by Feeling Great | Feb 28, 2025 | Personal Growth
9 Shortcuts to Happiness
Unlocking Joy in Shortcuts to Happiness Everyday Life
Shortcuts to Happiness isn’t something you chase—it’s something you create. In the words of Wayne Dyer, “There is no way to happiness. Happiness is the way.”
In today’s fast-paced world, it’s easy to get caught up in the rush and forget to enjoy the moment. But the good news is, happiness doesn’t have to be complicated. It’s often the little things that bring the biggest joy.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed or simply need a boost.
9 Shortcuts to Happiness will help you reconnect with joy. Ready? Let’s dive in!
1. Practice Gratitude Daily
Gratitude shifts your focus from what’s missing to what’s already wonderful. Start a joy journal and jot down three things you’re grateful for every day. This simple habit rewires your brain for happiness.
2. Live in the Present
The past is over, and the future is uncertain. Worrying won’t change either. Instead, embrace the now. As they say, worry is like paying interest on a debt you don’t owe.
3. Connect with Nature
Whether it’s a beach stroll, a forest walk, or simply stargazing, nature has an incredible way of restoring inner peace. Step outside, breathe deeply, and soak in the beauty around you.
4. Surround Yourself with Positive People
Happiness is contagious! Spend time with those who uplift, inspire, and bring out the best in you. Let go of negativity and cultivate relationships that fuel your joy.
5. Give Back to Others
Helping someone else is one of the quickest ways to boost your own happiness. Whether it’s volunteering, supporting a charity, or simply lending a hand, giving creates a deep sense of fulfillment.
6. Meditate for Inner Peace
Even a few minutes of daily meditation can increase dopamine, serotonin, and oxytocin—the brain’s natural happiness chemicals. Plus, it lowers stress, boosts immunity, and enhances overall well-being.
7. Smile—Even When You Don’t Feel Like It
Science shows that smiling can actually trick your brain into feeling happier. So, when stress kicks in, take a deep breath, smile, and let the tension melt away.
8. Learn Something New
Trying new things keeps life exciting! Whether it’s a hobby, a language, or a fitness class, stepping outside your comfort zone sparks creativity and joy.
9. Enjoy the Journey
Life isn’t about reaching a final destination—it’s about making the most of every moment. Dance, laugh, explore, and embrace the adventure. Because in the end, joy is in the journey.
You can read my blog about Gratitude! Read Here!
Which of these shortcuts do you love the most? Share in the comments!
by Feeling Great | Jul 26, 2023 | Personal Growth
Holistic Life – Create Balance and Find Fulfillment
Holistic Life Approach to Create Balance and Find Fulfillment! Feeling overwhelmed? Struggling to juggle work, family, and personal time? Creating balance in life is essential for inner peace, happiness, and overall well-being. If you’re ready to bring more harmony into your daily routine, follow these 10 simple steps to regain control and feel more at ease.
10 Steps to Create Balance and Find Fulfillment in Holistic Life
1. Become Aware
Start by drawing a pie chart that represents different areas of your life—work, family, relaxation, play, and exercise. Then, create another chart based on how you want to distribute your time. Compare both versions and see where adjustments are needed.
2. Gain Insight
Identify the reasons behind your lack of balance. Instead of blaming external circumstances, focus on internal changes you can make.
3. Commit to Change
Pick the area that feels most off-balance and write down one actionable step to improve it. Tell a friend or family member to stay accountable.
4. Practice Gratitude
Spend a few minutes daily reflecting on what you appreciate in life. This shift in mindset helps you focus on abundance rather than what’s missing.
5. Prioritize Relaxation & Play
Schedule time for yourself every day. Whether it’s reading, walking, or simply unwinding, make it a non-negotiable part of your routine.
6. Slow Down & Be Present
Choose one activity each day to do mindfully. Whether it’s eating, exercising, or having a conversation, give it your full attention.
7. Laugh More
Don’t take life too seriously! Laugh, have fun, and learn to let go of unnecessary stress.
8. Care for Your Body
Your physical health affects your mental well-being. Eat nutritious food, get enough sleep, exercise regularly, and incorporate relaxation techniques like meditation.
9. Surround Yourself with Positivity
Increase time with uplifting people and activities that energize you. Reduce time spent with those who drain your energy.
10. Set Boundaries & Prioritize Yourself
Learn to say “no” without guilt. Protecting your time and energy is essential for maintaining balance.
Create Balance and Find Fulfillment in Just 5 Minutes with Holistic Life Approach
Try this quick exercise to identify what truly matters in your life:
- Imagine your life as a blank canvas.
- Add only the things that are essential to your well-being.
- Slowly bring back other elements in order of importance. Leave out anything that causes stress or drains your energy.
Balance and Fulfillment is Just around the corner!
If you need any Relaxation Techniques and if you’re interested with The Power of Mindfulness share your thoughts with us! Need support in achieving balance? Book a session with a Holistic Life Coach today!
by Feeling Great | Jul 2, 2023 | Personal Growth
Maintaining Healthy Habits – How can I maintain healthy habits?
