It feels like a storm with no water this summer. Challenging conditions rain down yet the grass stays crunchy beneath our feet. The changing winds of the pandemic, the flurry of wildfires, the rustle of page after page of unpleasantness in the newspaper. It is easy to let our negative brain run the show.
How do we stay afloat? (sorry for so many water analogies in a drought). We have to acknowledge the hard stuff and then take time to tap into happiness. Did you know your brain releases oxytocin (a happy brain chemical) when you pet a horse or help another person? Serotonin, another happy chemical, releases when we get out in the sunshine or take walks in nature. When we eat good food and get enough rest we ensure a bounty of dopamine. Exercise and laughter (hello shoveling horse poop) kicks up a flow of endorphins. We all need to remember to take time for balancing out our negative brain. As we transition into the fall season, join me in choosing some healthy ways to feed our positive brain. Then, as the storms blow, we may find our smile in the challenge of day to day life.
-Janet Weisberg, MS OTR/L HPCS, Founding Director
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