This month, I’m trying something a bit new–I’m including a self-care idea calendar that you can use to increase happiness, decrease stress, and help you bring your best self to all of the relationships in your life. (This self-care calendar is optimized for the month of July 2022, so if you are reading this during July, today is the time to download the calendar.)

Are you wondering how to use your new calendar? I suggest that you keep it open in a window and check it daily, add the ideas to your regular calendar if the idea to an extra calendar feels too complicated, or print it out and tape it to your bathroom mirror (or somewhere you’ll see it daily) as a reminder to take care of yourself too. If you get to a day where there’s a suggestion that you don’t love, feel free to substitute one of the other suggestions that you enjoy more, or something completely different. The idea is to keep self-care more in the forefront of your mind by using small, actionable steps, and using simple strategies that really work.

There is a reason why I chose these specific activities.  As you may have guessed, there’s research behind each one! Here’s some of that research:

• Have a special dinner: Studies (many of them from researcher Barbara Fredrickson) show that enjoying new experiences that bring pleasure can boost your mood to the point that you notice more resources in your life and are more proactive in taking advantage of them, making your whole life more fulfilling. This activity can trigger that “upward spiral of positivity.” 
• Take a walk outside: Research shows that taking a walk can relieve stress, but the same length of walk in nature can bring a greater sense of peace and a larger lift in mood.
• Get coffee with a friend: Studies show that social support can build resilience, so engaging in activities that nurture our friendships can not only be stress relieving at the moment but build lasting relief from stress in the future. And the coffee part–well, who doesn’t like coffee? (Or tea at least?)
• Meditation: Many studies show that meditation can make us less reactive to stress and bring a greater sense of peace and resilience, and even help us with forgiveness and inner peace.
• Savor a fond memory: It’s sometimes too easy to remember past hurts, which can lead to rumination and a more negative mood, even though the hurtful event is long past. One of the best ways to enjoy life is to actively focus on recalling positive events in a detailed way, reliving and recreating those positive experiences. Research bears this out.
• Dance to fun music: Music can increase our heart rate and energize us, or it can help us slow down our physiology and feel a greater sense of peace. Because exercise is so great for us and so is music, why not combine the two and have your own dance session right in your house? (Or include friends or family and make it another memory to savor!)
• Random acts of kindness: Studies show that kind acts can be great for the people we are kind to. Interestingly, they can be even more beneficial for us as kind act-doers! Don’t just take my word for it, though–give it a try!
• Count your “wins” today: Research from Martin Seligman has found that you can significantly boost your mood and increase your happiness levels in a lasting way by reviewing three things that went well at the end of each day. Some people call it “counting wins,” and it’s most effective if you look at what went well and analyze why you think things went well. Often we realize we had a capable hand in how things turned out, and feel more confident in the future.
• Light a scented candle: Aromatherapy isn’t just hype–there’s solid research supporting its effectiveness in helping us relieve stress or feel more energized. To feel more relaxed, lavender can be really effective; peppermint can give you an energy boost. But whatever scent you enjoy can bring a lift to your mood.
• What are you grateful for?: One of the most potent ways to improve your happiness levels and decrease stress is to focus on the things that bring you a sense of gratitude. What are you grateful for? And what can’t you live without?

This is a lot of information, I know! But I wanted you to know the reasoning behind some of these suggestions–they really can help you feel happier and less stressed. I’ll provide more detailed information on all of these topics and more about once a week in my newsletter so you can not only learn more about stress and happiness but have simple steps toward cultivating more happiness and less stress in your life!