Please help me welcome my guest blogger this week, Debbie Bills.
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Do you have a favorite piece of music that you keep quiet about? Maybe you like watching all those reality shows? Do you have a little guilty pleasure?
We all have one or two pleasures that we don’t like to admit to. It might be that show on television that everybody moans about but you really enjoy. Maybe you relax by reading celebrity magazines between all those intellectual books. Whatever it is, these are the things that we enjoy and we even get a little bit of pleasure out of them being our little secret.
There’s nothing wrong with them! These are the little things we use to pamper ourselves, and sometimes we need that little rush of pleasure they give us. They are our way of dropping out of the rat race for a short period of time. The dictionary describes pleasure as frivolous enjoyment and this lack of seriousness in whatever the activity is helps your brain disengage the stress in your life.
Think of Yourself from Time to Time
There are times that you know that report needs writing or you know there’s a pile of ironing to do that you need a ladder to get to the top of, but you sit down with that magazine or that jigsaw for half an hour, and a nice hot, steaming drink. Maybe at the end of a long day you pour yourself a nice large drink once in a while. Sometimes we need to switch off, and these little things help us do that. By switching off for those few minutes you are helping to calm yourself down and enabling yourself to take stock of your lot from a more peaceful perspective.
The truth is, these little things are our way of relieving stress. They may not be all that bad but we add an edge to them by the way we feel. By indulging in something we feel we shouldn’t, we add a thrill to it, making it more interesting than it really is.
De-stress Yourself
Stress is the brain’s way of trying to cope with changes in our lives. It’s not about beating stress it’s about keeping it under control and making the best of your life. Too much negative stress can have a detrimental effect on you, so working one or two of these little pleasures into your life is like your own personal safety valve. It’s a way of letting off some steam and getting yourself back to the relaxed you. I have friend whose mom knew when things had gotten too much for her for one day and used to disappear into her bedroom with a romance novel and a cup of coffee and shut the door. If she stayed she would have yelled when she didn’t mean to; something she didn’t want to do. Just taking a few minutes out for her made all the difference to the day, and to the day of those around her.
Stop … and Relax
I know another friend reacts differently to the stress in her life, and is always refusing to take time out and enjoy herself. She seems to find it hard to switch off from the things that worry her. Rather than thinking negatively, it’s better to look on things in a positive light and then they become a lot easier to handle. I try to spend time with my friend to talk and change her routine a little. Just spending five minutes can make such a difference to our outlook on life.
These guilty pleasures hold their own little secret to our happiness. Once in a while when you feel low, why not put that movie on and have a good cry, pick up that trashy novel or stick on that piece of music and have a dance round the room, it’ll do you wonders.
What are your guilty pleasures? Tell me about them in the comment area and lets have some fun!
Debbie
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Debbie Bills shares the Secret to Happiness. Everyone can find the happiness they richly deserve by visiting Debbie’s blog at http://www.happymakernow.com
Definitely pick up her FREE e-book “Stop Being a Donut and Enjoy Life” at http://www.enjoylifeok.com
