Let’s Try: The 24-Hour No-Complain Challenge

Think about this for a minute, friends: How many times do you catch yourself complaining every day? Think hard about this one. Why? Because we probably all complain a lot more than we realize. It could be something as little as grumbling as you get out of bed in the morning (which I did today because I overslept!) or something as big and monstrous as stressing over family issues or a looming work deadline. Yes, whether we like it or note, the act of complaining is hard-wired in the fabric of our DNA.

And as it turns out, science isn’t on our side. Stanford studies have shown that being exposed to just 30 minutes of complaining every day is enough to cause physical damage to the brain; it damages the neurons in the brain that are responsible for problem solving and cognitive functioning. That’s not all. Even if you’re not the one doing the actual complaining, just listening to someone complain quickly zaps your energy — I think we’ve all been in a situation like this, haven’t we?

Yikes! Well, NO MORE! After seeing a No-Complaining Challenge posted on Facebook, my mom challenged my sister and me to see if we could go 24 (whole!) hours without complaining. And each time we do complain, we have to write it down. So we’re going to try it! Tomorrow is the big day! We were joking all weekend that we’d better get all of our complaining out of our systems while we had the chance — trust me, we did!

I’d love for you to take part too, friends, so let’s make this a blog challenge, shall we? I’ll be sure to take notes of my experience — and of course, all those time I *accidentally* complain — and post a write-up next week! Are you game? Let’s goooo!! xoxo

[Top photo via We Heart It]

Let’s Try: Take an honest selfie

Confession time: You know those new types of photos all the young, hip kids are taking these days? Those self shot, I think they call them. Oh, they’re called selfies? So you do know what I’m talking about then. Well, believe it or not, but I unknowingly contributed to the rise of their popularity. Yup, that’s right, friends. I pretty much invented the art of the selfie. Like Edison and the light bulb. Like Bell and the telephone. Like Psy and Gangnam Style.

I know, I know…that’s probably somewhat of an exaggeration. But I did find a few photos recently that would seem to support my claim. Take the two photos above, for example. I couldn’t have been more than 10 or 11, but I remember loving that camera. And back then, it was always of the disposable variety. Put one of those babies in my hand, and I’d just go to town. Snapping those photos of genuine moments made me feel free and gave me the opportunity to be myself. It was a chance to capture such a real second.

Maybe that’s why I’m so impressed with Dove’s new short film, the aptly titled Selfie. Premiering at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, the short film helps mark the 10th anniversary of Dove’s Real Beauty campaign and explores how one group of girls takes selfies and what that says about beauty standards and girls’ confidence in today’s society. It’s sad at first, to see all the self-editing that goes on with the girls and their photos, but as the girls begin to take “honest selfies” — along with their mothers — a beautiful dialogue opens up. You can watch the full film here, and below is the short three-minute version…

So, all this body-positive honesty got me thinking: How awesome would it be if we all took honest selfies for the whole world to see? Wouldn’t that send a wonderful message? Such a life-affirming activity, don’t you think? And even better, why not do it on So About What I Said?

Here’s my idea: I invite you to snap an honest selfie of yourself (and don’t tell me you never take photos of yourself…I’ve seen lots of your cool pics on Instagram!) and send it to me, along with a couple sentences about what you love about yourself or how your photo is a good representation of yourself. Feel free to send your submissions to mellow1422 [at] aol [dot] com. I’ll share all your wonderful photos in a celebration post. Sound fun? Are you game, friends?

[Thanks, ELLE]

Three things I learned from my Internet-free Thanksgiving

It’s hard to believe it’s already been a whole week since Thanksgiving, isn’t it? As you know, friends, I made a vow to have a clean holiday. I was going Internet-free after feeling overwhelmed and bogged down by the Web for far too long. I was going to complete this Digital Detox even if it killed me. Well, lucky for me, it didn’t do me in. In fact, it helped me — in more ways than I ever imagined. Here are the top three things I learned from unplugging…

The universe is not going to implode on itself
Things move so fast online, so I thought that even one day away would spell a death sentence for me. For so long, I’d tricked myself into believing that I couldn’t take even one day off without my universe never, ever making sense again. But guess what? The Internet will still be there when you come back. Trust me, it’s not going anywhere. I thought I’d be missing important news, must-read emails or urgent blog business, but when I finally did check my email, most of it was either junk mail or things that didn’t require my immediate attention over the holiday weekend. Turns out, other people probably weren’t being slaves to their computers and phones either.

