©Abdone

It’s your day off and you’ve been looking forward to sleeping in, lounging around a bit in the morning, and eating a decent breakfast that isn’t rushed. These days are few and far between in our hectic lives.

All is good this morning until someone else’s mood shifts yours. It can be a little snippy comment, a look, an over-arched eyebrow, or someone else’s agenda that crush your plans. All of a sudden you’re feeling edgy and resentful that your perfect morning was ruined by someone else’s black cloud.

Don’t let this moment ruin the rest of your day.

Why Emotions are Contagious

© Gstockstudio1 | Dreamstime.com - Diverse People With Different Emotions. Photo

Emotional Contagion (EC) is the psychological term for the mood change you’ve just experienced. Humans are hardwired to be social beings, and through interaction we synchronize our emotions with others by consciously and unconsciously identifying and mimicking facial expressions, vocalizations, postures, and movements of others around us. Researchers in this field suggest that this is an automatic or ‘primitive’ process that we all experience to varying degrees. Read more about EC by exploring the links in our reference section below.

Does this mean your mood is doomed for the day? No.

Managing Your Emotions

By understanding that EC exists and that you may be influenced by those around you, you can catch yourself and change your mood. As we’ve discussed in previous posts, we are masters of our own behaviors, and you can choose to be happy, sad, mad, glad, loving, and so on.

©Jyothi

The first step is to become aware of what you are feeling when confronted with someone else’s emotional state (whether influenced by facial expression, tone of voice, or physical demeanor, etc.). What do their expressions tell you about their emotions? How are you feeling as a result? What should you do about it?

Let’s face it, we all have friends or family members who seem to have a gloomy disposition. When in their presence, pay attention to how your mood shifts and consciously switch the mood. You may be able to lift their spirits by your reactions – let them mimic your expressions and synchronize with your emotions!

Strategies for Rebooting Your Mood

Don’t like the amateur psychologist approach to mood changing? Then, get physical.

Next time you want to improve your mood or shake off the emotions that others have passed on:

Physically change your facial expressions, posture, tone of voice, etc. Simply, smiling can make a difference.
Change the setting by going for a walk, run, swim, bike ride. Interacting with nature can improve your mood, and the exercise can help kick in mood-boosting endorphins.
Visit with someone who makes you smile or happy. The EC effect will produce results quickly!
Watch a comedy show or happy movie. Laughter is another sure way to improve your mood.

References:

Recipe of the Week: Chocolate Mint Protein Bars

Traveling Gym Session

Summer vacation is so sweet. It’s a perfect time to unwind and forget the regular routines that get you rising before the sun, making school lunches, and driving kids to school before rushing to work.

For some people, summer vacation means giving their workout routine a break, while for others it means having more time to ramp up their workout or trying something different.

Even when traveling, there are plenty of opportunities to be active and stay fit. Here are some ideas for staying active, and a workout routine you can do anywhere with just a chair.

Pick An Activity…

©Sandy Matzen

There are so many ways to pump up your heart rate, and enjoy a day of leisure. When visiting a new city, many of these activities can be built right into your sightseeing schedule. For instance:

Take a walking tour of the city or local attraction,
Walk to a farmer’s market or shopping center,
Run or walk along the beach,
Hike a trail or meadow path,
Cycle around the city or bike in the mountains,
Join a free yoga class in the park,
Swim in the lake, ocean, pool,
Surf or Standup Paddle in the ocean or lake,
Kayak, row, or ride a canoe,
Walk the course when playing golf,
Play tennis, volleyball on the beach, soccer in the park,
Dance ANYWHERE…

Grab a Chair…

While on vacation and away from the gym, you can still do strength training using your own bodyweight or using items in your hotel room or nearby park. For instance, you can use 2.8L juice containers or 4L milk containers filled with water or sand as weights; benches at the park or ottomans in your suite can double up as workout benches.

The following is a 20-30 minute workout using just a chair. Adjust the timing by adding or subtracting sets. You can do these strength workouts every other day. Be creative and add more exercises on your own using whatever you have available.

We’d love to see your ideas so take pictures and tag us on Instagram at @aspireperspirenourish.

Upper Body

Lower Body

Abs & Core

Stay Nourished…

Vacations are times filled with food and drink temptations. Stay healthy by engaging in responsible eating and drinking, i.e. watch portion sizes, buy healthy snacks, keep the alcoholic beverages in check, and eat as much raw, whole, natural ingredients as possible.

Sometimes, we do need a nutritional boost so this summer, try some Aloha products, which are made simply with natural ingredients. We are testing out their products and will tell you more about them in future posts. In the meantime, you can enjoy a free trial by going to the link below:

Free Trial of ALOHA On the Go Kit**

**Please note this is an affiliate link and we will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on the link.