Yes, Maintaining Healthy Habits, can feel overwhelming at times but the most successful people maintain momentum through daily and weekly rituals.
Maintaining Healthy Habits – Here are the key mindset fundamentals for success.
1. Aim for progress NOT perfection. Small consistent changes in the right direction are key.
2. Celebrate your successes – daily, weekly. This can be easier if you record them or have an accountability buddy. Ie, weekly or monthly weigh-in & measurements, food and exercise diary.
3. Identify key habits that keep you on track – such as getting enough sleep (in bed by 10 pm), exercising daily, planning meals and cook ups each Sunday.
4. Create daily rituals. Ie, 2 glasses water on rising, exercise before breakfast.
5. Lose the excuses and stories. If you fall off the wagon, dust yourself off and get straight back up there. This is building your resilience and persistence. Getting off track can reinforce how nice on track is.
6. Not working for you – find another way. There are many paths to the same outcome. Have an injury or setback, modify to accommodate it and keep going. Momentum is key.
7. Visualize daily where you want to go. Hook into the feeling of being there – put a name to it. Is it strong, vibrant, energized, clear………? Seeing the destination gives you something to aim for, but it’s the person who you become along the way that really matters.
Research suggests that achieving and maintaining a healthy weight takes a long-term commitment. Rapid weight loss is more likely to be temporary. It also puts you at greater risk of regaining the weight you lost, plus more.
You need to focus on what works in the long run. This means viewing healthy habits not as something you adopt for a few months, but as ongoing changes to your lifestyle. – Australian Government – Department of Health
Final Thought
Maintaining healthy habits will help you for the long run! Hope that helped. Book with Julie Smethurst (Feeling Great Naturopath) and let me help you to your feeling great journey.
by Feeling Great | Jun 17, 2023 | Personal Growth
Naturopath Mental Health Melbourne: The Power of Mindfulness
What Is The Power of Mindfulness and How Can It Benefit You?
Mindfulness has gained significant attention recently, as it’s recognized for its ability to reduce stress, boost self-awareness, and enhance emotional intelligence. It also helps manage difficult thoughts and emotions effectively.
Although mindfulness is now embraced in Western psychology, it has deep roots in Eastern philosophies such as Buddhism, Taoism, and Yoga. At its core, mindfulness is about consciously focusing on the present moment with openness, interest, and receptiveness. It involves waking up to our experiences, connecting with ourselves, and appreciating the fullness of each moment. This practice significantly enhances emotional and psychological resilience while improving life satisfaction.
How Practicing The Power of Mindfulness Can Help You
Mindfulness is the simple yet profound ability to be fully present, aware of your current experience, and not overwhelmed by external events. According to Mindful, it involves being fully in the here and now, without becoming overly reactive to the things happening around you.
By practicing mindfulness, you can:
- Be fully present in the current moment
- Safely experience unpleasant thoughts and feelings
- Become aware of what you might be avoiding
- Build a deeper connection to yourself, others, and the world around you
- Increase your self-awareness
- Be less reactive to stressors and negative emotions
- Learn to distinguish between yourself and your thoughts
- Experience life directly, rather than through your mental filters
- Realize that thoughts and feelings are transient, like weather patterns
- Cultivate emotional balance and stability
- Enjoy greater peace and calmness
- Foster self-acceptance and self-compassion
Mindfulness and Mental Health: Proven Benefits
Clinical studies have shown that mindfulness can help with a variety of mental health conditions, including chronic pain, anxiety, depression, PTSD, OCD, substance abuse, and borderline personality disorder.
The skills developed through mindfulness practice offer numerous benefits, including:
- Reducing stress
- Overcoming self-limiting beliefs
- Enhancing focus and concentration
- Promoting calmness and emotional regulation
- Managing challenging emotions like frustration, resentment, boredom, and anxiety
Mindfulness equips you to:
- Improve focus and concentration
- Increase self-awareness
- Minimize the impact of stressful thoughts and emotions
- Enhance your relationships
- Identify and replace self-defeating behaviors
- Let go of negative thought patterns
Ultimately, mindfulness brings three major benefits: improved performance, reduced stress, and greater satisfaction in both work and life.
How Mindfulness Benefits Therapists and Coaches
For therapists and coaches, mindfulness offers additional advantages:
- It enhances empathy, compassion, and unconditional positive regard
- It helps you stay focused and present, even when your clients are emotionally overwhelmed
- It allows you to remain grounded and composed during emotional turmoil
- It fosters a healthy perspective on therapeutic outcomes—neither complacent nor overly attached
- It helps you maintain direction and focus in therapy sessions
- It increases your ability to observe and respond to clients’ emotional cues effectively
Final Thought
Mindfulness is not just a technique; it’s a transformative practice that can significantly enhance both personal well-being and professional effectiveness.
Are you ready to take the step and become mindful? Get in touch with me! Naturopath Mental Health Melbourne & Online Video Consults Over Australia
Read the Taking Back Your Power! It could just change how you experience life! You can also read this Holistic Life – Create Balance and Find Fulfillment and if you find it helpful, share your experience with us!
by Feeling Great | Jun 17, 2023 | Personal Growth
The Secret to Happiness and Self-Love
Why Self-Love is the Key to Happiness
The final Secret to Happiness – Self-Love – is here!
