The daily practice that wires happiness

By Cheryl Wilson-Stewart | February 13, 2020 | Comments 20 comments

When we ask ourselves, what makes us happy we generally think of the people in our lives, circumstances and possessions.

But in reality, happiness is mostly a chemical experience.

There are 4 main neurochemicals, hormones and neurotransmitters generated in the brain that are fundamentally responsible for creating the sensations and emotions we associate with happiness – endorphins, serotonin, dopamine and oxytocin.

The good news is that with a little bit of knowledge we can trigger happiness whenever we want.

So, the next time anxiety threatens to extinguish your joy or life feels out of control or not exactly the way you’d like it to be there are simple things you can do to take charge, increase your happy chemicals and dramatically change how you feel.

Happiness is on the Way

Endorphins

Endorphins are produced by the central nervous system and help us deal with physical pain. They also make us feel lightheaded and giddy. They produce what we know as the ‘runner’s high’ and also the good feeling after just 30 minutes of walking. If this is the boost you need, get walking outside in nature versus a treadmill and amplify the good feelings.

Serotonin

Serotonin is the best know happiness chemical neurotransmitter. It is naturally triggered by several things we each do every day. Getting out in the sunshine and happy thoughts (like the ones you experience from journaling in your OH MY WORD journal) stimulate the production of serotonin. If you‘re an OH MY WORD journaler this is awesome news because as you know the happy thoughts and good feelings experienced during the morning ritual repeat throughout the day thus generating a steady flow of serotonin.

Dopamine

Dopamine is a neurotransmitter often referred to as the chemical of ‘reward’. After you accomplish a task like completing your 5-minute OH MY WORD daily ritual you receive a pleasurable hit of dopamine in your brain that tells you – way to go…good job! Thoughts of loving kindness can bring on a dopamine high too so spread the love with a loving intention and keep the dopamine hits continuing all day.

Oxytocin

Oxytocin is primarily associated with loving touch and close relationships. It’s the warm fuzzies that make us tingle all over. To get an instant hit of oxytocin give someone you love a cuddle even a furry friend will do the trick.

There you have it! The 4 feel good hormones and neurotransmitters and how they work. Now you can trigger them whenever you want.

Start OH MY WORD journaling and get a big hit of both serotonin and dopamine first thing every morning.

Now that’s the way to get The Happy Factor at work in your life.

Zap Anxiety and Amplify Joy + Happiness

Does anxiety and negative thought stop You from being the person you want to be and following your dreams? OH MY WORD is a science based, 5 minute, one-word daily journal that allows you to take charge of your life, become the person you want to be and live with joy and fulfillment.

ONE WORD CAN CHANGE YOUR LIFE.

Get your OH MY WORD Journal here:

Chapter/Indigo

Amazon.ca

Amazon.com

How to Stop Negative Thoughts From Taking Over

By Cheryl Wilson-Stewart | December 11, 2019 | Comments 21 comments

Sometimes it feels like negative thoughts have taken over our brains. They move in and refuse to budge reminding us of worst-case scenarios and incessantly asking what if? They tell us why we can’t do something and why none of our ideas will work.

Did you know we each think between 60,000-80,000 thoughts per day and the majority of these are habitual and the voices of fear, doubt, worry and anxiety? We infuse these thoughts with so much emotional energy, they become the biggest, loudest most powerful thoughts in our head.

Out with the old in with the new

We need a way to replace the negative, nagging thoughts with those representing the highest intentions of who we are and want to be. It’s not that we don’t have positive thoughts, we do. It’s just that they’re busy navigating the 1,000-lane thought expressway, battling thousands of blaring thought streams while attempting to generate energy and gain momentum.

It’s a tough go for these positive intentional thoughts.

You can see how the highest expression of who we are, what we want and how we want to live our lives might get lost in the chaos.

There’s good news!

The good news is that we, as the creator of our lives, can crank up the volume by becoming clear on what we want, choosing an intention and moving it from thought to action every morning.

Thoughts need activation

To activate, our intentions need fuel to move from head into heart. This fuel supply is provided by the emotions and allows for the integration of body and mind where the real magic happens.

It’s like this. When we understand something intellectually (left side of the brain) and then make it ‘experiential’ by moving it into our emotions (right side of the brain) we are providing the life-giving fuel our intentions need to be turned on. We can then think and feel the thought.