Time with family is what matters the most
Sure, I had a pretty good handle on this before, but we all need a reminder every once and awhile, don’t we? We spent a lot of Thanksgiving Day just lying around and reading, but there was just something about doing it together that made it extra special. It’s those little moments, after all.

Taking time to slow down now will help you be more productive in the long-run
This week, I’ve felt more focused and on top of things, and I’m pretty sure my day off had something to do with it. As my father used to say, my brain got a nice little reboot and was able to start fresh. Sometimes just giving yourself a teeny, tiny bit of distance from something gives you a huge dose of perspective when you get back to it. You have a chance to de-stress. You have a chance to relax. And then you come back stronger, bigger and better than ever.

So! What do you think, friends? I’m pretty darn proud of myself for lasting the whole day. Have you ever tried this not-so-little experiment? How’d things go? What did you learn? Any handy tips you can share for others who might be trying the same thing? xoxo

[Bottom photo via We Heart It]

Let’s Try: Internet-free Thanksgiving

“I will not be spending my holiday weekend in cyberspace.”

That was the matter-of-fact declaration my mom made this morning. She’s a woman on a mission, and truth be told, I can see her point. In the early days, the Internet truly did make our lives easier, but somewhere along the way, things began to change. It became a hindrance rather than a help, a time-sucker rather than a time-saver.

In fact, it’s not uncommon to see my mom and I sitting at the kitchen table together after dinner, she on her phone and me on my laptop. And because my job is essentially on the Web, I sometimes find myself getting easily overwhelmed by the good old Internets (do other bloggers feel this way?), and lately, I even felt a bit bogged down by the weight of the World Wide Web. All signs point to the same thing: I’m in desperate need of a Digital Detox. I mean, my phone is never more than an arm’s reach away from me, even when I’m in bed at night. And when I’m not on my phone, I sometimes find myself wondering: What’s happening on Facebook right now? Any big celebrity drama going down on Twitter?

Thankfully, though, I’m not alone. Last spring, The Huffington Post revealed the results of a UK study that found people would rather have no heat or water than lose their Internet connection in their home. The study, conducted by Infosecurity Europe, asked 1,000 in London about their biggest stressors, and — you guessed it! — loss of Internet connection topped the list.

So, here’s my plan: I’m going to unplug. I’m going to start small, and vow to just unplug for Turkey Day, and see if I can last the whole day. We’re talking the works here. No Blogs. No Facebook. No Twitter. No Pinterest. No ogling Zac Efron. I’m going cold turkey — no pun intended.

Do you think I can do it, friends? I’d love to make this a group challenge, so if you’re game, let’s try it together! How long could you go without the Internet — or any technology, for that matter? Good luck, and I’ll see you in my post-Thanksgiving coma on Friday! xoxo

P.S. Here are some tips to help us (and yes, I’m aware of the irony)…
*How to unplug in six steps.
*Unplug your weekend or ruin your life.
*How to broadcast your plan to unplug.

[Pie chart via I Love Charts]

Let’s Try: Prancercise!

One of my goals this summer is to get into an exercise routine. At the top of my must-have moves? Prancercise! Ever since creator Joann Rohrback’s 1989 video went viral last week, I — and the rest of the Internet — have become obsessed with this new way of moving and grooving.

I’m thinking I’d have to modify the routine a bit since I’ll be using my walker (those ankle weights are probably out…), but I can’t wait to get prancing! As Joann says, it’s time to “stop talking and do some walking.”

I’d love to know, friends: What’s your go-to fitness routine? Any tips for me as I begin my journey? Will you be taking part in the
Prancercise craze this summer?

P.S. I’ve got another summer project that I can’t wait to tell you about. Look for it on the blog in the next few weeks… :)

[Via TIME]