Being Awesome - Five tips for Californian positivity

One thing we noticed on our research trip to California was the overall positivity. It felt a little odd at first, with everyone smiling, and being nice, but after we'd put our British reserve to one-side (it came to a head in an Orange Fitness class in the coastal town of La Jolla, when everyone started to enthusiastically high five and whoop us at the end of class). And well....after that we kinda got into it, and yes we kinda liked it. Here's five tips to being awesome....

 

1. Be nice

Nicer people tend to be happier people. Try to work in some nice and kind gestures to your day. Smile a bit more. There's been some resent research that shows that smiling could also help with stress as when you smile your heart rate lowers. Great :)

 

2. Notice things

Constantly rushing through life from meeting to meeting, appointment to appointment, can be super stressful. As a quote from the great Ferris Bueller said "Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while you could miss it". We agree. Try to take 10mins, two or three times a day to just pause, stop and take a look around. (and yes people watching while you grab a green tea at your local coffee shop does count).

 

3. Know your purpose

Be clear, be confident about what you want to achieve this week, month, year. By giving yourself clear and achievable goals it will be give you a feeling of confidence and purpose. This don't need to be dramatic life changing things, they can be spiritual or physical, big or small. Just have a think about what works best for you, and go for it. 

 

4. Embrace change

Change is a tricky one, it will happen. If you're feeling a bit wobbly about a change that's about to happen, it's best to take it on board, accept that it's happening and make sure that it's a positive change. 

 

5. Be resourceful and optimistic

One thing we picked up in So Cal was the overall positivity and optimism. When you wake up think of what's good in your life, consider things you might want to change, and how you can approach this with fun and optimism. 

 

We've been applying these five rules since we got back to the UK. OK, so people aren't so keen to 'whoop' at the end of Hot Yoga, and no we're not walking round with a smile strapped to our face 24/7. But these five little rules do work....so think positive, be awesome and you'll soon start to feel like you've just been told "Good Job", and had a high five from Brad at Orange Fitness.