3 Ways Summer Supports Growth and Happiness

3 Ways Summer Supports Growth and Happiness Summer serves as a perfect reminder of our connection to nature’s cycles. In our human-made surroundings, we can easily overlook this reality. We belong to the wonderful natural world, and its principles are relevant to us as well. Think of it like understanding the body’s circadian rhythms, which regulate sleeping and waking cycles. Similarly, our bodies have natural seasonal cycles that align with the natural world. As science reveals more about the importance of connecting with nature, we discover that following nature’s rhythms promotes health and happiness in our lives. Here are 3 ways to use the natural rhythm of summer to encourage growth and happiness in your life this season. 1. Summer is a Season of Growth and Productivity. In summer, nature displays power through growth. Young trees grow tall with bright green leaves. Flowers bloom, and young animals explore their surroundings. It’s a great time to be alive. What does this mean for us? Take advantage of the natural inclination to grow during this time. Take that class you’ve been thinking about. Sign up for that certification program you’ve been researching. Join a new club. Get the training that will help you reach that next benchmark. Take the leap! Embrace personal growth. 2. Summer is a Season for Connecting to Nature. Spending time in nature is an excellent way to boost personal happiness. It also jumpstarts creativity and lifts our mood. Taking a walk outside, through a park or down a tree-lined street, can inspire new ideas or simply replenish our minds, leaving us feeling more peaceful and refreshed. Set aside time to connect with nature. Try finding a new spot to enjoy a sunrise or sunset. Bring a picnic or snack to the park, whether you're alone or with friends. While you're outside, be sure to engage all five senses. What do you smell, taste, see, hear, and feel? 3. Summer is a Season for Adventure. What new adventure is calling to you right now? Perhaps you’ve been considering a job or career change. Think of the start of the summer season as Mother Nature’s way of offering you a boost out of your usual routine and into new possibilities. Summer offers an excellent opportunity for travel and exploration. You don’t have to venture far for an adventure; simply stepping away from your daily routine and visiting a new place can provide a refreshing escape. If you’re thinking of staying closer to home, why not check out a new restaurant or explore a different type of cuisine? Perhaps there’s a local museum you haven’t had the chance to visit yet? And don’t forget about the local music scene—maybe there’s a venue that’s showcasing a band you’ve never heard of before! Schedule your upcoming adventures by marking your calendar. Designating a date can motivate you to step away from your everyday habits and follow through. Invite a friend or two to share in the fun! Create Lasting Happiness This Summer As [...]

By |2025-06-10T21:46:50-04:00June 9th, 2025|Happiness Tips|
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3 Reasons Going Outside Makes Us Happier

This is the perfect time of year to boost your happiness by going outside every day. What's amazing is you don't have to spend hours outdoors in order to receive the happiness benefits. Just a few minutes each day is usually enough to make a big difference in our levels of happiness and energy. Going outside is free. It's easy. And it offers some pretty significant benefits to our health. Here are just 3 of the reasons to put going outside on your daily calendar starting this week. 1-You Need Sunlight to Make Vitamin D Your body makes vitamin D while you're out in the sun. Researchers believe at least 1 billion people suffer from vitamin D deficiency.  When we don't get enough vitamin D, we can begin to experience symptoms of a vitamin deficiency, such as fatigue, increased vulnerability to illness, back pain, and even depression. OMG! All those things would make it difficult for anyone to experience happiness. The great news is that all you have to do to "right the ship" so to speak is to start spending time outside. Try to spend at least 15 minutes outdoors at a time of day when the sun is high in the sky. At least 15 minutes on a daily basis is enough for many people to maintain a healthy level of vitamin D. The darker your skin is, the longer you need to be in the sun to create vitamin D. 2-Nature Brings Us Peace The sound of the wind in the trees or waves gently lapping the shore can ease tension in our bodies and help us relax and forget about daily worries. Watching living creatures like birds, butterflies, and even fish can lower our stress levels and help us remember how big and beautiful our world is. Going outside also allows us to mentally clock out and get away from our computer screens. Staring at something only a few inches from our faces for long periods of time can stress our eyes. Taking a walk outside allows our eyes to focus on objects far away and lets those muscles we use on the computer have a rest. 3-Nature Allows Us Opportunities to Connect Another benefit to spending time in nature is it allows us opportunities to authentically connect with others. Take a friend or loved one on a picnic and notice the difference in the way you connect while you're out and away from distractions like your computer and TV. Try leaving your phone in the car or in a bag where you won't be tempted to keep checking it. Be present in nature, in the moment shared with your friend or loved one. Those authentic connections also allow us opportunities to relax and ease stresses we may be feeling. They also allow us to create new memories with people we care about, which gives our happiness another boost every time we think back on those great experiences. Try This Look at your calendar for this week and [...]

