Some good news life hacks for your day!!

I don’t know if it’s too many damp rainy days in a row recently, my perfectionist brain going in too many directions, or the energy consumed by trying not to beg/steal my children’s Halloween candy that’s sapping my blogging. Regardless, my drafts file contains several one-paragraph posts I refuse to finish and share.

Meanwhile, the sun returned from her Netflix binge this week. I penned some good news life hacks to help us next time she decides to pull the dingy down comforter over her head, and eat all of the planets’ SweeTarts chews while watching documentaries about powerful aging females.

GOOD NEWS LIFE HACKS FOR YOUR DAY:

Wearing super cozy slippers makes your feet feel like swaddled babies. I bet you could even hide some under your desk at work and no one would know, unless they hear you singing Goodnight My Someone to them.

Next time you go to the store buy a jar of Giardiniera pickled vegetables and put them on your sandwich or salad. You will be even MORE excited for lunch time.

Breathe deeply along with this GIF (or, internet picture, as I like to call them). I love these!!! I wish my middle school voice teacher Theresa had given me this to look at to learn how to breathe, instead of making me feel her diaphragm. Theresa also made me change lyrics that weren’t godly enough, and when I quit her lessons told me she understood because I came from a broken home, bless her heart.

Worry less about the pressure to feel enough and/or happy (suffering is the human baseline, just ask Pema Chodron) and concern yourself more about if you’re leading the life you want to live. Are you using the gifts given to you? Can that be enough for today? CAN IT, ANN???

Add cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice to your coffee grounds before you brew, and maybe some half and half and honey or sugar and definitely whipped cream. Or do none of this and eat only the whipped cream.

As you sip your whipped-cream, read this article I wrote for Brava Magazine–Less Bra Fighting, More Bra Fitting–in which I coined the phrase “dodge-ball boobs.”

My sister and I started an imaginary STRIVING NO MORE club. You can join! All we have to do is stop trying so hard. Which is why this club has never officially launched.

Let yourself off the hook about that smoked-meat bacon sausage/cancer news. If you don’t know about it, don’t Google it. Proceed directly to that breathing GIF above.

Listen to Pandora Zen Garden station (and omg no this isn’t a sponsored post) while you work, for free! This calms me and does not distract me most of the time. Caution: side affects may include an intense and violent aggro-response depending on your musical taste/tolerance for spa muzak, and a jarring interruption FOR BOGO BOOTS AND SHOES FOR FALL  unless you pay for advertising-free Pandora.

Give your partner, kid, or pet a longer hug than usual. Turns out it gives you a serotonin spike, so I predict that researchers will soon consider hugging low-impact cardio. Especially if you’re fond of the sway-hug as I am. Caution: it kind of hurts the neck if you hang on someone, though. Hugs, not hangs.

And for my final good news life hack…

After 7 years on the internet, 93% of my life-time allotted feelings quotient has already been utilized, but watching this LTYM 2016 announcement video produced some real tears and dare I say warmth in my soul. You might enjoy it! Listen To Your Mother shows launch in 41 cities next year, even traipsing over our northern border into Vancouver, BC CANADA!!!

Enjoy any sunshine you can find today, friends. Or give up like the sun just did here in Madison, and go stream the Iris Apfel documentary instead.