In the pursuit of health, many people leave joy out of the equation. However, joy is an integral part of holistic wellness, and it’s not a luxury; it’s an essential aspect of thriving.
Health isn’t simply the absence of disease, just as joy isn’t simply the absence of sadness, pain, or suffering. It’s a deep experience of inward peace and intense, momentary happiness that arises when something in your life aligns with your core values.
Joy isn’t hard to find! In fact, it’s all around you if you open yourself to it. Small moments of joy can spark great changes, and joy can show up when you least expect it. By taking conscious action to bring more joy into your life, you’ll reap all the health benefits.
Practicing gratitude, offering gifts of service, and surrounding yourself with uplifting people can all boost joy. On the other hand, negative self-talk, limiting beliefs, resistance to change, and comparisons can all motivate pessimism.
One of the beauties of joy is that, like other areas of wellness, it builds over time. Tiny moments of joy can contribute to greater feelings of joy on a regular basis! The more you notice joy throughout the day, the easier it will feel to connect with the positive feelings that joy induces.
There are infinite opportunities for joy, no matter what’s going on for you. Tapping into these opportunities sometimes requires a little mindfulness and effort, but it’s well worth it! Know that it’s perfectly okay to not feel open to joy at every given moment. Also remember that the more you open yourself to joy, the more you’ll receive.
Use the following exercises to explore your relationship with joy
CREATE OPPORTUNITIES FOR JOY
- Think about the last time you experienced true, full-bodied joy.What were you doing?
- What else elicits that feeling of joy? (Trust your gut here, and try not to analyze; write down whatever comes to mind. Sometimes we have to get out of our own way to connect with what truly brings us joy.)
- What action step can you take this week to create more opportunities for joy on a daily basis?
PRACTICE GRATITUDE
Remember that gratitude is connected to joy. How can you bring more gratitude into your life?
Here are a few ideas:
• Start with gratitude: Every morning, write down three things you’re looking forward to in the day ahead.
• End with gratitude: Each night, write down three things that brought you joy or happiness during the day.
• Express gratitude: Reach out to someone special in your life once a week – or even once a day – and express gratitude for that person. Send a text, write an email, mail a letter, or pick up the phone!
• Pay someone a gratitude visit: Think of someone who has done something important for you in the past. In a letter, be specific about what that person did and how it impacted your life in a positive way. Meet with the person face-to-face and share the letter with them.
