Hiatus Green - Natalie Tua

I’m once again down the rabbit hole of the science of optimism. I find it ridiculously fascinating…!
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It’s easy to see how the idea of optimism can be mistaken for generically ‘thinking positively’, yet the work of Acacia Parks and her quote here says otherwise.
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We maximize our chances of things working out by simply (yet intentionally!) staying open to the idea that things will. That’s because our effort will track towards what we expect… no magic, just effort.
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A bit of time in the camera roll… savouring.
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I love that there’s plenty of legit research backing up savouring as a practice to contribute to keeping us well.
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That view though huh 🙏❤️
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📷 Shamrock Farm June 2022
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Another good one, hitting right between the eyes from
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We become what we focus on, for sure.
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Spot on - from is 3-2-1 weekly newsletter….
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“Life is a series of seasons, and what works in one season may not work in the next.
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What season are you in right now? What habits does that season require?"
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📷 Unsplash
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“Feelings are much like waves, we can't stop them from coming but we can choose which one to surf.” Jonatan Mårtensson.
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📷 Petone Foreshore, Wellington, Jan 2022
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Our middle little person started school this week. He was a complete legend through all the different wee phases, as only Mason can be.
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This new season means change for us all… Arie having a little bro to look out for, Ruby adjusting to not having her security blanket at daycare with her, and parentals… basically just mind-blown at how insanely fast these small humans grow up 🤯
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I’m reflecting on how great it was that our family chat this week consisted of lingo about “looking after our brain” since our “brain is working hard this week”. Anything new means the rational / thinking part of our brain is in overdrive.
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Alongside the appreciation for movement every day, I’m grateful the chat around getting good rest, filling up on good food, and regular reference to the “best parts of our day” was naturally weaved into the week.
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Brain fuel = Eat | Move | Sleep | Positive Emotions.
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We kept focused on those basics this week - yes, sure the wheels came off in some moments, but the basics seem to have paid off - happy humans all round! Celebrating small wins 🏆
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Why do we default to thinking courage and courageousness is for the “big stuff”?!
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Most often, it’s lining up our daily actions and decisions with what we personally value, that is where the courage ACTUALLY is! Plenty of that for me in this time.
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A powerful one liner quoted by Mignon McLaughlin.
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I absolutely get the gratitude stuff, as many of us do. Yet slowing down enough to think about the science of it, especially during Mental Health Awareness Week, still kinda blows my mind.
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“A gratitude practice trains the brain to be more in tune with experiencing gratitude — a positive plus a positive, equal more positives.”
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I love that we can lean on an entire body of research that endorses that flipping our thoughts to positive ones via gratitude, can increase important brain chemicals - namely dopamine, serotonin, and oxytocin. This can UP our feelings of happiness, closeness, connection.
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The catch though (there’s always one right)?! Practicing gratitude intentionally AND consistently is what gets us the goods… vs a sporadic attempt every few weeks. Doing this, becomes another powerful component for our ‘mental fitness’ regime!
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📷 - smoko with Pop in Patea, NZ. There’s so much gratitude wrapped up in this one snap for me.
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In our current 2021 lockdown phase, how bang on is this one liner that I read this morning (and embarrassingly didn’t scribble who it was by).
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We still always have a choice huh.
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Reflection! I’m working hard to intentionally ease up and reflect, after ‘full’ seasons of life, like the past six weeks.
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“Nothing in nature blooms all year around”.
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A weekend of slow pace (did you get that kids?!), and lots of journaling ahead 🕺🏻
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📷 - One more glimpse of Milford, April 2021 (feeling like only weeks ago, and almost years ago, all at the same time)!

“Create some space between the thinker and the thought” - Susan David, Emotional Agility
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Couldn’t agree more!
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Ps.. locating yourself on the Milford Track kinda helps with that!
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📷 Milford Track, NZ - April 2021
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Hence keeping the brain fuel up, huh... to give ourselves the best chance of catching those negative thoughts, and reframing the heck out of them 🙌🏻
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