Lessons from the Back Bumper…

I saw a funny bumper sticker the other day:
"What if the hokey pokey IS what it's all about"?
I chuckled and of course thought of a great wellness tip...
What better way to lift your spirits, stay in shape, tone muscles, feel youthful and be silly than to do the hokey pokey.
If not, then at least the words can inspire you, they actually carry much wisdom if you listen...

Put your right foot in ("try something you've always been curious about like learning to belly dance or taking cooking lessons")
Take your right foot out ("listen to your gut, if it feels unsettling in there-don’t do it")
Shake it all about ("shake off people/stuff/negative thoughts that bring you down by taking deep breaths and putting on a fake smile which actually works to lift your spirits")
Turn yourself around ("you can start anew or re invent yourself at any age-I learned to swim the freestyle stroke at age 40")

George Carlin said 'Cloud nine gets all the publicity, but cloud eight actually is cheaper, less crowded and has a better view.'
My kind of attitude!

Try this dramatic exercise for a better attitude, calmness and relaxation:

WRITING ABOUT WHAT BOTHERS YOU

This exercise can contribute to the prevention of illness and help you move ahead by reducing the anxiety associated with things that concern you. This is different than keeping a daily diary or journaling because no one ever reads it and you are free to express yourself fully. You can use this technique to write about things that have bothered you for years, or something that occurred yesterday. It is simple to do, and yet the effects are usually dramatic. Pick any issue of concern to write about but at first start out with some unemotional topics.

Take a sheet of paper and something to write with. Find a quiet place where you will not be disturbed for 15 minutes.

·The only rule is that you write continuously for 15 minutes. If you run out of things to say, just repeat what you have already written. Don’t worry about grammar, spelling, or sentence structure.
·While writing DO NOT READ what you have already written.You can also write in letter form.
·Do not be concerned if you start crying while writing, it is common for this to happen.
·Your writing is completely confidential. When you finish writing, tear up what you have written and toss it out so that no one will ever see what you wrote.
·If you find it helpful you can write 3-4 times a week.

Modified from the original by Dr. Bruce Rabin
UPMC Healthy Lifestyles Program
Pittsburgh, PA