Welcome to the first in our series of weekly blogs. We want you to feel welcome, come back often, and hopefully find this page helpful to you, your family and friends. This week we will be discussing little things. You know - all those little and seemingly inconsequential things that at the end of the day can add up to a dark cloud that colors your attitude and interactions with those around you.

Mindfulness Versus Annoyance

A few little things that can quickly ruin your mood might include, being late to work because of a traffic jam, seeing a spider in your shower, losing a favorite earring, stepping in dog poop, running out of milk when you already have cereal in the bowl, getting the wrong takeout order, making a mistake on a Facebook post and how about forgetting an appointment?
These seemingly minor things can potentially negatively effect your day. So, what can you do?
Here are some thoughts on possible calming activities.

• Mindfulness breathing: take 4 breaths in through your nose, hold it for 7 seconds, release the breath slowly through your mouth while counting to 8. Repeat this process at least 5 times. As silly as this may sound, you cannot be anxious at the same time as being calm and this breathing will calm you down!
• Complete a simple crossword puzzle or Sudoku or other game. Focusing on something that requires non-emotional thought helps to distract you from frustration.