Guest Post: Happiness. The Perfect Accessory for any outfit

Working with a personal stylist isn’t just about dressing better. It’s about embracing who you are and then mastering tools to help you show the world that person. The confident, authentic you. This process can take some soul searching. And soul searching isn’t always easy. That’s why I love sharing resources with the Poplin community. I’ve asked Seattle-based Life Coach, Lena Meyer, to share some of her wisdom with us. After all, she’s helped a number of Poplin clients on their journeys.

This is Lena and her bad ass style.

This is Lena and her bad ass style.

It’s free, and accessible at any moment.  Have you ever noticed that when you feel good, you look good too?  Check out these 6 powerful tips from Transformational Life Coach Lena D. Meyer to access greater joy in just 5 minutes or less - boosting your look, and your mood, in a beautiful way.

Items needed

5 minutes + a quiet space to reflect + a notebook and pen + you

6 Steps

1. Get Present

Set up a quiet space for yourself before you begin.  Put away your electronic devices, close the door, and take 5 deep breaths to invite in the present moment.  This is your time to relax and connect to yourself, and taking the time to begin in this way sets the tone for a deeper exploration to arise.

2. Write Down 3 Things You’re Grateful for

Write down 3 things you’re grateful for that occurred in the past 24 hours.  These could be people, experiences, inspirations, new aha’s, lessons learned, or anything that is important to you and feels like a gift. 

3. Soak it in

Now take a moment to soak in everything you’ve put on the page.  Start by focusing on your first item of gratitude.  Connect to the positive feeling of it, and take a slow deep inhale to “breathe it in.”  Exhale gently and slowly.  Repeat for the next two items until you are complete.

Why?

Absorbing the positive is more than just a temporary feel-good exercise.  By doing this you’re actually growing new neural circuits in your brain, with long-term effects that create greater levels of happiness and wellbeing.

4. Notice How You Feel

You first started this exercise just a few minutes ago.  How happy do you feel now compared to when you first started?  5% happier?  50% happier?  More? 

Whether you get a small boost of joy or a big one, simply noticing the difference it made is another way to bring awareness to the fact that YES, you can make an intentional difference in how you feel any time you choose.  Even if it’s a little bit each day, the shifts add up over time in big way. 

5. Continue for 30 Days and Keep it NEW

Continuing this practice on a regular basis over time is where you’ll really start to see the lasting benefits.  Continue steps 1-4 each day for 30 days, making sure to write down NEW things you are grateful for each time.

You can write about brand new people and things each day, or, you can write down new things you notice about some of the main characters and experiences in your life.  The subject doesn’t need to be new, but the gratitude awareness that you write on the page does. 

6. Adjust as You Go

If you find that writing down 3 things each day is too much, or not enough, adjust!  Studies have shown that joyfully keeping a weekly gratitude journal is more beneficial than begrudgingly writing in one daily. 

Consider starting with the format provided in this Coaching Toolbox for 7 days to get your new gratitude habit underway.  Then, after the week is up, check in with yourself and make any adjustments you’d like to the foundation you’ve already set in motion. 

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Have questions?  Send Lena a note or book your complimentary Discovery Call to find out whether coaching together is a match for you. 

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Lena D. Meyer is a Transformational Life Coach, Public Speaker, and the founder of Gratitude6™ and The Soulful Entrepreneurs Network™.  She is ranked as one of the top coaches in the Pacific Northwest, and since 2008 has supported hundreds of people in living their most joyful, meaningful, and empowered lives. 

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