
How to Infuse More Joy into Your Life
Feeling more joy in our lives might feel like a difficult task, but there are many benefits to starting these practices in your life. Feeling more joy can help to strengthen the immune system, decrease stress hormones, improve pain and help us to live longer. Not only can joy improve our mental and emotional state, it also has a lasting impact on our physical health.
Here are some practices to help invite more joy into your life.
- Celebrate your little wins.
- Each night before bed, write down, or reflect upon, three things that “went your way” that day. These can be big or small things. Throughout the day try to notice when good things happen, maybe you hit all the green lights, or your tea was the perfect temperature. Take note and log these events each night.
- Schedule something fun in your future.
- Having something to look forward to, big or small, can greatly increase our overall joy. Try each week to have something fun on the calendar, so you always have something good to look forward to.
- Try something new.
- Our brains are hard wired to experience joy when experiencing novelty. Try developing a new hobby or reading a new book.
- Do something you loved as a child.
- Bring back child-like joy by singing a silly song, or dancing in the rain.
- Take a mental break.
- Give yourself permission to pause for a moment and imagine you are someplace you love. Maybe visiting the beach or a lovely mountain trail. See if you can smell the fresh air and hear the water. Try this short break especially when you are feeling overwhelmed.
When things feel tough, try to seek out small moments of joy to help keep you balanced. Finding joy is a gradual process and might take some time to get used to. Be patient with yourself and seek the support of friends and family, or mental health professionals when needed.
https://www.calm.com/blog/how-to-be-happy-again https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/how-can-you-find-joy-or-at-least-peace-during-difficult-times-202210062826 https://selecthealth.org/blog/2018/03/10-ways-to-add-more-joy-to-your-life
