barriers to experiencing all the joy and happiness that is here for us right now.

Corean (03:15.982)
We may not get to choose everything that we experience in life, and yeah, there's going to be some hard days, but we do get to choose our perspective.

Corean (03:32.814)
So I encourage you to commit to the pursuit of happiness.

And whenever you can, choose positivity.

Corean (03:49.262)
If we start to intentionally look for those little moments of joy, they'll be there waiting for us. We just have to choose.

Corean (04:09.422)
Number two, pause and be present.

Corean (04:20.446)
Research shows that mindfulness can make you feel happier and more peaceful.

Corean (04:33.966)
Each moment has potential for joy if we just show up to it.

Corean (04:42.83)
And our breath can be an amazing tool for getting present in the moments that matter. Just three simple, deep breaths can make a huge difference. Those three breaths can change your mood. It can calm your nervous system. It can allow you to tap into that presence that brings those moments of joy.

Corean (05:09.582)
So I encourage you to pause, breathe, and be in the moment right now as we explore these habits that can add more happiness to our lives.

Corean (05:34.798)
Number three, get outside. Spending time in nature can be rejuvenating and relaxing.

Corean (05:49.91)
Studies have shown that being in nature for just 30 minutes a week can lower blood pressure and reduce depression.

Corean (06:07.502)
I often ask my clients who say they love the beach and need beach vacations. I love the beach and need beach vacations too. But I ask them, why do you think you feel so good when you're at the beach? It's not just because you're somewhere else or you're not at work, but it's one of the few times in life where we are outside experiencing all of nature. The sun is on our skin, the wind, the ocean.

Our feet are bare on the earth and we are getting rejuvenated and energized by being in nature.

Corean (06:49.934)
As a kid, some of my happiest moments were in trees, being outside, climbing the trees, just having fun.

Corean (07:03.758)
Ya'll we spend too much time inside at our desks.

Corean (07:13.326)
take five minutes to go outside, feel the sun on your face, put your feet in the grass, look around, see what there is to see.

Corean (07:33.518)
Bonus tip, make your outdoor time even more impactful by engaging all of your senses. Using your sight, your smell, and your sound, take in the world around you.

Corean (07:52.942)
If you live in my part of the world, spring is getting ready to bloom and I cannot wait.

Corean (08:02.638)
So get outside, have some fun, experience life.

Corean (08:16.27)
Number four is connect. We all need connection. And according to one of the longest in -depth running human studies,

Corean (08:32.462)
And according to the longest running in -depth study on human happiness in the world.

Corean (08:41.102)
The thing that most impacts our happiness is our quality of relationships.

Corean (08:52.942)
more than money, IQ or social class.

Corean (08:58.894)
the depth and breadth of our relationships with our families, friends, and spouses. That's what's most important.

Corean (09:13.582)
Our relationships are one of the most important predictors of living long, happy, healthy lives.

Corean (09:27.694)
So that call you've been thinking about, that you've been putting off, that friend that's been in the back of your mind, make time. Pick up the phone, send the text, schedule a coffee chat, go on that dinner date that y 'all have been talking about, but keeps getting pushed on the calendar. Create space for connection in your life every day and let the happiness flow.

Corean (10:05.518)
Number five, move your body.

Corean (10:17.422)
We all know that exercise is good for our physical health and well -being.

Corean (10:25.198)
But exercise also releases brain chemicals that boost your mood.

My favorite exercise hack is dancing. Now I love to take a good dance class, but my most favorite way is just to put on my favorite music, dance in the shower, in the bathroom, dance around the house while I'm cleaning up, just getting that movement in.

Corean (10:55.598)
Just getting lost to my favorite song and moving my body and being in the moment brings me so much joy and happiness.

Corean (11:10.894)
So whatever movement brings you joy, if it's dancing, hiking, biking, walking, whatever it is, yoga, just schedule at least five minutes a day to move your body in a way that brings you joy.

Corean (11:37.998)
Number six, be curious and try something new.

Corean (11:53.806)
Each time you take a leap and try something new, you are training your brain to remember that positive association with the new and exciting thing.

Corean (12:12.462)
Being curious, following those little nuggets of interest helps to keep you.

Corean (12:23.712)
engaged in the world and fuels your sense of wonder.

Corean (12:32.526)
Trying new things opens us up to all of the experiences that we can have in life.

Corean (12:46.606)
If y 'all have been listening to the podcast from the beginning, you know that leap is my word for the year. So I encourage you to take the leap, try that new class that you've been wanting to try, that new restaurant, that new food, that new adventure.

Corean (13:05.838)
That hobby that you've been wanting to tinker with.

Corean (13:15.438)
Take the leap today. Try something new.

Corean (13:46.062)
So number seven is rest. Y 'all know I love all things cozy. So being able to get cozy and wind down and rest brings me so much joy. But it took me a long time to allow myself to feel like that level of rest was okay.

