Bernadette Balla's Blog, page 9

Fear

The phrase ‘paralyzed by fear’ has so many different connotations. In certain situations, fear is a protective defence mechanism, programmed into every fibre of our being to warn us of impending danger. However, fear can often overwhelm us unnecessarily, blocking our spiritual compass and overshadowing natural intuition.

Buddha recognised fear, not just as a personal inner struggle, but as a concrete obstacle to enlightenment that must be faced head-on and defeated. Fear has the power to distort our perception, breeding insidious doubts and supressing our connection with our higher self.

Confronting fear is easier than you think. The next time you feel it rising within, don’t push it away. Instead, observe and acknowledge it. Say ‘I am afraid’. Study it, breaking it down into tiny pieces. What caused it? What is the best-case scenario? The worst-case scenario? The most likely scenario? Accepting and tackling fear is not only empowering, it also confirms that it is simply a fleeting impermanent feeling, not something that defines us.

How the Brain Affects Emotions

How the Brain Affects Emotions

The brain is the most complex organ in the body. Some may associate the brain with logic and rational thought, but it’s also the center of our emotions and influences everything from our decision-making to moods. Mostly all animals produce basic emotions like fear and anger, but humans have a set of higher social emotions like guilt, sadness, pride, shame and more.

Emotions are an essential part of our everyday lives that affect behaviour and actions. The five senses, sight, touch, hearing, taste and smell, are how we gather information about the world around us.

The brain is central to how we process and understand that information, and emotions are how we internalize information about the outside world and interpret what it means to us specifically. How much does the brain influence how we feel and how does it impact life?

How Does It Work: The ScienceThe Limbic System

Our emotions are controlled by a major network of the brain called the limbic system. It is made up of three main components: hypothalamus, hippocampus and amygdala.

The amygdala is referred to as the emotional center of the brain. Experiments with monkeys in the 1930s found that the amygdala is responsible for associating emotional significance to things, incidents and memories.

The hippocampus regulates our behaviour with respect to our emotions, while the hypothalamus controls autonomic biological functions like sweating, heart-rate, breathing, and hormones. Our bodies react differently based on which emotions we are feeling. For example, when you’re excited, your heart rate increases. When you’re scared, you sweat.

Neurotransmitters

In addition to the three main components, chemicals called neurotransmitters influence emotion. Neurotransmitters chemically connect our brain to our body and regulate not only our emotions and mood, but also other important aspects of life like memory, cognition, and movement.

There are four main neurotransmitters emotions, Serotonin, GABA, Dopamine and Norepinephrine. While Serotonin and GABA are inhibitory neurotransmitters or ‘calming’ neurotransmitters, Dopamine and Norepinephrine are excitatory or ‘stimulating’ neurotransmitters. These two groups are complementary to each other and their levels balance each other out.

How Emotions Impact BehaviourExpressing Emotions

Emotions are expressed not only by facial expressions but also through speech and body language. There has long been a debate about whether expressions of emotions, such as facial expressions are learned through culture or if they occur naturally in every person.

Famous psychologist, Paul Ekman and his team identified six primary emotions: happiness, sadness, fear, surprise, disgust and anger. People produce similar facial expressions for the basic emotions, no matter where they are born or their culture, so its argued that these are hardwired into the brain.

However, managing our facial expressions depends on certain cultural rules, known as display rules. In the Japanese culture it is considered offensive to express negative emotions in the presence of an authority figure. When a Japanese person experiences a negative emotion, like disgust or sadness, in the presence of authority, he or she may try to control their expressions.

Some difference in emotional expression have also been reported between men and women. Women are more expressive when it comes to happiness, sadness or love, while men express anger more. These differences are not absolute, but largely based on behavioural studies and observations. Thus, they are mere generalizations and depend mostly on cultural norms, social situations, upbringing and gender roles.

Emotions and Decision-Making

Decisions are also influenced by emotions. For example, when it gets dark, your eyes send a signal to your brain, and a fear response can motivate you to switch on the lights.

However, decisions are not solely ruled by emotions. They are also influenced by two key networks, the autobiographic memory network and the cognitive control network. These work together to balance self-reflection and the concentration required to complete tasks.

This balance is extremely important to keep us focussed on the important aspects of our lives. When people have imbalanced networks, they end up suffering from mood disorders.

