• Mail
• Instagram
• Facebook
• LinkedIn
• Twitter
• YouTube
• TikTok

OCTOBER – Welcome to your HappiNewsLetter!

I am so happy to share with you some reflective topics that inspired me during the last months.
Check out as well what’s cooking for the following weeks.
****
OCTOBER
****
“Autumn reminds us to see the beauty in change.” 
Golden colors, warm fires, spiced pumpkin, cozy stay in…
We have now come to accept the change, to take things slow, and savor the Indian summer of October. What do you really want for yourself?
****
Take good care, you are precious.

Choose to Savor

Mental Health Matters

October 10th marks the World Mental Health Day. The theme is set by the World Federation for Mental Health. For this year it was ‘Make mental health and wellbeing for all a global priority’.
Raising awareness about Mental Health enables it to be treated equally with Physical Health. The purpose is to reduce risks, ensure prevention and provide appropriate support. Coaching helps increase self-awareness, define healthy boundaries, refocus on yourself, your priorities and what makes you truly happy and fulfilled. For more info, check wmhdofficial

How To Say No Without Guilt

Imagine this… Someone you care about is asking you to do something you can do, but not in the things you want to do. What do you do? If you hesitate but still say “Yes”, as you don’t want to let them down and “it’s just gonna take a minute”, you are a Pleaser! Here is 1 tip to help you say “No” without feeling extra guilty. Remember that you always have the choice to say “Yes”, “No” or “Counteroffer”. Next time this happens, try out “Yes but not now”, or “Yes but not all of it”. How does that sound? Feeling relaxed already?

Pink Ribbon’s Month

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. It’s an annual and international health campaign to increase awareness and raise funds for research. It was founded in the USA in 1985 by the American Cancer Society and Imperial Chemical Industries. The pink ribbon symbole was established in 1993. It is a great opportunity to encourage breast screening, learn how to support those in needs and celebrate all breath cancer survivors. Many initiatives are organized, such as races, art exhibitions and many sales with donations.

What’s next?

The Hyper-Rational

It’s the HYPER-RATIONAL‘s turn! 
People with a strong Hyper-Rational Saboteur are capable of deep analysis and rational understanding. However, too much of rationality comes at the cost of relationships, emotional intelligence, empathy and vulnerability as they can be perceived as cold, distant or arrogant. It can also make them feel alone and not understood, with a need to shut out all  intrusions to be more focused. 
Challenge of the month: Realize when you feel frustrated with others’ emotions or lack of rational. See what it limits in the depth of your relationships.
How could you use more wisdom, feelings and empathy in these situations? What would change then? In the end, would you rather be right or happy ? 

Why Facing Your Fears?

We know that Halloween is coming at the end of the month… but did you know, there are ONLY 10 WEEKS left before the end of the year?! Well, that’s scary.
What have you achieved so far? What else do you dream for yourself?
A new job for next year? A peaceful Christmas family reunion? Finally getting some me-time off? Getting rid of that toxic stress and anxiety once and for all?
In just 8 sessions with me, you’ll find the self-confidence to let go of your fears and the self-sabotage that is weighing you down. You’ll regain the focus and the peace-of-mind you need to finally make that dream come true.
If that resonates with you, don’t be spooked and simply book a free introduction call with me!

Together let’s unlock your Happiness potential!

The post Unlock Your Happiness Potential – OCTOBER 22 appeared first on Anne-Laure Coaching & Co.

I would bet that we all have, and that we all can savor a special moment. The Danish go even one step further, by giving a name to it and making it a habit of living. They call it Hygge.

Today I want to share with you some insights about this lifestyle. You will learn to develop this feeling of well-being, comfort, contentment, and happiness.

What is Hygge ?

The direct translation from Danish of Hygge is “to give courage, comfort, joy”. It can be compared to Gezelligheit in Dutch, Gemütlichkeit in German, or even Mattari in Japanese.

Hygge is a feeling. It is not something you can buy by itself.

i is the contentment feeling you feel when you realize the quality of the present moment. It is the acknowledgement of conviviality, slowness, intimacy, safety, peacefulness, comfort, or cheerfulness.

The Hygge spirit can be felt at home, at work (yes yes!), alone or with friends, on vacation, etc.

