(upbeat music)
- Good morning, good life.
Welcome back to Amy TV, where we come together
to help you go after the life you want.
Are you unhappy?
Has 2020 got you down?
Well, you're not alone.
A new study coming out of the University of Chicago says
that we are at an all-time low of people saying
that they are very happy in comparison
to trends from the last 50 years.
Yikes.
It's more important than ever to do anything we can
to make the most of our situations
and to remember that we're actually in control
of how we feel.
Look, you may not be able to solve all of society's issues,
but you can contribute to a better world
by finding ways to improve your mood.
And hopefully, overall, your outlook.
One little way to start making 2020
a little bit better is to stop and smell the,
whatever it is that you like.
Could be roses, could be something completely different.
According to Teresa Molnar
at the Perfume Industries Fragrance Foundation,
scents can have positive effects on mood,
stress reduction, sleep enhancement, self confidence,
and physical and cognitive performance.
I personally have been doing a lot
on the aroma therapy front with my essential oils,
with my oils diffuser when it comes to lifting up my mood
and decreasing stress and especially before bedtime
to help me fall asleep.
I also like to add my favorite scents when I find them.
When I get really excited about them,
in my happiness journal, which I told you about
in my updated 20 for 2020.
So that if I ever need a little happiness boost,
I just go there and go, what do I like again?
Oh, coconut.
And I will just take a whiff
to start to bring a smile to my face.
Another little thing that you can do to make 2020,
a little bit better is to level up your eating habits.
Much of what we eat, determines how we feel
about ourselves mentally, physically, emotionally,
all of it.
But there are still some go to snacks
that I'm not willing to part within my life
that remind me of being a kid, being so free and happy.
Those snacks include a little bit of chocolate,
a bag of popcorn, and a bowl of cereal,
but I don't wanna indulge now
and then feel like crap later.
So I have to take these loves in my snacking life
and make them more of an adulting version.
So for chocolate, we try to only keep dark chocolate
in the house, eat smaller bites
that are much better for you.
And when I pick out my popcorn,
I try to go for a little bit more low calorie
'cause I will eat the entire bag, no problem.
My cereal game is what I am most excited about.
And that is why I'm partnering with Magic Spoon
on this episode of Amy TV.
Magic Spoon has become my favorite #adulting happy snack
and that is because there are zero, count them, goose egg,
zero grams of sugar, 11 grams of protein,
and only three net grams of carbs in each serving.
Also only 110 calories per serving.
There are four flavors, cocoa, fruity, frosted,
and my favorite is blueberry.
You can try them all in their variety pack.
I was really questioning this when I tried it
for the first time and we are hooked.
I literally had to put a sticky note
on the box of this cereal that said, please do not eat this.
I have to film it later.
And now I know we can finally eat it.
And Ben and I are both so excited.
Not only is it actually delicious, it's keto friendly,
gluten free, grain free, soy free, low carb and GMO free.
Is there anything else you could list here
because basically it is really good for you.
If you're a sucker for a bowl of cereal,
like I am, then definitely check out Magic Spoon.
When you use my link in the description,
https://www.magicspoon.com/amy,
you will get free shipping on your order.
So check it out.
Let me know if you do and tell me what you think.
The third little thing that will help you make 2020
a little bit better is to ring your own bell.
(bell rings)
You heard me right.
One of the biggest missed opportunities
in improving our mental health is celebrating
the small wins and the big wins.
When they happen, it's great, it's great.
We should really absorb them.
But even the small ones,
sometimes we just need to make ourselves feel better
on a much more regular basis
by actually recognizing the good things
that are happening around us and near to us
and close to us and to us.
Do you need permission to ring your own bell?
Well, I am giving that to you right now
and I actually think you should ring your own bell.
Like really.
I happen to have one right here.
(bell rings)
Your girl bought a bell, I know I know.
When you have a win or an exciting moment
in your life, you should celebrate it.
And you should also teach the people around you
to celebrate their wins as well.
So start doing it, literally with your own bell.
When something good happens,
(bell rings) ring it.