We often hear phrases like:
“You need to love yourself more.”
“You can’t truly love someone else until you love yourself first.”
“If you had more self-love, that wouldn’t have happened.”
Advice about self-love is freely given by friends, family, and even strangers, all with the best intentions. But what does it really mean?
Self-love isn’t about makeovers, new clothes, or romantic relationships. While those may bring temporary happiness, they don’t build lasting self-worth. True self-love comes from appreciating yourself and taking consistent actions that nurture your physical, emotional, and spiritual growth.
When you truly love yourself, you:
- Accept yourself – flaws and all.
- Stop seeking approval from others.
- Develop compassion for yourself and those around you.
- Live with purpose and confidence every day.
Now, let’s explore six simple ways to cultivate self-love and create a happier, more fulfilling life.
6 Powerful Happiness and Self-Love Tips
1. Own Yourself – Be Unapologetically You
Get clear on your thoughts, emotions, and desires. When you understand yourself deeply, outside opinions don’t shake you. You feel stable, grounded, and confident, even when life throws challenges your way.
- Try this: Journaling daily helps you gain clarity on what truly matters to you.
2. Choose Your Needs Over Temporary Wants
Loving yourself means choosing what nourishes you, not just what feels good in the moment. It’s like junk food—it may taste great now but could harm you in the long run.
Avoid habits or relationships that drain your energy. Instead, prioritize healthy choices that keep you strong and moving forward.
- Try this: Ask yourself, “Does this support my growth or hold me back?” before making a decision.
3. Practice Self-Care Daily
You show love for yourself when you take care of your body and mind. Simple acts of self-care boost confidence and well-being.
Prioritize:
- Nourishing foods
- Daily movement
- Quality sleep
- Positive relationships
Try this: Set a self-care non-negotiable each day, like a morning walk or a healthy meal.
4. Set Boundaries – Protect Your Energy
True self-love includes saying no to people, situations, or habits that drain you physically, emotionally, or spiritually.
You don’t have to please everyone. Setting clear limits ensures you have the time and energy for what truly matters.
Try this: Practice saying “No, that doesn’t work for me.” without guilt.
5. Surround Yourself with the Right People
Some friendships nurture your soul, while others bring negativity. “Frenemies” may pretend to care but secretly take pleasure in your struggles.
Choose to be around those who uplift and inspire you. Your circle should support your happiness, growth, and success.
Try this: If a relationship feels draining, take a step back and assess if it’s truly healthy for you.
6. Forgive Yourself – Embrace Imperfection
Nobody is perfect, and mistakes are part of growth. The key to self-love is learning from experiences rather than punishing yourself.
Shift your mindset:
- View mistakes as lessons, not failures.
- Accept that you’re a work in progress.
- Treat yourself with the same kindness you’d show a close friend.
Try this: When you feel self-criticism creeping in, pause and ask: “Would I speak to a friend this way?”
Start Boosting Your Happiness and Self-Love Today
Pick one or two of these tips and start applying them today. The more you love yourself, the healthier your relationships become, and the more happiness you attract into your life.
Remember: True self-love isn’t selfish—it’s essential. When you love yourself fully, you create a life filled with joy, confidence, and fulfillment.
Here’s a 19 Self-Care Strategies for you! Which self-love tip resonates with you the most? Let’s chat in the comments! If this inspired you, share it with someone who needs a little self-love reminder today.
Book Here for a session with me.
by Feeling Great | Jun 6, 2019 | Personal Growth
Love or Fear – The Choices We Make
Are Your Actions Rooted in Love or Fear?
Every decision we make—whether in health, relationships, mindset, or daily habits—is either fueled by love or driven by fear. When we nurture our bodies with care, move with purpose, and build connections with intention, we act from a place of love. But when we push ourselves through exhaustion, restrict out of guilt, or hold back due to self-doubt, fear takes control.
Take a moment to reflect:
✔ Where in your life do you act out of love?
✔ What areas are guided by fear?
Love or Fear – Shift your choices
When choices come from self-compassion and care, they create lasting change. But when fear is in the driver’s seat, we feel stuck—trapped in cycles of stress, anxiety, or self-sabotage.
If fear is steering your decisions, you’re not alone. The good news is—you can change the way you approach life.
- Awareness is the first step. Acknowledge where fear is influencing your choices.
- Choose with intention. Shift your mindset and take small steps toward actions rooted in love.
- Seek support. Sometimes, a helping hand is all you need to break free from old patterns.
Ready to Move Toward Love?
If you need guidance in shifting your health, mindset, or daily habits from fear to love, let’s chat. You can also read this Naturopath Mental Health Melbourne – Love Over Fear and if you find it helpful let us know in the comment.
🔗 Book an Online Consultation Here and start creating a life filled with love, confidence, and balance.
💬 I’d love to hear from you! Drop a comment below—share your thoughts, ask questions, or tell your story.
Let’s make the shift together.
Julie xo
