Where is your happy place?

“Go to your happy place.”  I’m sure you have heard that before.  Do you know where yours is?  What the heck is a happy place anyway?  Are you suppose to just zone out with a gaze look on your face  and start visualizing balloons whenever you feel stressed?  Maybe, if that’s what it takes I guess.

I can’t say I have a particular happy place I go to.  I mostly just try to maintain my current happiness.  So when something or someone attempts to get in the way of that, I zone in. Not zone out.

Did you know that it takes only 90 seconds for your biochemistry to capture and release your emotions?   Whatever you feel after that is up to you.  So that’s why it is a good idea to consciously breathe for a moment when you feel upset.  Allow your brain and nerves have a moment to process the information it’s receiving.  Then you can have a clear thought on how to respond.  If someone starts yelling at you and walking away isn’t your automatic response, just stare at them for a moment as you tell yourself to breathe.  Then maybe you can sympathize at the fact that they don’t even have control over themselves at the moment.

I try to catch my stress level before it gets too high, that way I will be more patient with situations and people.  Like bad drivers.  When I feel my happiness slipping, I take some time for myself.  That could be going for a jog,  pampering myself with a candle light bubble bath, spending some time with friends or meditating.  Honestly, the more regular I meditate, the less I need to worry about my happiness.  But as much as I know how effective it is, I still manage to not do it sometimes.

The good thing is, I know what tools work for me.  Make sure you know how to keep your own peace and joy.  Remember no one has the power to take that away from you.  Your happy place should be your normal everyday life.  If it isn’t maybe there is some changes that need to be made.

~Lady A