Taking Care of Your Brain and Emotional Health

Neurotransmitters determine our moods and emotions. An imbalance in the level of different neurotransmitters causes numerous physical and psychological problems like fatigue, insomnia, obesity, pain, mood disorders, addictions, depression, anxiety, or compulsions.

To produce all the necessary neurotransmitters for healthy brain function, the body needs the right amount of proper nutrients. It’s also important to be aware of how certain substances and drugs can alter the emotional state.

Alcohol, cannabis, ecstasy and other recreational drugs can affect the mind in different ways. Alcohol can induce sadness and lead to depression, while cannabis can induce extreme happiness for a short period of time. Drugs interfere with the chemical balance of the brain, altering emotions and behaviours. As a result, people often make poor choices while under the influence.

The enjoyable high feeling fades and becomes a hangover period in which a person feels tired, irritated and physically sick. It is important to understand how the brain affects our emotions. When there are chemical imbalances within the brain, it can negatively impact a person’s emotional health and well-being.

How is staying present helps with happiness?

Your sister gets diagnosed with breast cancer.

Your best friend died of a car accident.

You got pregnant.

And then we panicked, we feel regret and guilty.

Do you know what it's important to stay present? The reason why we are encouraged to stay in present is to reduce the gap of suffering and pain when a unexpected incidents hits.

On the other side, during moments of joy, your experience are magnified because you state of mind is focused on the present.

The more times you noticed the birds on the trees while riding the bus instead of being on the phone, the more times you taste what you eat instead of gobbling down, the faster you encounter a calmer reality. And when disaster hits, you're more prepared for it. That's one of the biggest change i felt when i practice mindfulness meditation.

Click play to watch

How Affirmations Work Best: Learn the Best Time to Say Them!

If you’re reading this, then you’ve started your own spiritual journey. You’re exploring all about positive thinking and you’re probably thinking now – how affirmations work best?

How do I get the most out of them? Surely there must be some secret – some trick you’re missing on.

I know – affirmations can be so confusing. And I get it – been there, done that.

You’re thinking things like, should I close my eyes, should I take a deep breath. Or if you’re a bit like me – a perfectionist – you’re trying to figure out how affirmations work best.

But let me tell you this:

There’s really no big secret into it, really.

However, if you say them the right way at the right time, you might start witnessing the major change in your life you were so hoping to see!

Follow up with me as we take a look why saying affirmations in the morning shower is the best time to say them and how you can start your own morning affirmation practice!

When is the best time to introduce new habits?

Okay, so before I answer your question, here’s a bit of science for you:

Your brain isn’t there to make you happy. Your brain is there to help you survive.

So you can’t rely only on your brain to make you happy – you have to put in a bit of conscious effort yourself.

Often times, old, negative beliefs are so ingrained in your brain that you need to put actual effort into replacing old patterns of thinking with new ones.

And yes, positive thinking takes some time, effort, and dedication – that’s your foundation to set a new habit.

Can you imagine this – our survival instincts are so strong, that our brains treat positive thinking as a completely new habit!

And what’s the best time to start practicing a new habit?

First thing in the morning.

Simple, huh?

   

How affirmations work best in my experience?

I do my affirmations right in the morning before my mind gets cluttered with everyday tasks. I also recommend you do the same.

I prefer to do it once I’m in the shower but you can also do it while you’re brushing your teeth or while doing morning yoga.

Here’s the morning affirmation I repeat to myself in the shower:

My life is growing bigger every day.

My life is growing BIGGER EVERY DAY.

MY LIFE IS GROWING BIGGER EVERY DAY!

Then I let myself feel joy. It’s this immense feeling of content and security that wraps itself around me and follows me throughout the day.

Because my life is growing bigger every day!

The MOST important part is THIS!

You can say your affirmations in the morning but still not witness the results you’re hoping to do.

Remember this:

You have to feel the emotion of the affirmation you’re saying in order for it to work its magic!

Trust me on this one – your life can be growing bigger every day, too!

Have you tried saying your morning affirmations in the shower? Leave me a comment and tell me HOW your life changed once you started doing your affirmations in the morning shower!

How Spirits Communicate with the Living: 7 Common Signs

Do you believe in the dead?

Because I do. And if you’re trying to learn how spirits communicate with the living, then you’re in the right place.

I get it – it sounds crazy to even think that someone from the afterlife is trying to get in touch!

