Afternoon Gratitude Box
Having noticed several things recently:
- I am not the only one who becomes fed up with her job/body/computer/life mid-afternoon many days.
- Study after study are reporting that people who take time to think of the good things in their life, and write them down, are not only happier, healthier, more socially adjusted, etc., but also have more energy.
- Energy is in short supply among many of us.
- At least some of the studies referred to in #2 suggest that this is causal, not just correlative (Writing blessings makes people happier, not just that happy people are more likely to write blessing).
- I check the blog most every afternoon as a post-class pre-grading escape.
- Things that make my friends happy make me happy (somehow Irene in her purple gloves and Jennifer with her hole-punched paper just make me smile.
Having made these observations, I am going to make a gratitude box. Feel free to stop by any or every afternoon (or morning or evening) and write something that gives you joy. Even when you don't feel joyful.
8 comments:
There is a poster of a baby Vancouver Island Marmot behind my computer. It may be charasmatic macrofauna but it is really darned cute.
Since the other bio prof left over the summer, I have felt very alone in my department. However, the earth science prof. just came down the hall to rant about a newsletter article written about him. He was particularly mad because Plant Ecology was listed as a "magazine" and the scientific name of his plant was not appropriately italicized. I may have a kindred spirit just down the hall!
This gratitude box is a great idea, SS! A poster of Scott Baio as Chachi appeared in our office (I think care of Todd and Katie). Super silly!
Happy might be going a bit far, but I do enjoy using the wiper fluid on my windshield and seeing all the smudges and dust stream away off the glass without me having to do anything but pull a lever.
Bird shit is extra fun because you can watch it smear before it gets clear (I'm shameless about using large quantities of wiper fluid).
That so made my evening, TT, as did the image of Erin doing handstands in skirts.
Puppies and kittens
Awesome! This is just great. I would add unexpected voicemails from friends and hot salty soft pretzels on days that I work at the museum (like today).
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