When we experience the thought, we can change.

The rewired brain

This experiential process actually rewires the brain, causing the neurons to create new patterns and producing a chemical that the body remembers as we move through the day.

This is also a form of what scientists call metacognition – which means it’s a way of tricking the brain into achieving our greatest good. We’ve successfully interrupted and distracted the negative disempowering thoughts with super charged intentional thoughts allowing them to break through the congestion and get to work.

OH, MY WORD gets the job done

When you do the simple five-minute OH MY WORD morning ritual it interrupts the negative thought patterns and alters the brain, causing the neurons to start firing in new ways. The mind remembers your intention and is on the lookout for ways to manifest and make it concrete.

You Think it. Feel it. Live it.

You are actively creating who you want to be by using just a word.

So, I ask you.

Who do you want to be? How do you want to express yourself?

Find a word that represents your deepest intention.

Draw the word.

Colour it.

Through the drawing and colouring process you’ve moved the thought from intellect (left side of the brain) to experiential (right side of the brain).

A new neural pathway has been created.

The rewiring process has begun.

Negative thought disabled.

Replaced by highest intention positive thought that you chose.

Bingo!

BUY OH, MY WORD in Canada at Chapters/Indigo

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Tips For Making Your OH, MY WORD Practice (even more) Awesome!

By Cheryl Wilson-Stewart | December 2, 2019 | Comments 11 comments

OH, MY WORD journaling has been described as a 5-minute active mediation.

Get cozy in a comfy chair, sip your morning coffee or tea, choose an intentional word that describes who you want to be, draw and colour.

In that 5 minutes you’ve interrupted an old, negative, habitual thought and replaced it with a positive new one, created a new neural pathway and begun to rewire your brain.

How’s that for a good use of your time??

OH, MY WORD journaling makes you feel great. There are a few things you can do to intensify your practice and make it even more effective.

6 ways to make OH, MY WORD (even more) awesome.

1. FIND YOUR BEST TIME

My favourite time to do OH, MY WORD is first thing in the morning because it sets the tone for the entire day. But it can be successfully adapted for families (in the evening) and to fit work schedules.

2. USE GOOD QUALITY PENCIL CRAYONS

Use good quality pencil crayons…usually described as ‘artist quality’. These are just more fun to work with! They are smooth and velvety on the paper, they blend well and the colours are particularly vibrant and beautiful. Claire Moore (illustrator of OH, MY WORD) has offered her recommendations. Check them out here.

3. MAKE YOUR INTENTIONAL WORD ACTIVE

When you complete the sentence Today I choose to….. make sure the word (or phrase) you choose is active. Verbs like love, forgive, trust, explore, experiment, create, see, listen are great examples. If you choose a word that isn’t a verb you can make it active by adding ‘be’ (ie be grateful, be peaceful, be vulnerable, be generous, be free, be present etc). Short phrases work very well too when made active like…. go for it, take a risk, speak my truth, stand up. Making the word active catapults you into that state of ‘being’ and super charges the intention and your day.

4. TAKE 3 DEEP BREATHS AND THINK OF YOUR WORD

Throughout the day when you’re stuck in traffic, in line at the grocery store, waiting at the doctor or dentist’s office take 3 deep breaths and think of your word. What I do it is see my word on the page. I take a deep belly breath inhaling through the nose to count of 4 holding it at the top and exhaling to a count of 6 (I exhale through my nose you can exhale through your mouth if you prefer) holding at the bottom and repeat. This has the power to make me super chill in just a couple minutes. Plus, I’ve breathed all that energy and power into my word. Very satisfying. Very uplifting. Very powerful.

5. FEEL FREE TO USE SAME WORD OVER AND OVER

This is the most commonly asked question by OH, MY WORD journalers . Can I repeat a word? Yes…yes…and YES! You can repeat a word as many times as you like for as long as you like. What you do have to do is draw it on a fresh page every day. I’ve repeated certain words over and over and over. The only person that knows when its time to move on is You.

