July 2019: Happiness Project Recap

We can all breathe a sigh of relief — Mercury Retrograde is officially over! Now that we’re in the month of August, busy season at work is about to begin. Because of this, my happiness project has been even more crucial than usual to keep me sane and healthy amidst all of the events and projects.

The timing for this post couldn’t be better. I met up with a friend for lunch this afternoon, and we had the chance to compare notes on our happiness projects. It was fun to hear which themes she had chosen to focus on, and where our goals intersected. It also makes me more determined than ever to really stick to my resolution chart (I haven’t been as consistent with tracking my progress lately) and hold myself accountable.

For those who are new, I was inspired by Gretchen Rubin (author of The Happiness Project) to create a happiness project of my own for the year 2019. Each month, I focus on a different theme and try to follow certain guidelines to boost my productivity, mindfulness, health, and overall happiness. In previous months, I boosted physical wellness, created outer order through decluttering, practiced mindfulness, slowed down, made time for friends, and most recently focused on learning constantly.

For the month of July, my focus was Reset Physical Health. To do this, I planned to incorporate the following:

• Start the day with a healthy breakfast.
• Practice yoga nidra meditation before bed.
• Drink 100 oz of water per day.
• Incorporate healthy movement.
• Practice mindful food hygiene.

So how did I do? Well, I ended up doing more of a reset than I planned! Originally, this month was all about taking small steps, but after being sick for a few weeks after my trip to Montreal, I decided to go on an autoimmune elimination diet as recommended by my functional medicine doctor. The elimination diet cut out a lot of inflammatory food groups, and while I still have a long way to go, I do feel significantly better than when I started.

Healthy breakfast has been a game changer for me. I had gotten in the habit of grabbing a quick bar on the way out the door instead of really sitting down and eating something nutritious, but I’ve come to really look forward to my breakfasts at home. I downloaded the Insight Timer app to try out one of their Yoga Nidra meditations before bed, and although I struggled in the beginning (I even gave up and put Family Guy on to help me fall asleep!), I’ve been giving the app another shot and it has helped me relax before I go to sleep. Water is always a must, and now that I’m not able to drink caffeine, I’m doing a much better job drinking water throughout the day.

Healthy movement was more of a struggle, since I started the month in some pain and had trouble getting around. Now that I’m feeling better, I have been going for walks or hikes when the weather actually permits, but I’m ready to start hitting the gym again (yay for air conditioning!).

The month of August will focus on Digital Detox. No, I will not be taking a social media sabbatical or turning off my phone for the next 31 days, but I do want to be more conscious of how often I’m relying on technology when I’m not using it for work or the blog. I plan to incorporate the following practices:

• Ask yourself “why” when you pull out your phone.
• Choose periods of time to power off.
• Switch to airplane mode during workout times or other tasks.
• Use an alarm clock instead of your phone.

What are your goals for August? Have you embarked on a happiness project? Sound off in the comments below!