Something good is happening right now.
I am making a video while sweating profusely.
I really love this idea
because you can start a conversation
around appreciating others and the things
that they're doing, and then being willing to not brag,
but be able to share the good that's happening,
whether you're teaching your kids or your significant other.
And you may not always see eye to eye
because whatever is good happening in their career
or in whatever they're doing,
you might not always totally get it,
but you wanna support them.
Let this be the thing that brings everyone together
in a conversation.
Can you ring the bell when you're about to sit down
for dinner and then let the person kind of expand
on why they're excited about the thing that's happening.
It can be so easy to talk about the bad
and the crappy weather and the fact
that we're all wearing masks all the time
and that there's all this other stuff happening
that's not great.
But when we actually intentionally show
that there are good things
and that they are worth observing,
we have different conversations with each other,
and we're more likely to be able to balance the bad
with more good.
Plus it's just really pretty.
So you wanna ring it so you want good things to happen.
So you find anything good you can!
I love it.
Make a habit of observing your wins,
whether you get a literal bell or not.
I will link to this one in the description.
You deserve the credit that you deserve.
So take it.
Little thing number four is to take an unplugged walk.
One thing I learned from quarantining,
I've talked about a couple of times is
how much I underrated taking a walk.
According to Dr. Jeff Miller, walking,
as opposed to sitting or standing
will almost certainly result in increased feelings
of pleasant energy and that's true
whether you expect this to occur or not.
I can personally speak from experience on this
because initially my husband was the one saying,
let's take a walk, let's take a walk.
And I just felt like I kept saying no too much
that I eventually said yes.
And then I would go on the walk and I'd be so happy
that I did, I'd feel at least 50% better when I got back.
Whether it was because we talked through a problem
or I just got some stress out by getting my steps in,
getting away from the computer for a bit,
leaving my phone at home.
Even if my Fabletics pocket is very convenient
for bringing my phone with me, just leaving it at home.
I don't need it when I'm just focused
on the time alone or the time with my husband
where I am just walking and just exerting that energy
so that I can increase the energy
I need to go about the rest of my day.
Walking and allowing the mind to do its thing
is such an awesome change up.
We are doing it every day now.
And the fifth little thing you can do
to make 2020 a little bit better is taking that baby step.
That teeny tiny step
that feels completely pointless toward your goal.
Put $10 in a savings account or start one
if you don't have one.
Write just one sentence of a blog post
you've been wanting to write.
Read one sentence of a book you've been meaning to pick up.
Clean only one shelf of a room that is a hot mess
that you've been meaning to get to.
Swap in one carrot for that typical trip
to the kitchen for a handful of chips.
All of these things individually
are not going to feel like enough,
but if you do them enough,
if you remember you broke down the barrier to entry
and you did it once and you can do it again.
All of those steps come together
and cumulatively give you a result that is so much bigger.
If you never start,
if you never have that one sentence or that one baby step,
you can never get to more.
Do something little so that it'll keep adding up for you.
I have a sixth little thing that can improve your 2020.
Make it a little bit better.
I'm going to save that for my Shine Squad over in Patreon
head over to https://www.patreon.com/amyTV
to find out what it is.
Question of the day.
What little step are you going to take this week
to make your 2020 a little bit better?
Share that in the comments below.
Thanks again to the sponsor of this episode of Amy TV,
our friends at Magic Spoon.
All the details for you to give it a try
and make your bowl of cereal a little bit more healthy
will be in the description below.
That's all for today.
Thank you so much for tuning in.
I appreciate it as always.
Remember, subscribe for good vibes,
kiss the ones you love.
And go after the life you want.
Cheers.
I have one right here.
(bell ringing)
I'm still working on my ability to ring it,
but it's here.
Ring that bell, or I think we need to use this hand.
What was that? - Hook 'em horns.
- Why do you have to do inappropriate things?
- It's not, hook 'em horns.
- Do something cool.
- It's literally hook 'em horns,
like the Texas Longhorns.
- So glad no one can see you're talking right now.
- Sick!