6. WHEN THE GOING GETS TOUGH – KEEP GOING

We all hit patches when the going gets tough. We’re overwhelmingly busy, dealing with a setback, in crisis mode whatever it is the we feel like we’re struggling in the trenches. Don’t stop OH, MY WORD journaling! Have you ever noticed that when things get challenging in our lives we often stop doing all the things that are good for us. We say things like, “It’s just not the ‘right’ time to…. (go to the gym, meditate, journal, get out in nature, eat healthy food etc….)“. Let me tell you as one whose been there it’s the ‘right-est’ time EVER. Do. Not. Stop. Get something on the page even if its…Today I choose to…breathe. This can be particularly good since when we’re in the trenches we often hold our breath and forget to breathe! I promise it will help.

THE BONUS …..

Colour outside the lines.

Channel your 6-year-old self as you draw your word.

BANISH Anxiety. Find JOY. 5 MINUTES A DAY. ONE WORD.

BUY OH, MY WORD at Chapters/Indigo in Canada

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Teens Release Anxiety with OH MY WORD

By Cheryl Wilson-Stewart | December 2, 2019 | Comments 8 comments

Teens release anxiety by doodling their intentions in OH MY WORD journal.

Today’s teenagers suffer from anxiety more than young people ever have. Social media creates expectation and social norms that are not real or grounded. Families are busy and stressed to the max. Human interaction is down and digital connection is up.

Teens need strategies more than ever before to thrive, release anxiety and positively shape their developing sense of self.

STRATEGY TO RELEASE ANXIETY

OH, MY WORD is a science based method of journaling that can release negative, anxious thoughts and replace them with positive ones. It’s a simple process that takes 5 minutes. The user chooses an intention word contained in the journal that reflects the person they want to be. They draw and colour it on the daily page. That’s it. In 5 minutes a new neural pathway has been created and the brain has begun to rewire itself with the positive intention.

OH, MY WORD allows journal-ers to replace negative thoughts with positive ones.

METACOGNITION

The thought interruption used in OH, MY WORD is part of a skill category called metacognition. Which is the act of thinking about thinking. It’s how we talk ourselves out of negative thought patterns and create positive ones. Metacognitive ability increases significantly during the teenage years, so it’s important to provide ways for teens to both choose and manage their thoughts in healthy ways.

OH, MY WORD HELPS TEENS THRIVE:

Reduces stress and anxiety
Increases feelings of relaxation and calmness
Increases self-acceptance
Helps create a strong sense of self

Teens need positive strategies to develop a strong sense of self

INTRODUCING OH, MY WORD TO TEENS

MAKE SURE THEY UNDERSTAND ‘WHY’

When we know ‘why’ we are motivated. Encourage teens to read the Four Pillars and The Intentions. This will help them connect to an understanding of how of OH, MY WORD works (which is pretty cool) and why it’s important. It will help them see they are not alone in dealing with anxiety and that we are all in the process of becoming the best version of ourselves.

PROVIDE THEM WITH A GAME PLAN

We all need game plans. OH, MY WORD provides your teen with an easy one. Simply choose an intentional word that describes the person they want to be. For example, if your teen gets nervous every time they write a test suggest words like one of these…

Today I choose to …. Believe (I know the material and it will come to me as I need it)

Today I choose to …. Trust (everything I need to know will come to me)

Today I choose to …. Relax (with a relaxed mind I can recall everything I need)

Today I choose to …… Excel (I am smart…I am more than capable of acing this test)

MAKE IT A CHALLENGE

Teens these days are into the various 30-day challenges that float around on social media. Challenge your teen to spend 5 minutes working in their OH, MY WORD journal every day and see how differently they feel at the end of 30 days.

SO EASY. 5 MINUTES A DAY. ONE WORD.

Teens like the rest of us are extremely busy so strategies have to be not only effective but fit into modern life. Five minutes a day one word. Doesn’t get easier than that.

HELPING TEENS RELEASE ANXIETY AND THRIVE

Its tough being a teen. Modern family life is full of distractions, activities and outside demands resulting in many families feeling disconnected and teenagers left to figure things out on their own. For answers to life problems they often look to friends or turn to the internet. While on one hand teens ‘look’ very sophisticated these days they are still….teens. We can’t expect them to have their own coping strategies in place nor can we solve all their problem for them. It is however our responsibly to acknowledge the difficulties they face and teach them skills that will help them cope and thrive. Establishing practices that support, uplift and strengthen them in daily life and give them life skills that they can benefit from for the rest of their lives.

The teen years are challenging ones.

