Do our kids want our advice?

What makes us happy?

Some tips to boost your Happiness Quotient

Your happiness matters and tonight we will explore some simple things that you can do to raise your happiness quotient. Tonight’s tips may be simple in nature, but we can promise that research has shown they can create a change.

Tell us about our ability to change our happiness level.
• Dr. Sonya Lyumbomirsky from the University of California is the foremost authority on happiness
• Her research shows that 50% of our happiness is based on a set point, 10% is genetic, and 40% of our happiness is within our control. That means we can dramatically change our happiness with intention activities
So what are some intentional activities we can try to enhance our happiness quotient?
• Flip through old photos. Researchers studied mood change. They tested people eating Godiva chocolate, watching TV, listening to music, having a drink, and looking at old photos. Music and chocolate had no effect, alcohol and TV changed mood by 1% and viewing pictures made people feel 11% better. Wow. That’s dramatic!
• Munch on some nuts or eat some salmon. Both have omega 3 fats, which help with depression. A research study at the University of PA showed that those who had high omega 3 levels scored 49-58% better on tests
• Change your environmental scent. An Australian study showed that those who added lavender candles, or put lavender in a diffuser were less anxious, calmer and more positive.
• Take a walk around the block. Studies show that those who get more light exposure during the day have fewer sleep concerns and lower depression.
What is our goal for the week?
Try any one of these four simple tips this week and enhance your mood. Remember you can control your happiness level, and your intention can change your impression of life.

National yoga month

Please join in the yoga fun in P-town during National Yoga month !!!
4 local studios, with Jeanne Perino at the wheel, have combined efforts and funds to bring this inspiring film to our community.
The proceeds will benefit Yoga in the Classroom.
September 26th @ 7pm at the Peoria Theatre - let's raise our awareness together.
TITANS OF YOGA - THE MOVIE featuring 25 Greats of Yoga and Meditation. Watch online or get DVD
www.yogamonth.org
TITANS OF YOGA movie. Inneractive presents a JOHANNES R. FISSLINGER film with Dr. Dean Ornish, Lilias Folan, Kim Eng, Bryan Kest, Sharon Gannon, David Life, Dharma Mittra, John Friend, Rajashree Choudhury, Gurmukh Khalsa, Swami Kriyananda, Beth Shaw, Shiva Rea, Gary Kraftsow, Ana Forrest, David Swe...
National Yoga Month September, One Week Free Yoga, Hundreds of Yoga Month Events, TITANS OF YOGA™, Y
www.yogamonth.org
National Yoga Month September. Free Yoga Classes and Events. TITANS OF YOGA™. Yoga-Recess™, Awareness Campaign to inspire a healthy lifestyle.
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Give some advice?

Do today’s teens and college age students come to their parents or other adults for advice anymore? Perhaps, the days of asking your elder’s for advice has passed it’s prime. Tonight we will look at the generational gap and look at some of the concerns and reasons why this age old practice is fading.

There has always been a generational gap. But why is today different than times past?
• Today’s youth see three reasons for not going to older adults for advice
1. Their lack of knowledge about technology and the fact that they can get anything they want to know online, versus going to a parent or elder
2. The work ethic is different where adults defined themselves by their job, today’s youth define themselves by other things besides work and money
3. Perspective is different throughout the generations say today’s youth who believe they can get better advice from their peers than from their elders.
Are their any other differences that relates to the intergenerational divide?
• Youth tend to feel closer to their parents and many times are texting and communicating with them in more ways, but that doesn’t mean that they are seeking advice
• Today’s youth don’t need to go to their parents or an elder to find out information about sex, dating or taboo subjects—they can go online and find a plethora of information about any subject without fear or shame

So what are some tips for parents on ways to talk to their youth?
• The Wall Street Journal notes these tips?
1. Think about your assumptions. Just because it worked for you as a youth, is it relevant today?
2. Offer some thoughts, not pronouncements or use words like SHOULD OR MUST
3. Open up the discussion. Welcome dialogue and conversation vs. making the discussion a one-way lecture.
4. Resist saying things like… “When I was your age.” Or “When I was young.” When you talk in those terms, you’ve lost them
5. Don’t put down technology or social media—you only alienate your child in that way
6. Accept your limitations. Trust your instincts and know when not to give your point of view.
7. Talk in short sentences and in short bursts. There is a reason kids text… they define conversations in short quips.
8. Don’t feel offended if your child doesn’t ask for your advice. If you have an open relationship, they will ask you things in a way that is not advice seeking—they will just talk, watch and learn by example.