Corean (14:14.51)
Rest was something I felt like I had to earn, that rest was reserved for the vacations that I never really took. Or when I just get to this, when I just do that, when I just achieve this, then I'll rest.

Corean (14:36.462)
But studies have shown that sleep deprivation.

Corean (14:44.718)
negatively impact mood, cognitive function, and overall health.

Corean (14:52.846)
hard to feel good when you're exhausted.

Corean (15:12.366)
Creating an evening ritual to wind down, find that peace and calm at the end of your day is a great way to intentionally add joy.

Corean (15:28.302)
Ditch the screens, grab that novel that you've been wanting to read, take that bubble bath.

Corean (15:40.462)
Light your favorite candle, put on some music, journal, spend some time with your family or your fur babies.

Corean (15:51.256)
Find something that helps you relax and get in your happy place so that you can set yourself up for the type of rest that will recharge you and power you through the next day.

Corean (16:10.862)
Even babies are cranky when they're tired, y 'all. We need our rest.

Corean (16:26.158)
Number eight is play.

Corean (16:33.518)
Not only is play fun, it can trigger the release of endorphins.

Corean (16:40.654)
the body's natural feel -good chemicals.

Corean (16:48.142)
There are so many benefits of play for adults. Benefits like stress relief, improved creativity, increased social connection, better physical health, just overall improved wellbeing.

Corean (17:13.518)
I think play is so important for adults that I did a whole TEDx talk on it. I'll be sure to link to the talk in the notes. And in that TEDx talk, I talk about the many benefits that play has for us as adults. One being an increase in happiness.

Corean (17:37.454)
So think back, remember, what's that thing that you did as a kid that brought you joy? What did you wake up in the morning excited to do when you went outside and played with your friends? Do you remember that thing?

Corean (17:53.262)
Go do more of that.

Corean (18:07.598)
Number nine is so simple, yet we can all do more of it. And that's smile.

Corean (18:18.67)
We naturally smile when we're happy.

Corean (18:24.75)
We've also all been in situations where you might not have been feeling that great, but someone is smiling or laughing and that contagious type of belly laughter and you can't help but to smile a little or full belly laugh with them.

Corean (18:48.43)
Smiling causes the brain to release dopamine.

Corean (18:55.468)
And researchers have found that just the act of smiling can influence how we feel.

Corean (19:07.918)
So do more things that make you smile. And just intentionally smile more throughout the day. And if you see someone that looks like they need to smile too, offer them one of yours.

Corean (19:27.95)
And finally, number 10.

Corean (19:34.542)
And finally, number 10, which is practicing gratitude.

Corean (19:42.83)
Now this is a practice that has added so much more joy and well -being to my life.

Corean (19:54.926)
At a time in my life when I felt the most down, when I felt like my world was crashing around, I didn't know what to do next, someone has suggested I just try to start a gratitude journal. Try to find three things each day that I can feel grateful for. Instead of focusing on all the things that felt like they were going wrong, they were falling apart.

or just felt hard.

find the little things that you can be grateful for. So I started a gratitude journal and I have to admit it was hard at first. I could not think of anything that I was grateful for. So for a couple of weeks, what I wrote down was the same thing every day. All I could think of was that I was grateful for my kids. And so I wrote it down because I couldn't get past.

Corean (20:59.278)
thinking about all the negative stuff. And then a funny thing happened. I started intentionally looking for things to be grateful for in my day to write in my journal. And the practice became easier and easier. And after about six months, I didn't need the journal anymore. I now am constantly intentionally looking for things to be grateful for throughout my day.

Corean (21:34.424)
Numerous studies have shown that cultivating a sense of gratitude

can significantly increase happiness and overall wellbeing.

Corean (21:48.91)
So take some time each day to reflect on what you're grateful for, big and small.

Corean (22:00.59)
Try out your own gratitude journal and watch how quickly it just becomes habit.

Corean (22:35.95)
And those are my 10 simple habits for everyday joy.

I hope you'll take at least one or two today and try them out.

Corean (22:55.47)
And speaking of gratitude, I am so grateful that you are here with me listening to the podcast.

Corean (25:06.062)
I have some new and exciting things planned for our community and I can't wait to share.

Corean (25:37.486)
Speaking of gratitude, thank you for going on this journey with me. Thank you for taking a moment to be present in your life. Thank you for listening to the podcast.

I would love to hear how you are adding everyday moments.

Corean (25:56.526)
I would love to hear how you are finding the little nuggets of joy in your day.

and also what you would like to hear more of on the podcast.

Corean (26:11.566)
Send me a DM on Instagram @ Corean Creates.

and I can't wait to hear from you.

Corean (26:31.406)
Stay tuned as I have some fun and exciting things planned as we head into spring.

Corean (26:54.702)
So until next time, go choose happy and remember to live.