But hear me out on this one:

Spirits are real! Whenever they try to talk to the living, it’s because they’re trying to convey us some message – or maybe offer us their guidance and love. Guardian angels are real too!

So keep reading to find out what my personal experience has been and what signs to look out for to know when the spirits try to communicate with the living.

Here’s what my personal experience has been so far:

  

For the past year, I’ve been having contact with someone who passed away.

This means a lot to me as I get some much-needed guidance in the moments I need it the most. I’ve also noticed that I feel much more secure & safer ever since I started communicating with the dead.

The important part:

I don’t communicate myself. I communicate via a medium that I’ve been seeing for a year.

The medium I picked isn’t someone who just happened to randomly approach me on social media. The messages she has been giving me feel completely true – she tells me private information that no one else could have known.

I keep going over to her and I thoroughly enjoy my experience.

You can either visit a medium or learn how to communicate with the spirits yourself.

How can you tell if a spirit is trying to communicate?

Here are the signs I’ve noticed whenever a spirit is trying to communicate with me!

You sense their presence

Do you sometimes get the feeling that someone’s watching you? If yes, then you might have a spirit sitting right next to you!

Other times, you may feel like someone’s touching your hair or your shoulders – or it feels like people are moving around you. Don’t be scared, they’re just here to say hello.

Another common thing is to shudder – even if you’re not cold!

Animals can sense them too!

Animals can see and hear more than we do. That means, they often see and hear the things that we don’t. My advice would be to pay special attention to your pets.

I have a cat, Leo.

My cat can sense spirits by noticing the way the energy shifts in the room. His senses are so sharp that whenever I see him doing something out of the ordinary, such as meowing at the wall or at an empty chair, I know something’s up.

If you have a dog, notice if they start barking out of nowhere in the same direction. That might mean someone’s visiting and has something to tell you!

You feel like you have a guardian angel at times

Do you often get overwhelmed by happiness & joy out of nowhere?

Do you feel like you’re born under a lucky star – even when all the odds are against you? Or do you suddenly get guidance on a dilemma that matters and it turns out quite alright – often at the very last minute?

If you answered yes to those questions, someone from the afterlife is probably watching over you closely. Smile and thank them!

You see repeating numbers

I am one of those people who keep seeing the same numbers all over again. If you do too, then someone is trying to tell you something.

The repeating numbers can be any combination, at any time or place. For instance, you may keep seeing 1:11 or 3:33 – each number has a different message for you!

Share with me in the comments if you’d like to find out what all of those numbers mean and I’ll try and make a video of that as well.

You feel a slight breeze – even if you’re inside!

A breeze in a room with closed doors and windows? Yup, that happens – don’t freak out!

The breeze sometimes may feel as if someone touched or brushed against you. Whenever you notice the breeze, know that someone very dear might be trying to hug you or simply say hello.

Another thing I’ve noticed is room temperature changes – especially when you haven’t even touched the thermometer!

You can’t stop thinking about them

Intuition is a powerful thing and spirits know that very well.

On some days, you may feel that no matter what you do, you just can’t shake off the thought of a loved one who had passed away. Watch and listen closely as to what happens during the day and whether you see any signs – someone may be trying to tell you something!

You dream about them

Dreams are one of the most powerful channels through which a spirit can communicate with you!

If you happen to dream of someone more often than not, take notice of what they do and say in the dream. Sometimes, someone might be trying to tell you something or make you pay attention to something you’ve been missing out.

Other times, they might just come to say hello – and those dreams are often the best, as you wake up feeling happy and calm.

Have you communicated with the dead? What has your experience been? Share with me in the comments and tell me your stories – I’d be thrilled to learn how other people communicate with spirits & guardian angels!

How Meditation Benefits the Mind: Here’s What Happened to ME!

New to meditating and trying to figure out how meditation benefits the mind exactly?

You’re not alone! If you’re a little bit like me, then I completely understand. I did the same before adopting the habit of meditating in the long run.

I simply needed to know that whatever I was doing was going to WORK – because honestly, I got sick & tired of scraping my emotional bottom.

Nodding your head in agreement there?

Well, keep reading on to discover how meditation benefits the mind and to read at what exact moment I realized that meditation actually works! 

Let’s explain a few things about the brain first

How to Handle Bad Days Without Beating Yourself Up

Are you having a bad day today? And more likely – are you blaming yourself for it? When I was doing this video/post, I was having a bad day myself.