By |2019-11-22T16:27:55-04:00May 16th, 2019|Happiness Tips|
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Nature: One of the Greatest Sources of Happiness

The Cost of Time Spent in Nature Going outside is free!  Nature is there for everybody to stand and stare and take happiness and comfort from.  The trees do not distinguish between rich and poor, strong and weak, man and woman.  Warm sunshine is free; the glow of the moon is free. You don't have to pay for the cool breeze, warm seashore, towering mountains, smooth flowing rivers, or the dark and inviting forests. You can enjoy them all for free. Take Time to Enjoy Nature Around You Instead of sitting during a break, try taking a short, brisk walk outside. Take your lunch to a park or outdoor area and enjoy a picnic. This weekend, invite a friend to hike a nearby trail with you, or take a day trip to a park or forest. Explore someplace new! While you spend time outside, breathe deeply. Look at the sky. Notice how big the world is, how limitless the sky feels. Listen to the sounds of nature around you, and let them recharge you. The sky, the sun, the ocean, rain and sunshine, all are there for us to possess fully.  You can stare at the sky at any time and claim all of it for your happiness. For that moment, it is all yours. Let your time in nature alter your perspective on your problems. The universe, the earth even, is far bigger than our worries. Time away from our usual routines also gives us a break and lets our minds rest instead of running on the hamster wheel, rehashing a worrisome situation over and over. The Bank Account of Nature Just like the bank account where you keep your financial resources, nature is like a happiness bank account. When you need to spend money, you make a draw from your bank account. In the same way, when you need a happiness boost, make a withdrawal of time spent in nature. You'll feel the difference after spending even just a few minutes. For more practical ways to boost your happiness and more on the ways spending time in nature improves happiness, pick up a copy of my book, 21 Days to Happiness and see Day 6 on Nature: Step Outside for Happiness. Ingrid Kelada Business Psychologist/Happiness Expert KCC Inc.

By |2019-11-05T07:32:17-04:00June 11th, 2018|Happiness Tips|
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How Office Plants Can Boost Your Happiness

Get a plant and bring nature indoors. Well, most of us are eager to take a few days off for the holidays. Here's an idea: plan to buy a plant for your office or home. If you don't have the chance to go outdoors as much as you would like, why not bring a little outdoors, indoors? Even a small plant can make a big difference! Working indoors all day can feel draining sometimes. One simple way to boost your happiness in the office is to bring a little nature into your workspace with you! While you can't control the indoor climate in an office, you can improve the way the space looks and feels by brightening it up with a plant or two. Office spaces can easily become too hot, too cold, too dry or too damp. Finding the perfect balance of temperature and air quality for a group of people is a big challenge as we all have different preferences. In addition printers, copiers, computer monitors, floor coverings, paint and wallpaper can release substances into the air which affects the quality of the indoor climate. The potential consequences of poor air quality are well known: irritated eyes, headache, skin complaints and dry membranes in the nose and mouth. This is not only unpleasant, it is also unhealthy. Yet you can easily improve the indoor climate by using plants! Plants help create a healthy indoor climate and a happier workplace. Not only do they put water vapor back into the air, they also absorb heat and filter dust and harmful substances out of the air. The effect of plants in the workplace has been the subject of repeated scientific investigation. Time after time the conclusion is the same: plants work! Here are some ways they help improve the quality of our work areas. Fewer complaints & less illness Some indoor palms give off a lot of water, which helps keep humidity in the air and prevent dry eyes and nasal membranes. Plants like sword ferns cleanse the air of the formaldehyde released by building materials, paper and furniture. Other good air-purifying plants are the rubber plant, English ivy and date palm. More plants means less stress The presence of plants does not just affect the physical climate. Researchers have discovered that a view of greenery can result in a demonstrable reduction in stress within five minutes. Research has shown that people who spend more than four hours a day working at a computer monitor feel better and are more productive with plants in the workplace! The green view Companies are increasingly willing to accept that they have a key role to play in protecting the environment and the welfare of their employees, and therefore often strive for a 'green' image. Presenting such an image starts with a healthy indoor environment. Plants at work fit perfectly within many company policies. Check with your employer to see what the workplace rules are regarding plants in the office. Bring a little bit of [...]

By |2019-11-05T07:45:35-04:00December 13th, 2017|Happiness Tips|
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