Dear readers,
it's been almost a month since I started my radio rubric "Not your typical news" and launched this blog in which I share inspiring stories, positive news and my impressions about the experience of talking on a radio and, I must say, I am very grateful for the support and the nice words I have received so far.
Thank you!
Making people's day happier, and knowing that my words have a small impact on someone, that's what fuels me to go on.
I am looking forward for the next shows to come, because I have many surpises for my listeners.
Stay tuned for more news!
As I previously said, it has been an amazing month and I have received a lot of positive feedbacks and encouraging words. It really means a lot to me and this is motivating me to do my best to improve, in order to provide you with quality content.
But, as someone said before, with great power there must also come -- great responsibility!
I am totally into this project - which is freaking cool - but it is very, very energy demanding to be performant all the time. That's why, in today's post I would like to put your focus on the importance of enjoying the moments with our loved ones.
And I have a question for you.
What do you do when you feel stressed and overwhelmed?
In last tuesday's radio rubric, I shared little things that made me smile, feel warmer and light-hearted.
I was in such a good mood after spending the weekend on holiday in Macedonia - being welcomed with traditional homemade Macedonian food, having a walk and drinking a coffee with friends, and meeting a lot of new people. That was the best way to get rid of that unpleasant feeling that I had right before leaving - it's about stress, and being always connected. I felt overwhelmed by all the effort I had put in this new project and I really needed to spend some days without checking my e-mails, and being always available for people. And I think that in these busy times we all need to do that.
And for this reason, yesterday I wanted to share with you some nice articles that are sweet, cute and very, very positive, and that made me smile.
For example, do you know that smelling your lover's shirt could improve your sleep as much as sleeping aids do?
Indeed it does.
How many times we feel like the weight of the world is on our shoulder, and we can't find a solution to our problems? How often we take the time to relax and take care of ourselves? Maybe not that often. This leads us to be constantly nervous and grumpy, and eventually we may end up having trouble sleeping. I am sure many of you have experienced this feelings at least once in the recent past.
Haven't you?
Well, if you haven't, you can skip reading this article (but don't forget to share it with your friends!) and maybe leave a comment about how to solve this situation and feel better :)
Otherwise, if you are familiar with what I'm telling you about, maybe you can find this article useful.
What can you do to feel better? Don't ask for the moon, nor look for magic - maybe you just need to be surrounded by your loved ones. A hug from the right person can take the stress away - if not completely heal it, at least to provide with a great relief. You don't believe me? Try to hug your friends, or your pet! You'll feel much better!
It's about chemicals. When we hug someone, we release a hormone - called oxytocin - which has physical and psychological benefits, including influencing social behavior and emotion. Oxytocin is also called the "love-hormone", as it released during sex, orgasm, and when we hug someone. Many studies have been done about its benefits and they found out that the hormone's impact on “pro-social behaviors” and emotional responses contributes to relaxation, trust, and psychological stability. If you are into biology, biochemistry and neuroscience, you should definitely check this out! And - no doubts about it - hugging your best friends is way better that taking sleeping pills!
But the thing that made me smile the most while looking for positive news to share with my listeners, is the story of Winston.
Winston is a giant lizard which lives in Australia. Why he is so special? Well, I am not sure he is aware of this - but he's an artist. Winston is creating beautiful paintings with his tail and claws. And, the most important thing, those paintings are raising money for bushfire relief in Australia.
So far, over $1,000 have been raised from the paintings, all of which have been donated to the Australia Fire Relief fund.
But, first things first!
Winston was once owned by someone who couldn't take proper care of him, so he was left on the doorstep of the Great Lakes Zoological Society. He was underweight and not in good shape. People in the zoo took care of Winston so he was back to health. But, due to lack of money, Winston ended up at a rescue.
That's how, in March 2015, Sarah Curry met him.
It was love at first sight! Now Sarah and Winston are great friends, and she really takes care of her pet. Her daily routine includes cleaning Winston, feeding him and - of course - giving him a lot of love!
As Winston has a talent for creating a mess, Sarah came up with the idea that she could create something meaningful out of this - that's how she decided to let Winston express himself through painting. At the beginning she was worried because she was not sure whether the chemicals contained in the paint could be unhealthy for Winston. But, after speaking with vets, she made sure that nothing bad was going to happen to Winston.
That's how she let her pet free to do what he loves - creating a big mess!
This story of love, care and help really got me and I can guarantee that I read it with a smile on my face.
What I want to say is that if you feel demotivated or a bit down, try to hug someone or take care of your pet - you'll feel happier, light-hearted, and realize what are the important things in life.
In my case, it worked. It really made me feel better, because I noticed that I was pouring too many energies on this project - I should take it slowly, and do things more gradually.
Little by little.
I hope that reading this post made you feel a bit more relaxed, happier, or smile for a moment :)
Cheers and make sure to listen to my radio rubric every Tuesday at 14:00 Bulgarian time - 13:00 CET - Central European Time.
Love to all of you,
Claudia