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Lesson #08:

How to 
Get Yourself Out of a
Bad Mood
AND
help the planet

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Dear Joy to the Planet Reader,

As some of you have noticed, it's been quite some time since I've written to you with an issue of Joy to the Planet.  I know, I've missed you too...a lot! 

For those of you that wrote in to say 'hey, where are ya, have you fallen down and can't get up??' <g> thanks so much for caring!  In fact, the answer is no, I haven't fallen down...I *can* get up...and the reason for the absence, as well as the reason for the resumption of the lessons today (yay!) is actually the same.

I've been in a really bad mood...for nearly seven months!!  <g>

I know, it's not very funny.  But the truth is that every time I tried to write an issue of Joy to the Planet, I got big time stuck, and I mean more than your typical writer's block type stuck (I had to write a zillion things for other people during that time.)  No, this was a really different kind of stuck, and I finally figured out why.

Someone very near and dear to me passed away suddenly in February, and as a result, I wasn't having a whole lot of fun in my life. Therefore, it was really hard to write about joy.

Sad isn't it? 

Yep, it was sad.  And I was sad!  But in easing myself out of the doldrums and being gentle with myself in doing so, something cool happened. That is, I discovered a few really simple and enjoyable tips to help lift you out of a bad mood.  And you guessed it, these ways of doing just that, that are also good for the planet!

As soon as I realized that, well, here I am, back in the saddle and happy to share with you...

How to Get Yourself Out of a Bad Mood AND help the planet

So first, let me say how glad I am to be back!  I'm thrilled to have gotten over whatever *that* was, and hope you're looking forward to Joy to the Planet lessons going forward as much as I am.  Let's start this one out with a question alright?

How many of you have been there, done that? Been in a horrible mood? 

Yep, I bet there are very few of you who have NOT experienced it at one point or other, right?  And what are some of the things you've traditionally done to treat your case of the blues? 

If you're like many people, the number one way you use is...you got it...shopping! It's actually become a national pastime and is sometimes also known as "retail therapy." Giggle.  Nothing like a day at the mall to put you in a better mood, right?

Well, actually...I beg to differ.  And I know, cuz I've tried it.  Shopping does bring some relief, for sure. I don't deny that. But truthfully that relief always seems to be short lived.  I don't know about you, but it never does my mood any good to have to tidy a whole bunch of boxes and bags after coming from the mall, and have to deal with my credit card bill. It's enough to send me into the blues again...ick!!

So I say nix the shopping quick fix and instead, see if one of the below tips fits for you.  Hey, if you can make one or more tip a real habit...maybe you and the planet can get happy and stay happy, together!

þ First, pass the nuts.

It's a little known but scientifically proven fact that the mineral called selenium, found in good quantities in certain nut varieties, particularly the Brazil nut, is a natural and healthy mood enhancer, taken just one Brazil nut a day.

You know those vitamins that you take daily (okay, almost daily? <g>)  Why not add one brazil nut to the mix and finish off your vitamin taking regime with something yummy?  As someone I know likes to say..."A happy nut a day, makes for a happy nut!" Yeah, she's a bit of a nutcase, shall we say.

Now the other great thing about Brazil Nuts is that by buying them, you are helping the planet by supporting a natural and sustainable product grown only in natural forests. 

Brazil nut trees simply aren't conducive to growing in plantations, so the forests they grow in are becoming slowly but surely protected areas, a very good thing for the trees, nuts and forest animals that call those areas home.  (Click here if you're curious to learn more about Brazil Nuts.)

þ Next, get yourself warm...and stay warm.

If you're anything like me, nothing gets you in a worse mood than sitting in a draught or getting a chill in your bones.  Well, reverse that thinking and what you end up with is another way to help get you out of a bad mood.

Whether you take to a sauna or nearby community hot tub, or maybe just your own hot shower...hot air and heat in general is also said to be a natural mood enhancer which makes sense to me. You know how when you're first trying to get warm under the covers at night, and you're all tense and curled up in a ball? And then when you start getting toasty, your shoulders relax and the tension melts away? Well the same principle applies here. 

There are loads of ways to warm up while being good to the planet and it's easy to start with just a few:

 turn down the thermostat and have a no heat party (detailed instructions in lesson one of Joy to the Planet)

snuggle up with a friend (human, canine or feline friends work too) and share body heat

put on some tunes and wiggle that butt of yours (draw the curtains if you must <g>)

You'll slip right into a better mood and help the planet at the same time!

...as I write this, I'm tucked into a blanket on my sofa in my favorite flannel pajamas, so suffice to say, I'm doing just fine, thanks! <g>

þ Then, try making friends with an orange, lemon or lime.

Remember when you were a little and you got sprayed by an orange while trying to peel it?  Or better yet, did your mom get you in the face peeling it for you?  Yeah, that's what happened to me and, giggle, the smell of that orange put me in a good mood even though I didn't know why at the time! 

Next time you're at the grocery store, stand next to the oranges and take a deep breath, bringing some of that citrus scent into your body.  Think of it as free aromatherapy!  <g>  Then pick a couple of those guys to take home so the next time you need a lift, you don't have to make a special trip. The field of aromatherapy is vast, and although there's loads of scientific words for why certain smells put us in a certain frame of mind, there's no arguing with the simple truth: the smell of an orange can put a smile on your face like almost no other smell on earth. Try it and see!

Oh yes, how does making friends with an orange help the planet? Giggle.  Well you see, anything that gets your hands on a fresh fruit means a better awareness of nature. Try asking yourself any number of these questions:

What tree did this orange came off of...was it in California? What kind of orange orchard was it?

I wonder if this whole display of oranges came from the same tree?

I wonder if by coincidence I've eaten an orange off this same tree sometime last year? Or maybe I will next year?!

The time you spend connecting with nature that way will gradually give you a better awareness of the planet as a whole, and helping the planet will soon become second nature. Besides, we all treat our friends better than strangers right?  So there.

Yep. Making friends with the planet, that's what it's all about.  And enjoying life while doing that, of course!

Speaking of which, if you're someone who just wants to do something great for the environment but don't know exactly how, may I extend an invitation to you?

Write me a note, telling me what you do for FUN and why.  What I'll do is put together a list of suggestions for how you can enjoy that same kind of activity or discover alternative ways to have fun, in a green way...the point of Joy to the Planet, right?  And then I'll share that with the group, with your permission. It will be fun! Giggle.

So...speak up, will you? <g>  As a little added incentive, everyone that writes in with at least five fun things they do will receive from me a printable list of 10 humorous sayings about nature and the environment. It's perfect for a laugh and pinning to your office wall or sticking to your fridge.  Get your copy by emailing me your suggestions at andrea@joytotheplanet.com with FUN in the subject line and I'll send it along to you!

And...that's it for this time!  I'm very happy to be back in dialog with you. Tune in next week for more ways to enjoy life AND help the planet.