A guide to our happy chemicals

Posted on August 10, 2023 by Bhanu Misra Marya

I recently read an article about the happy chemicals our body produces and I realized I wanted to have this information live permanently on my blog for my future reference! (and of course for anyone else who may find this useful!)

I’ve always had an interest in personal growth and how we naturally tend to support ourselves so this topic is right up that alley. So sharing each happy chemical, what it does and how to activate it. Please be sure to like, comment and share!

(Scroll to the bottom for outfit details)

Serotonin – Stabilizes our mood

Deep breathing
Meditating
Walking in Nature
Go for a run

Endorphin – Pain Relief

Laughing
Dancing
Stretching
Essential Oils

Oxytocin – Building love & trust

Hugging somone
Giving someone a compliment
Helping someone
Playing with a pet or a child

Dopamine – Reward & Motivation

Finishing a task (hack: ANY task no matter how big or small)
Eating your favourite meal
Listening to music
Practicing self care

Dress – Urban Behaviour | Sunglasses – Amazon | Shoes – Call it Spring | Purse – Channel

Sunday Reset Guide

Posted on January 29, 2023 by Bhanu Misra Marya

I am writing this Saturday night because I wanted to get this out there on time!

And this was actually quite easy for me share because I always end up doing majority of the activities every Sunday. It feels great because it’s a natural progression to the end of my week (which I love)!

To me, the “Sunday resets” however they look (read: sped up tik tok video or otherwise!) are meant to bring the art of leisure back into our lives and set us up to build routines for our ideal lifestyle.

Hopefully these are some things you can add to your Sunday!

Sleep in a little longer!
Swap out your workout for a walk in nature, pilates or yoga
Write a brain dump list
Take “the” shower
Change your sheets!

OOTD, Fit, Fitcheck, Sunday Reset, Toronto Creator, That girl, Lifestyle

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Things I think are worth knowing about spirituality

Posted on September 19, 2022 by Bhanu Misra Marya

I know spirituality (ie: not religion) is becoming more main stream and I love that for the collective human experience. Below sharing a few interesting things about spirituality (and life!) that are really worth knowing.

We are merely reflections of each other

Love is the only emotion that vibrates from the soul

Your thoughts create your reality

The moon enhances psychic powers

The sun unlocks DNA

Crystals are found in tech devices

You are what you eat

A quote that gives me peace and strength

Posted on January 15, 2020 by Bhanu Misra Marya

What is the first thing you do when you wake up?
If it’s a workday: Turn off my alarm, grab my glasses, phone/journal/pen. After regular getting up activities, I put on my apple watch :)
If it’s a weekend: And I haven’t been woken up by an alarm or by my kids, I check to see what the kids are doing. After regular getting up activities, I put on my apple watch lol!

What gives you energy?
My creative hobbies, completing a priority task, hugging my kids/husband or a really good run, confidence in my experience.

What is your secret life hack?
Practicing gratitude using the DayOne App with the built in Five Minute Journal templates.

Name a book that changed your life?
I have two from the last 10 years: The Alchemist and Light is the New Black.

Tell us about your relationship with your phone? Does it sleep with you?
I charge my phone on airplane mode on my nightstand, so no it absolutely does not sleep with me. I’ve had a goal to get our phones out of room at night. First step is to buy 2 alarm clocks and convince my husband to charge his phone elsewhere in the house overnight.

How do you deal with email?
Work email on a typical workday: I check my email too often. Both due to the nature of my work (I am a manager in the innovation & strategy space) and because it’s been a habit of my career. I would say several (5-10) times an hour.
Personal email on a typical day: Not as often because I only check it on my phone, maybe 3-5 times a day.

You unexpectedly find 15 minutes in your day, what do you do?
Pull out my e reader and hope that its charged so I can read!

When was the last time you felt burned out and why?
Over the Winter Break! It was the first time I had taken 2 weeks off since 2012. We hosted several dinners, I cleaned the house 4 times, had to take care of the kids full time for a few days and had to make the Christmas magic (mom’s you know what I mean). It was fun and exhausting. Definitely glad to be back to our regular routine after a full and lively break.

When was the last time you felt you failed and who did you overcome it?
Motherhood is the most humbling journey and I fail every day (i.e.: maybe I lost my patience, I yelled, looked at my phone too much in front of my kids or didn’t play with them when they asked). I don’t put myself down for every “failure” – I am human and a millennial mother in a digital age (we are the first generation of mothers/parents in this type of society) I overcome it by talking about what happened (with my kids or husband) and lots of hugs.

Share a quote that you love and that gives you strength or peace?
Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself // Leo Tolstoy

Feel free to answer these questions in the comments below or on your own blogs or social medium of your choice!

(Where did you find these questions?)

More like this? Check out my year in review from 2018.

Goal Set 2019

Posted on January 7, 2019 by Bhanu Misra Marya

Well we are officially into our first week of 2019, but I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t put any thoughts into new years goals. This year I wanted to keep it somewhat open ended and rather give myself room to explore where I want to be able to grow in 2019. Below are some areas I am working on this year!

1) Make our house our Home

2) Get educated

3) Practice creative consistency

4) Improve my self care activities

5) Keep focus on my wellness journey

6) Quality time for the relationships that really matter in my life

And there you have it – and yes that is the easy part.

When I used to have a gym membership, I remember the first 3 weeks of January it was so packed I’d have to wait for a cardio machine! But by February 1st, we were back to the regular gym crowd and having several treadmills always available to choose from.

It’s simple to write down the goals you want to work towards but actually reaching the goals is the hard part. From my own experience, I know that if you really want to achieve something, you have to “be ready” to (aka your mind has to “be ready”). And by that I mean, put in the time and effort, do the hard things and be flexible on the path.

So here are some tips to help you strive for progress while working towards your new year goals:

1️⃣ Use a Habit Tracker: a great way to mark that tiny step you took towards your goal is by tracking it. Checking a checkbox can be very satisfying and a great motivator for continued progress.
2️⃣ Set a Challenge for 30 Days: It could be that you want do 100 squats a day, cut out refined sugar or drink 8 glasses of water – try doing it for 30 days. Better yet start your 30 day challenge in February or March. It greatly reduces the stress around resolutions failing at the beginning of the year and also lets you try out something without a major commitment.
3️⃣ Reward yourself: I think this is the most important one. Try setting mini milestones and associated rewards when you reach them. It might be getting your nails done or buying new running new gear. Celebrating even the tiniest of wins is great for productivity and performance. Your brain will start to link pleasure with reaching a goal and continue to strive for that in the future.