simple yet effective things I do to make make my day little happier.

And they're not all chocolate; if you counted there are seven of them. Well...

three now. I got a little stressed making this video, but ANYWAY. Chocolate has a pretty bad

reputation, but has potential to be very good thing in moderation. Cacao beans are high

in magnesium, which North Americans tend to be deficient in.

Magnesium de-stresses us...

it's also high in oleic acid, the same monounsaturated fat that people love olive oil for.

along with being very high in antioxidants some research also suggests

that dark chocolate is a appetite suppressant. The higher percentage of cacao

in chocolate, the better. In its healthiest state, it's raw and vegan with no factory

made sweeteners in it.

A year ago, I developed an interest in a man named Matthieu Ricard,

a molecular geneticist turned Tibetan monk. The University of Wisconsin-Madison

conducted a so-called happiness test and he scored significantly higher than

average

he is deemed by many to be the happiest man in the world!

I'm prone to stress, I was actually diagnosed with anxiety and it's rooted in over thinking

over analyzing and being too caught up in everyday life, it's almost like a

constant state of paranoia.

Guided meditation in later self-induced meditation has put me in a state of

calmness like nothing else ever has.

I used to think meditation was kind of a joke but it has really changed my

perspective on existence and prompted me to take the time to stop getting so

consumed in everyday struggles just for a little while.

Mealtime has become an important part of the day for me and it's not just a

time to indulge and eat things that will hurt me in the long run anymore.

Health begins on my plate, so I treat mealtime as a keystone to my day and a

time when I'm in complete control of choosing what to fuel and nourish my

body with. If i eat unhealthy food I feel tired and I don't sleep as well and the

human body responds to stress with a hormone called cortisol.

Cortisol stimulates fat production so to avoid that I eat well, I sleep well and

I'm kind to my body.

Food is important and eating well is a great source of relaxation to me.

If you want to know what I'm eating, I steamed some vegetables and some dumplings

and I put some raspberries in water, blended it up... and put some cayenne pepper

and apple cider vinegar in a little bowl as a dipping sauce

and this is one of the most delicious things I eat!

Careful Kassie, that's a big ol' bite!

She doesn't even care.

Getting started is the hardest part of actually doing something, people love

having a sense of accomplishment, even if it's something very small easy so I

like to get things out of the way and start new tasks. Starting an essay, researching my

interests, responding to emails, or picking up a challenging book for the

first time is just the beginning of an obsession for me, and I feel really good

every time a complete something. Leisure that involves no effort on my part like

watching tv makes me feel good for the moment but not in the long run. So I try to be

productive even when I'm stressed and keep the mindless leisure very close to bed-

time

Intense interval training is all well and good but sometimes when you're

stressed the best thing to do is avoid the gym and just get outside with your animal, go for a

walk with a friend or just find a good place to be along with your thoughts. I

have a mindset in the gym that I'm just there to have the most intense workout

possible. So when I'm stressed, I like to find active yet fun and relaxing

things to do

Yoga is an amazingly relaxing thing to do just by yourself and perfect

strength training.

Exercise releases endorphins and refreshes your skin

it's also great to burn off excess stored energy that you ate but aren't

working to burn.

One of the easiest ways to de-stress is to live in the present, if you have anything

in the past that's bothering you, apologize and mean it. Don't ever apologize

if you expect an apology back.

Part of apologizing is speaking for yourself and taking responsibility. It's doing

right by your own mistakes

Apologize to be at peace with yourself, you're not in charge of other people's

burdens.

I hope this helps you like it helped me, stress kills you, so manage it

strategically! Thanks for watching, bye!