I’ve done hours and hours of self-care work. From reading books or trialing exercises, all to understand if they can help with living a happy and healthy existence. But also, to help perform better, to grasp situations and life with two hands so I’d have more control it pans out how I’d like. True to form and my personality I would try anything once, reflect on it, update the process a little and try again. Rinse and repeat until I was happy, until it was working. But if it didn't fit I would dump it and move onto something else. What follows are my top ten self-care strategies. There were plenty more over the years but these are the ones I still use today in some form so hence made the list. I don’t know if they will work for you but I hope you will review regardless and if a tactic resonates, then make it your own.

Over the coming weeks, I will pick one out at random and describe how I use it in more detail with some background stories on why I needed to embrace it. The first one up is number nine---------the HAPPINESS LIST

The importance of a Happiness List as part of your self-care Tool kit

A very simple and easy strategy to help you feel better or look forward to something is creating a Happiness list. I don’t remember where I came across this but I know it's not one of my inventions but a great tool all the same. The Happiness list notes all the activities or items that bring you joy or activities that “calm your pants” and introduce happiness in your life and therefore help create a positive, present and future outlook. Without a goal or vision, you’re rudderless where any destination will do. Without understanding what makes you happy on the road to successful outcomes, will make life a misery. Happiness will help motivate and keep you at peak energy levels, working hard towards your goals. If for some reason the goal does not arrive or is not what you expected, well it's only a minor disappointment as you didn’t postpone happiness along the way until you achieved the result, you had fun as you worked and enjoyed life now. We can always be happy NOW but sometimes we need to remind ourselves how. The picture below is my happiness list. Excuse the writing but will you generally understand my drift when you read it. Write yours on a piece of paper and add to your wallet, purse or in whatever digital format you will often access. Keep the list visible if you often kick into an “all work and no play” persona and need help to be reminded that life is for living but more so happy living and not only existing.

I’ve put the list in digital ink below in case you cannot decipher the handwritten list.

1. Think “do my best”, it will all work out in the end.

2. Book a game of golf with my pals

3. Ping my PCG for a pick me up. (Peer Coaching Group - a group of friends that continue to talk all things coaching and great for renewed motivation)

4. Ensure a holiday is booked for the future

5. Listen to music

6. Book a night out

7. Leave work early

8. Re-look at my goals

9. Book in a coaching session for myself

10. Exercise, walk the dog

11. Play my guitar

12. Book weekend away

13. Read a fiction book

14. Watch kids playing their sports matches

15. Have something sweet

16. Talk about what is on my mind

All straight forward, all simple to do. Once you start moving then your positive physiology will improve your thinking. Please take a moment to write your Happiness list.