But yet here I am – I survived. You will survive too.

See, here’s the thing with having a crappy day: Bad days are generally treated as something that’s not supposed to happen.

Some people believe that if you meditate daily and if you take proper care of yourself mentally & physically, then you’ll never feel bad again in their life.

And this is where you’re wrong. Bad days will happen regardless of what you do – or don’t do. Don’t let your brain guilt-tripping you here.

You can’t completely eliminate bad days out of your life – but you can learn how to handle bad days like a champion. Keep reading on to see what I do whenever I feel blue and what you can do for an instant mood boost!

Why take care of yourself EVEN if you will still have bad days?

As I said, you can meditate as long as you want, you can eat the healthiest food on the planet and you can work out until exhausted.

And you know what? You’ll still feel horrible on some days. You will have bad days and bad emotions no matter how much you try to avoid them.

But you know what matters? To realize, even on the bad days, that good days and good emotions will soon follow.

Once you set out on your spiritual journey, a wonderful thing happens:

You start being able to tell your emotions apart. And that’s where all the magic happens.

Here’s a recent video of me where I had a really bad day:

  

What can you do on a bad day?

Now that we know that we can’t run away & hide from our bad days, let’s see what we can do about them!

Identify what you are feeling

You can’t fight something if you don’t know what it is that you’re fighting against. So take a deeper look behind all sadness and try to define what it is that you’re feeling on your bad day.

Is it anxiety or depression? Are you feeling sad or lonely? Is there a bigger issue that you’re trying to shove under the carpet?

It won’t be easy but you’ve got to be honest with yourself.

On my bad days, I often have anxiety.

My anxiety lives in my hands and in my legs. I’m shaking my leg or I’m rolling my hands without stopping whenever I’m anxious. Other people feel their anxiety in their throats or in their chests. Some people even get headaches that don’t go away.

Identifying where you physically feel different emotional states might help you identify emotions faster in the future.

Define why are you feeling the way you’re feeling

Once you know what it is that you’re feeling, ask yourself: why am I feeling this?

At first, your mind won’t know how to respond but the more you do this, the better you’ll get at this.

In the video I shared with you, I was having a bad day because my favorite coworker told me she’s leaving town. That probably triggered my abandonment issues and made me sad.

But as you can tell yourself on the video, the minute I realized what’s wrong with me, I instantly felt better – only because I wrapped my mind around the fact that this feeling will eventually go away!

More tips for overcoming bad days:

Here are some other things I like to do whenever I’m feeling yucky.

· Go out for a walk – even a trip to your closest park will help you tremendously!

· Play a dance song aloud – and dance to it!

· Drink plenty of water – it’ll make the headache go away!

· Meditate, meditate, meditate – it will only calm yourself down!

· Distract yourself – watch an episode of your favorite TV show or read a chapter of a book. Anything will do!

But the most important thing is to forgive yourself.

You’re not feeling bad because of something that you did or didn’t do.

Bad days happen to everyone.

What’s important to remember is that bad days & bad feelings will go away sooner than you think.

And tomorrow is another day to feel better.

What do you do on a bad day? Do you try and find comfort in the little things? Share with me in the comments and let me know how you get through your bad days!

What to do When Life Sucks Big Time

Sometimes, life sucks. And it sucks big time.

Don’t get me wrong, I love my life. But man, it’s hard sometimes.

I mean, I know there are certain things you can do when life sucks, but it’s not always easy to keep your spirits high.

You know, my life wasn’t all rainbows & butterflies for the past few months either.

There were the good stuff alright. But then there were the bad stuff as well. In short, let’s just say that my sister got diagnosed with breast cancer and a coworker of mine committed suicide.

And how did I manage it all? By doing the things I’ve listed below – and those are the things that kept me sane for the most part.

Keep reading on to find out what I do in times of trouble that you can do as well to feel better!

Stay in the present

Don’t look at the bigger picture when things go south.

Instead, focus on the present – look at the little things in life.

That way, you get to temporarily experience moments of joy – even if you feel sad the rest of the time.

I’ve found that staying in the present helps me reduce pain and suffering.

It has also allowed me to see that nothing ever is as bad as it seems.

Here’s a video where I share my personal experience about difficult times and staying mindful in the present.

  

Say out loud how you feel

Don’t hold your emotions in.

