by Izzy McRae | Jan 10, 2017 | Uncategorized
For as long as I can remember I’ve been going on holiday to Galloway. It’s in the south west corner of Scotland – a part of the country that’s often ignored as people power up the motorway to Glasgow or Edinburgh and beyond. My earliest...
by Izzy McRae | Nov 15, 2016 | Uncategorized
First of all – I’m not a parent. I’ve always wanted to become one, but it’s taken me a long time to find my guy. Now I’ve finally found him (hurrah!), we’ve started to have the odd conversation about the future and having kids. So after wanting them for so...
by Izzy McRae | Oct 17, 2016 | Uncategorized
Last week I lost my temper. I arrived into JFK airport after a long flight, and joined the queue for immigration. Because I’d already got an Esta, I could use the same process as the Americans, but despite this, all foreigners were ushered into a separate queue that...
by Izzy McRae | Sep 14, 2016 | Uncategorized
As anyone who has read my blog before will know, I spend a lot of time pondering the ingredients of happiness. So much of it seems situational – I’ve been very happy working incredibly hard, and very unhappy working incredibly hard, depending on the job. I’ve...
by Izzy McRae | Aug 9, 2016 | Uncategorized
One of the more recent steps I’ve taken to increase my happiness is to start going to a regular dance class. I sat down and wrote a list of things that made me happy, and then considered how I could do more of them. Climbing and dancing were right up there on the...
by Izzy McRae | Jul 20, 2016 | Uncategorized
Happiness is hard work. This isn’t what anyone wants to hear, and you might not agree. We have all watched friends transform from miserable to happy as a result of a new relationship, a new job or some other change in life circumstances. And life circumstances clearly...
by Izzy McRae | Jul 11, 2016 | Uncategorized
Are farmers happier than musicians? Do members of the clergy feel more satisfied with their lives than politicians? Are people happier in better paid jobs? The ONS has been collecting the data for the past three years, and What Works Wellbeing (a Government-funded...
by Izzy McRae | Jul 1, 2016 | Uncategorized
So last week I wrote about how to cope with other people’s negative emotions. The following day, the Brexit result was announced. The result packed such a big emotional punch that even though I normally try to keep out of politics, I felt I had to write about it....
by Izzy McRae | Jun 23, 2016 | Uncategorized
I often pick up people’s moods. This can be great when they are happy; I love a group laughing fit over a very silly joke. But when people around me are anxious, I can find my shoulders rising and my mind racing. It’s particularly unhelpful when someone is angry. I...
by Izzy McRae | Jun 11, 2016 | Uncategorized
Want to know a quick and easy way to make someone’s day? Tell them thank you, like you mean it. But how can you do this without looking like you are: a) sucking up, b) overly emotional or c) being formulaic? Here’s a trick that works really well. I’ve tried it. I...