Barefoot Angie Bee: Add 7 minutes to your life right now!

Thursday, January 9, 2014

Add 7 minutes to your life right now!

I decided that I would watch a TED talk video every day. It's one of those New Years Resolution things that I was tossing around and decided to make it officialish. Its a simple and free thing I can do every single day to grow as a person. I got the inspiration from the video below. I have enough time every day, I do, even if I want to sometimes tell myself otherwise, to watch a video to learn and be inspired.

Jane McGonigal talks about games in this video as well as adding 7 1/2 minutes to your life and I have learned to have a very fond response to games.

Games can save a person. Back when I was in the depths of adrenal fatigue and MS symptoms and was up for hours at night with panic attacks, I played Angry Birds. It was just enough to distract me and keep me focused and yet it also relaxed me. It helped me accept my insomnia and not fight it and enjoy my time alone awake at night, It saved me. Reading and watching shows just didn't combat the panic attacks the way the games did. The games engaged me. Take that panic attacks!!

Now that I feel better, I make a point to continue to play games because I know how powerful they are! Games are also a way to connect with people. When I am fatigued and can't do much, I can still play Angry Birds with the spawn so it gives me some social interaction too, and I get cool mom points!

How does this all relate to adding 7 minutes to your life? Check out the video! Seriously, Jane is eloquent and passionate and she absolutely will inspire you. She also backs this 7 1/2 minute claim up with science and numbers!!

Jump to 13:00 if you want to but she is wonderful and I suggest watching the whole thing!
Complete 4 superbetter quests. (watch the video too! It will change your life!)

1. pick one: stand up and take 3 steps or make your hands into fists and raise them over your head as high as you can for 5 seconds. +1 physical resilience. Don't sit still!

2. Pick one: snap your fingers exactly 50 times or count backwards from 100 by 7. (100, 93...)
+1 mental resilience. Mental focus and willpower!

3. Pick one: If you are inside, find a window and look out of it. If you are outside, find an window and look in. or Do a quick youtube or google search for "baby [your favorite animal]"
+1 emotional resilience. You have the power to change how you feel and reinforce positive emotions.

4. Pick one: Shake someones hand for 6 seconds. or Send someone a quick Thank You by text, email, Facebook, or twitter. +1 social resilience. Gain strength from others! Shaking someones hand for 6 seconds raises the level of the hormone Oxytocin the trust hormone.

Do something that makes you happy, move your body, get in touch with someone you care about, tackle little challenges. I can do these things and I can set reminders on my tech devices so I don't forget and can make them habit!