Instead, talk about how you feel – say things out loud, even if that means talking to yourself in the mirror.

The more you talk about it, the less it will hurt.

You get to verbally digest pain out of your system and let it out for good.

Drop the Why me? talk

You probably didn’t do anything wrong to be where you are right now. I know that.

However, the more you ask why me, the more you make yourself feel like a helpless victim. And that will only push you deeper into depression.

The moment you stop asking yourself why me is the same exact moment you get the control over your life – and over your happiness! – back.

Count your blessings

As I said, nothing in life is ever black or white. Life’s all about the grey area.

So to add a bit of white to your black right now and make it gray, why not practice gratitude?

It’s a great way to become aware of what you already have.

My advice would be to just make a list and start counting the things that bring you joy.

You’d be surprised to learn just how many blessings you have to be happy about even when the world seems to be falling apart.

Try to learn something from your pain

Everything happens for a reason. That reason isn’t always clear at first but one day, you’ll look back and it’ll all make sense.

Pain is inevitably unpleasant – and there’s no way around that. But also, pain always teaches us a lesson. Try to look for what your momentary pain is trying to teach you.

Maybe you’ll learn how to appreciate something a bit more.

Maybe you become a better person – kinder, more compassionate. Remember it’s all temporary

Life won’t always suck. I know it doesn’t seem like it right now but trust me. There are good times in life and then there are the bad times. Yin and yang make the full circle, right?

Give yourself some time. Give life some time. Before you know it, things will work out and life will work out and everything will get better. I promise.

What do you do when things don’t go as planned? How have you coped with a hard time in your life? Share with me in a comment and let me know – I’d love to use my experience to help someone!

9 Life Lessons You Can Learn from Breakups

Do you feel lonely after a breakup? Do you find it hard to be on your own? Are you scared that you’ll be lonely – forever?

Let me answer that for you – yes, yes, yes!

I’ve walked in the exact same shoes plenty of times. But I learned that breakups are okay – as long as you give yourself a chance to get something out of them.

Once you do, you’d finally understand the meaning behind everything happens for a reason.

Read on to find out why breakups are okay and what are the life lessons I learned from my own breakups!

Before we jump to the life lessons…

…I want you to take the time and think well.

I want you to identify what your ex-partner was providing you that you’re not providing yourself.

Were they good for your self-confidence? Did they shower you with attention? Did you feel peaceful around them?

Here’s a video where I share my story about what I’ve learned from past breakups. (don’t worry, it’s short & sweet)

  

I can’t stress this enough in all of my blog posts and videos: you can’t fight and win if you don’t know what you’re fighting against.

You can’t win over your demons if you don’t know what caused them in the first place.

Take a good look inside your head and identify the spirits of your past that are still haunting you!

Here are the life lessons I’ve managed to learn from my past relationships!

#1 You should always come first

How many times have you neglected yourself – and your needs & your free time & your life – for your partner? I know I’ve done this far too many times in the past.

Don’t wait for the breakup to happen to remind yourself that you have a life of your own too. You can have your own life and be in a relationship.

Your partner should only be the cherry on top of your already-made cake. You can’t wait for them to bring the whole cake on their own.

#2 No point in feeling guilty

Sometimes, things don’t work out even if there isn’t a solid reason behind it. They simply don’t – the end. And often, love isn’t enough to make up for everything else.

Drop the guilt and instead, focus on better, brighter things waiting for you ahead.

#3 Quality before quantity

You can spend every day together but it won’t mean much if both of you end up staring at your phones at the end of the day. Sooner rather than later, you end up feeling disconnected from each other and that’s when things go south.

Instead of spending a lot of low-quality time together, focus on spending enough high-quality time together.

#4 Find your peace

No relationship will ever work if you haven’t found your peace yet.

Forget what the movies are telling you. You don’t need anyone to complete you. Complete yourself first before allowing someone else in your life.

#5 It takes two to tango…

… and it takes two for the relationship to work.

You can try as much as you want but sometimes, the other side won’t give in even half of the effort you’re giving to.

Let them go – if you haven’t already. They need to find their peace first.

#6 Listen to your gut

Mind the red flags. Sometimes, there are big, flashy, red flags that we chose to ignore on purpose. We lightly brush them off only to regret that later.

Or as the saying goes – whenever someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time.