It is the pleasant experience of everyday togetherness. It brings a feeling of wholeness, relaxation, indulgence, and equality. Hygge is the art of comfort and contentment, a road to happiness.

How do you pronounce Hygge ?

I would not be the expert here! It has Danish and Norwegian roots and seems to be pronounce something like “hoo-gah”. But let’s say that the pronunciation is not as important as the concept. I am sure that if you meet a Danish person, they will be happy to pronounce it for you and explain you more about it!

How do you get more of Hygge ? How does it work?

Hygge is the acknowledgment of a special feeling or a special moment. I am sure that there are things in your life that you particularly enjoy and savor. You know ways to indulge yourself, during the hard, cold, dark days, or even during these summery corona-crisis days…

Now is time to develop Hygge!

At home, on vacation, by yourself or with your loved ones…

Look for little things you can do to improve your quality of life.

Imagine yourself in winter, on your cozy sofa, enjoying a nice cup of coffee or a hot chocolate under a fluffy blanket…

Or in summer, with your friends around a grilling barbecue, a cold beer in hand…

I love that moment at nightfall, when the colors of the sky change and you can feel a little breeze.

AT HOME:

How can you reorganize your home to make it cozier?

Your home becomes the nest you want to go back to from the harsh outside world. 

One way is to include natural elements, such as wood, soft materials and textiles, and many candles. I am crazy about pillows, candles, and small lights! Dimming the lights or choosing warm tones immediately makes the ambiance more relaxing.

Remember that the Scandinavian design is rather minimalist and simple. It is not about the new, expensive, and fancy stuff, but rather that comfy old socks you like so much.

You can indeed increase this feeling of Hygge through your choice of clothes. When you come home, switch to your comfortable shorts or pants, and put on your favorite slippers (and remove your bra, for those who know what I mean!). That will put you in the mood right away!

WITH YOUR COMMUNITIES:

How can you develop a sense of connection with the people around you?

You can also make your life outside of your home a little bit more Hygge…

When you are with friends, family, coworkers or even your neighbors, focus on the togetherness and quality time.

At work, think how to set up celebratory events, even virtually. I am a celebrations fanatic and I always find something or someone to cheer for! This changes from the routine and triggers you and the others to enjoy the present moment. And remember to take time to acknowledge it together.

In your neighborhood, you can put in place a free library book exchange, or a community garden… Find out what can unite everyone.

With your family or friends, create a new routine to put it place. It will become something to look forward to! Define an afternoon per month of playing board games together… a dinner at each other’s’ places… a regular Prosecco tasting… a movie night with pop-corn… or even a night baking together…

By developing these habits and behaviors, you take life at a slower pace. You can lay-back, complain less and appreciate more. This way, your mind releases stress and anxiety and focuses on the happy little things. It is definitely worth trying!

To go further…

If you want to read more, you can refer to my Free Resources on this website. I recommend “The Little Book of Hygge” by Meik Wiking, the CEO of the Happiness Research Institute in Copenhagen.  But there are many equally good books on the concept. There are even shops that sell you all the must-have Hygge products for your home.

Best is still to experience it by yourself, at home or with friends! And why not, once the pandemic has calmed down, go for a cultural visit in Denmark itself!

I would be happy to discuss this more with you and read your comments on how you make your day hyggelig!

If you prefer watching me talk about this article, check my video on LinkedIn!

The post Discover “Hygge”: from Coziness to Happiness appeared first on Anne-Laure Coaching & Co.

During this Coronavirus crisis, we are facing exceptionally difficult times, filled with unwanted worry, stress and anxiety. Although it is natural to fear for our health and well-being, additional anxiety can appear and trouble our minds even more. This is due to the particularly high level of uncertainty on how the future will be, for ourselves, our job, our finances, but as well for our parents, family and friends, and even for the global economy and the world itself.

We also suffer from social pressure on what we are supposed to do or not to do, how to stay busy and maintain a perfect household. We tend to wonder how we can possibly contribute to saving the world while actually only staying in pyjama all day and checking the news, which makes us even more anxious and unable to let go…?!

How to let go and find Happiness?

1) Develop a positive attitude to be Happy

It is a very simple, yet not simplistic approach!

It means taking the time to stop, take a step back and change our mindset on how we react to a given situation. There is always another way to see the world. Can you try it out and switch to your optimist’s hat? Can you find something positive to say about that person, or that moment? It can be even a small detail. The idea is to focus on the opportunities instead of remaining stuck on all the constraints we are facing. And great news, the more you do it, the easier it gets!

