When life gives you lemons, it only takes 30 seconds to make lemonade.

At the beginning of this month, I started a happiness project to help remind myself to appreciate the small moments of life. I called my gratitude experiment #ssHappyMay and documented mini moments on Insta Stories that made me happy.

Now that we’re at the end of May, I took a look back at my #ssHappyMay highlights and reflected on what brings me joy: Bunny, flowers, being by the water and spending time with family and friends.

I enjoyed the experiment and it really helped me focus on activities that I truly enjoy doing. But I’m now moving on to a different practice. That’s where the 30 seconds to lemonade comes in.

My new therapist, Kathryn Lubow, who I’m obsessed with, has been helping me bring more mindfulness into my everyday life. One exercise she taught me is called  “taking in the good,” developed by neuroscientist Rick Hanson. It feels like an extension of my #ssHappyMay and has already brought me more positivity. I asked Kathryn to explain it for my Sydne Style fam in case you want to join me in taking in the good. Here’s what she had to say:

Taking in the good

“We take an ordinary neutral or pleasant activity, such as our first sip of coffee in the morning. We notice the pleasant sensations as they arise, such as the scent or the feeling of the mug in our hand. And we stay with any other pleasant sensations that arise for 30 seconds. This way we are exercising our mindful awareness by taking time to savor experiences we might often overlook or ignore.

This helps to rewire our brain to develop more capacity to stay with positive experiences. We can practice this many times a day, each time we notice flowers as we walk by, hear a song we love on the radio or eat our favorite food. Take your pick and it is fun to discover what activities you enjoy the most!”  – Kathryn Lubow

So there you have it, it only takes 30 seconds to make a little lemonade into your life!

Photos by Michelle Kyle

Top: Forever 21
Jeans: Grlfrnd
Necklaces: Covet and Dana Rebecca
Bracelets: Luca + Danni and Henri Bendel

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