Sometimes, when life chucks it’s worst at you, holding onto a sense of sanity is hard. Why do some people thrive when others go under? Naturally I’m talking ‘sanity’ in the broadest sense!
10 things seriously sane people never do
1. Beat themselves up. When s**t happens these folk deal with it.  No avoidance. They learn  and apply the lessons. They simply don’t do blame, guilt or worry.
2. Say yes all the time. No is a valid reply. Seriously sane people don’t need to please others in hopes of being liked for it.
3. Mind read. A big no-no for people busy living their own lives. No-one knows what someone is thinking if they don’t ask. Unless they are paid for it, seriously sane people avoid putting words in people’s mouths, and save themselves shedloads of anxiety.
4. Ignore advice. Seriously sane people don’t assume they know best. They’ll pay experts and do the steps to make changes and follow up new ideas. Why pay for advice and ignore it?
5. Expect. Dropping expectations allows these people to save energy, stop judging and look after themselves. Leave off the ‘She should have thought …,’ They could have done… ‘He ought to have known …,’  Sez who? Why? Others don’t think or act as we like. It’s so pleasant if someone actually does.
6. Rudeness. Politeness costs nothing. It eases the traction of daily life. Good manners show courtesy, kindness and consideration, often yielding nice surprises. You see another’s point of view by putting yourself in their shoes. Gratitude for someone’s effort, a job well done or completing a transaction releases Dopamine, the brain’s reward hormone. It floods both your brains with a feel-good boost, leading to smiles and co-operation. Appreciation and gratitude needn’t be people-based. Finding enough milk for your morning cuppa, getting cloths dried on the line, slipping neatly into a parking space – these are some of mine!
7. Hang with moaners. Whoever said, ‘Show me your friends and I’ll tell you what you are,’ was right. Bitching, back-biting and blabbing increase anxiety and depress mood. You have 2 ears and 1 mouth. Talk and listen in that ratio! Seriously sane people choose their friends and groups. They avoid contagion by limiting exposure to emotionally draining people.
8. Watch tv. Well, maybe they do watch some. They just don’t just spend mindless hours in front of tv.  These people cook, blog, make things, dance, keep pets, support a cause. I think we used call them ‘hobbies!’
9. Leave learning to teens. Keeping up with change takes effort. Seriously sane people put energy into finding out all sorts of things. New tech stuff, recipes, politics, languages, tuning into free online learning.
10.Take. Interesting people love to share, interact and get involved. Being involved with life beyond themselves makes for satisfaction, staying connected and feeling part of the bigger picture.
Studies show nurturing this frame of mind increases happiness and satisfaction with life. It builds resilience for challenging times, buffers effects of stress and aids recovery from trauma.
What keeps you seriously sane?