Please share this with friends and loved ones and visit OH, MY WORD

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How Busy Families Can Connect and Instill Positivity in Kids

By Cheryl Wilson-Stewart | December 2, 2019 | Comments 16 comments

OH MY WORD provides a way for busy families to connect and instill positivity in kids.

Has life become so busy that you’re not connecting as deeply with your kids as you’d like to?

THE OH, MY WORD FAMILY VERSION

OH, MY WORD is a great way for parents to connect and prompt meaningful discussion with kids. It can be a fun and engaging conduit for discussing values, building a strong sense of self and navigating social situations. Ideal age is 8 – 12 years as teenagers may prefer to keep their OH, MY WORD journal personal. Suggested time is after dinner when the family can carve out 10 – 15 minutes of ‘connection’ time.

What you ‘ll need:

copy of OH, MY WORD for each family member
pencil crayons, wax crayons or gel pens

TO GET STARTED

READ – THE FOUR PILLARS. Focus on one per night. Parents can use examples from their own or family life to support the FOUR Pillars. Encourage discussion…ask kids for their thoughts and ideas. There are some pretty cool facts in the ‘thought’ section like how we can rewire our brain with the thoughts we think.

READ – THE INTENTIONS. Choose ones that are age appropriate. To help kids think about intentions ask-What kind of person do you want to be? OR How would you like people to describe you? Encourage kids to brainstorm some of their own intentions (i.e. nice, friendly, strong, helpful, kind, fun, happy) and add to the lists in the book. When drawing in the journal intentions are most effective as a verb or made active so if necessary add a ‘be’ before the word (ie be nice).

READ – CHOOSING AN INTENTION. Parents can share experiences from their own lives (think ‘do-over’) where a having an ‘intention’ would have brought out their best self and likely a different outcome. What would the intention have been? Help the kids think of experiences in their lives where an intention might have changed an outcome.

THE FUN BEGINS

Starting the daily ritual.

OH, MY WORD with kids is best done after dinner when connection time is possible. Suggest starting with the Reflections question – this will provide a look back at the day and frame it in a positive way before moving on. Each family member then chooses an intention WORD that reflects the person they want to be and draws and colours their WORD. *Remember there is no right or wrong way to ‘draw’ the ‘daily page’ everything is totally A-OK, and it is totally fine to repeat the same word day after day until the author feels it’s time to move on.

PLAY “WHAT’S YOUR WORD?”

‘What’s your word?” Everyone shares the intention WORD they chose and explains why. While it’s ok to ask questions the most important thing to remember is that this is a judgment free zone. Everyone must feel accepted for who they are, knowing we are all in a process of becoming our best selves.

What a fun way to build a positive sense of self

THE FAMILY VERSION

Because the OH, MY WORD family version is suggested at night instead of the morning the choosing of the intention is often a ‘look forward’ reflecting the person I choose to be now and tomorrow. For that reason, it’s a great idea to leave the journals open to the current page so that in the morning everyone is reminded of their WORD.

The thing for parents to remember is that everyone draws their page in their own unique way

BECOMING YOUR BEST SELF

OH, MY WORD is a fun, engaging way to help kids become the very best person they can be. It instills the understanding that we are each choosing in every moment of every day who we will be, that we are responsible for the thoughts we think AND (most importantly) with those thoughts we are creating our reality

This empowers kids and adult alike to think thoughts that reflects their biggest dreams and highest intentions.

Please share our family’s experiences with OH, MY WORD I’d love to hear!

If you ever have any questions or just want to say hi email me at:

[email protected]

I look forward to hearing from you.

Warmly,

Cheryl

PS I wanted to share this with you it’s an email I received from a Dad of 2 girls….

“People who do this together will learn not only about themselves, but about each other… which will lead to better team building and family support and accountability. I think it is an achievable goal to set in modern busy family life. It offers an important and accessible meeting place for families who have had difficulty finding time and facility to be together and present for even just a few minutes a day. AND in doing so, we are all gradually manifesting our best selves…. a win on all levels! Thanks Cheryl”

Peter-Parksville, BC Canada

Claire (illustrator of OH, MY WORD) has offered a few recommendations for artist quality art supplies (they’re just fun to work with) check them out at – www.ohmywordjournal.com

BUY OH, MY WORD in Canada at Chapters

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