A great example of optimism during the crisis is when looking at the positive environmental impact that the virus is enabling! And did you pay attention at the compassion, recognition and care for each other that people are developing lately?

What about the fact that staying at home empowers you to be more creative, to cook more, tide up your closets, spend more time with your loved ones (partner, children, doggos…), or even become more digital, and stay connected to your students, colleagues, clients, friends and family?

Oh! And congrats on putting some pants on today!

What else can you award yourself right now?

2) Focus on the present

When we are in a difficult situation, it is very tempting to look back at memories, people or place we enjoyed and feel nostalgic. We also fantasize about the future, being in the anticipation of a different and potentially better time. Basically, we unconsciously try to escape the situation in which we are right now.

When thinking about the remembered past or the imagined future, the mind tends to trick us in focusing and looping around negative thoughts (what if…, if only I…, I will never…).

Unfortunately, this only creates tension in the mind. Ultimately, when we come back to the present moment, the discrepancy we face generates mental conflicts.

How to find your peace of mind? It’s by embracing the present moment, the here and now, and let go of your internal chatter, that you can find a greater place of ease.

Mindfulness is the art of awareness of the present moment, of your current emotions, feelings and thoughts. Practicing regular meditation is one way to help you be more mindful during the day. Luckily, you don’t need to practice hours of meditation like a monk, but you can simply try out the following:

Can you feel your body pressing down against your chair (or the sofa) right now? Or the soles of your feet on the floor (or under the blanket)? Do you notice any particular tension in your body? What sounds can you notice right now? Now, try to take 1 full breath in and out. Here, you just practiced mindfulness! Well done, try again tomorrow to be Happy a little bit more every day.

3) Practice gratitude

Another way to find happiness is to remember what you are grateful for. This doesn’t have to be complicated or poetic. You can think small!

What nice things did you notice today around you? What made you smile (internally)?

What did you see, hear or do that you liked?

Taking a moment to note these little moments brings you happiness and ease of mind. You are basically putting on your internal smile. For example, I love hearing all the different bird songs outside. I’m grateful for a nice cup of coffee or matcha that gives me energy during the day or sitting in the sun on my balcony. I always smile when I catch the moon through my window before going to bed.

These are small things, but of course, you can find larger life-size gratitude… Being grateful for having a stable job, having a good partner, a nice roof above your head, a comfy sofa, friends that ask about you, nice quarantine snacks or just grateful for being alive…

Thinking about what you’re grateful for enables you to realize what is important in your life and be Happy.

You can write it down, a few bullet-points every day before sleeping, or post it on social media if you feel like it, but you can also just stop and think “oh, this is nice”, or “what did I enjoy today?”

4) Demonstrate kindness

Kindness starts with yourself! Be kind to yourself, please.

Can you try it right now? Can you let go? It’s OK to be worried. It’s OK to be confused. It’s OK to freak out. It’s OK to be bored!

The most important is to realize how you feel and to be open about it. Share it with people around you, your friends, or share it with us in the comments!

When expressing it out loud (or in writing!) you might realize that it is actually not as a big of a deal as it felt in your head. Maybe you’ll realize that other people are facing the same thing. It will then diminish your mental strain and even give the opportunity to people to support each other!

You become kind to others by starting with yourself!

And this is how you can develop true compassion and kindness for others, moving away from automatic criticism. Consider that there is a lot in someone that you don’t know and don’t see. We can only assume they are trying their best in the conditions they are in.

Is there someone or something you criticized unnecessarily recently? Can you manage to share kind thoughts and compassion instead?

I hope these few tips can help you remember that the road might be bumpy, but the happiness bus is still rolling. As Queen Elizabeth II just said:

“We should take comfort that while we may have more still to endure, better days will return: we will be with our friends again; we will be with our families again; we will meet again.”

Help us support each other and let us know what are the little things that you enjoy or what are the difficult things that you are stuck on at the moment!

Contact me if you want to know more or book some time to discuss with me! You can also directly look at my Calendly: https://calendly.com/annelaurecoaching/intro-call

#unlockyourhappinesspotential #stayhome

The post How to let go and be Happy? appeared first on Anne-Laure Coaching & Co.