Happiness – or the lack of it – is a subject that frequently comes up with clients and one we’ve discussed several times in the blog. 

 

So many people seem to have forgotten what it’s like to be happy. And we’re not talking about the transient happiness from the latest gizmo or “must have” but a deeper sense of being happy with yourself and your life. 

 

Spend time with young children and you’ll quickly see that happiness is our natural state. Our default setting. 

 

Yet somewhere along the way we seem to have lost touch with it, so by the time we’re “grown up” anyone who’s happy is seen as “a bit odd”. 

 

Getting back in touch with happiness can seem like a rather tall order, but there is a very simple – and quick – way to be happy. And that is to stop and think about everything you’re grateful for at right now. 

This year seems to have been one of extremes on the weather front and, being English, we do love to talk about the weather (!). Unseasonably cold and wet in the spring, roasting in the summer and, in the last few weeks, returning to the cold and wet theme. Cue an influx of Clients with traditional cold damp complaints, with musculo skeletal issues topping the list. And it’s one of these we’re going to take a closer look at today. 

 

If you’ve been unlucky enough to suffer from it, you’ll know first hand just how painful and debilitating it can be. One client summed it up perfectly by saying that she couldn’t sit, couldn’t stand, could just about lay down – but then couldn’t get up – and really didn’t know what to do with herself. 

 

And, from personal experience, we’d say she’d got it right. Although, having said that, we’d add that it’s virtually impossible to get out of the car after a drive of more than a few minutes without resorting to a crowbar… 

We’ve all said it at one time or another, whether out loud or to ourselves. Or listened to someone else saying it. Perhaps smiled a little ruefully to ourselves at the long list that’s guaranteed to follow these simple words which will, somehow, guarantee our future happiness. Make our lives “perfect” or “complete.” 

 

Unfortunately, this never quite seems to happen in practice. So, we move on to the next list of things which, we’re sure (!), will ensure our future happiness. And the cycle repeats again and again, with our happiness always being just out of reach, around the next corner. 

 

Have you ever wondered why this is? 

With the cooler and damper weather at this time of year comes an upsurge of all things respiratory, whether chronic or acute. And it’s one of these we’re going to focus on today. 

 

While it’s usually thought of as an acute, in other words a short term irritation – and “irritation” describes it very well (!) – it can also be linked to an ongoing chronic condition. 

It’s been a while since we’ve turned the spotlight on one of the many tricks the Little Monster in our Heads uses to prevent us from making any changes in our lives. Interestingly, these tricks all follow the same formula, which is the reason they’re so easy to fall for without us ever realising what’s going on. 

 

At first sight, they all seem so simple and logical. In our best interests. Stopping us from making “stupid” mistakes. Although, by a twist of irony, once they’re subjected to a little scrutiny we’re the ones looking stupid for accepting them on face value… 

 

Whatever the trick, the end result is the same. We don’t make any changes, but carry on doing exactly the same thing, with exactly the same results. Over and over again. Now that is stupid… 

 

So which little trick are we going to look at today?