#7 Give yourself time to heal

One of the biggest mistakes you can do is jump from one relationship to the next without giving yourself time to grieve the loss. You’ll end up emotionally exhausted and you’ll hurt innocent people in the process. Instead, allow yourself time to feel sad and heal on your own.

#8 Actions matter more than words

Someone can tell you the sweetest things but do the exact opposite of what they’re telling you.

I mean, if he did love me a lot like he said, why did he cheat on me? I’d never hurt someone I love so I guess he didn’t even love me in the first place.

Look for actions, not empty words. That’s where true love is hiding.

#9 Forgive & forget

If someone wants to leave, let them go. They’ll make room for someone who wants to stay in your life.

Don’t hold any grudges - it’s probably for the best if things didn’t work out anyway.

Just move on with your life and someone worth your time will eventually show up.

What have you learned from your past breakups? Has anyone hurt you that much that you changed your personality? Drop me a comment and let me know – I’d love to talk to you!

7 Reasons to Get Yourself a Pet

Did you know that having a pet is good for your health?

Seriously, it’s good – both for your emotional & physical health.

I long thought about getting a pet but never really acted upon it until recently. That’s how Leo, my cat, entered my life. And did you know that I wasn’t even a cat person before?

It’s just that the moment I laid eyes on him, my intuition kicked in and I knew I’d be taking that little guy home with me.

Best decision EVER.

If I knew that life with a pet can be this awesome, I’d have gotten myself one years ago.

Here’s how my pet improved my life and how a pet can improve yours!

1. Your mental health improves

Think about it – how did you last feel when you were petting someone’s dog? You felt relaxed and happy, right?

That happens because being nearby animals that you like releases endorphins in your body. And endorphins make you happy!

More so, there is a dozen of studies confirming that pets excel in reducing stress, relieving anxiety and making you forget that you even had depression in the first place!

2. You learn how to stay calm at all times

I often take my cat out for walks and that means, his little paws get dirty! I know cats dislike baths and I wasn’t planning on washing him in the first place – cats wash themselves – but he leaves footprints all around my apartment if I don’t!

However, in order to give Leo a bath, I have to be calm – both emotionally and physically. Animals are powerful emotion-detectors and if we’re anxious, they become distressed!

Whenever I have to stay calm because of him, I just… stay calm!

Here’s a video of me washing him in the tub.

  

3. You become more social

I’d never considered talking to random people in the park before. I mean, what would we even talk about in the first place?

Now, Leo is the star of the show!

He gets the attention of everyone. Complete strangers are approaching me to ask questions about him so we end up chatting and socializing. I’ve met some awesome people only because I’ve taken Leo out for a walk in the park!

4. You’re never lonely

I live alone. Most of the time, that means sleeping on my own, eating on my own and spending plenty of time on your own. You know how the standard drill goes, right?
I never realized how lonely that made me feel until I got Leo. Sure, I’m still on my own – meaning no other people live with me – but moments that felt very lonely in the past are not as bad after Leo came into my life.

It’s almost as if I found myself a new best friend!

5. You become more physically active

Animals don’t like lying in front of the TV every day – it’s not natural to them. Animals like to move!

That means you’ll start moving more as well. Walks around the neighborhood, walk in the park, going up and down the stairs…

And if your pet wants to walk, then you’ve gotta walk with them! Right before you know it, you’ve found an exercise that you love – you’re walking more than 10,000 steps per day and improving your health!

6. Your pain is gone

Did you know that people with pets experience less physical pain compared to the people who don’t? It’s true – pets lower your anxiety and thus lower your pain!

There’s even a study from Loyola University that proved this. Pet owners recovering from surgeries needed less pain management medications than people who didn’t own any pets.

Though you don’t need a surgery to witness this. I’ve noticed that Leo helps my migraines and eases my stomach cramps just by being nearby!

7. Your mood gets massively improved!

This is pretty much self-explanatory but I just couldn’t help saying it again! I’ve had far less bad days since Leo came into my life.

It’s just that you spend so much time playing with pets that you get distracted. You stop overthinking and being pessimistic. You don’t dwell so much on things.

Instead, you laugh about something silly they do or you spend a lot of time outside. (we spend whole days in the park together!) The fresh air and the sun are bound to make you feel better, no matter how you felt back home.

Do you have a pet? How does your pet improve your life? If you don’t, would you consider getting one? Share with me in the comments and let me know – I’d love to hear back from you!