the most wonderful time of the year...

​Tis the season to be jolly...right?! As much as the cheer filled movies and artfully crafted store window scenes of frolicking through a winter wonderland would like us to believe, it’s not always the most wonderful time of the year. But it certainly can be! This week we are kicking off a series of posts that will focus on easy to implement stress-reducing and gratitude building practices. These will be quick things that you can incorporate into your daily drive, your morning routines, or even around whatever table or place you eat dinner. 
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One gratitude building practice that I am starting this season is an end of week check-in and reflection. I love this graphic created by Amber Rae (a wonderfully positive influencer on Instagram - give her a follow @heyamberrae) and I’d encourage you to try it out! When we take time to self-reflect, we are actually training our brain to focus on building healthy pathways that lead us to gratitude. And when we are practicing gratitude, our stress levels decrease and our “happy hormones” increase. 


Whether you answer these questions in a quiet moment of self-reflection over a cup of hot cocoa or embrace this practice with friends and family, my hope is that you can begin to slow down, recognize what may need changing, and make positive progress towards that change. 

Be well, 
JoEllen

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