Need a pick me up? 7 tips to Kick start Joy in Your life.
Life can feel more than a little overwhelming at times. For many it seems there are never enough hours in the day – meetings, errands, birthday parties, sick kids, sick dogs, difficulties sleeping, pay bills and the NEVER ENDING to do list. Aargh!! When does it all end.
Need a pick-me-up? Check out my 7-tips to Kick start Joy in your life.
Tip 1: Stop watching and reading the daily news. For one week, stop watching and/or reading the daily news and see how you feel? There seems to be a disproportionate focus on tragedies, political fighting and scandal when it comes to the news. Sound bites of information which leaves many feeling fearful, helpless, adding to their own state of overwhelm as well as feelings of depression. Some media studies say bad news outweighs good news by as much as 17 to 1 (according to Psychology Today). Become mindful of what information you let in.
Tip 2: Write your 25 best qualities. Give voice to how GREAT you are and write out your 25 best qualities. Once you’ve done that, send an email to a minimum of 25 people – a mix of friends, family, colleagues, business associates, neighbors, asking them to email you back with what they consider to be your 3 best qualities. Put them altogether in one big list and read daily. You can’t help but be reminded of your awesomeness after this.
Tip 3: Set an intention to notice the joyous things around you. It may be the flower in your garden, or taking a walk in nature, consciously breathing in the fresh air, and feel the grass under your feet. Get up early and watch the sunrise. Visit an art gallery, go for a picnic. Notice all the kind words people say to you – the good morning from the taxi driver, or the smile from the person serving you coffee. Pay attention to ALL the GOOD things in your day and most importantly, notice how this changes the way you feel.
Tip 4: Identify 1-2 activities a day which bring you joy. For the next week, identify 1-2 activities per day which bring you joy and feel self-nurturing to you. It could be taking an extra 10 minutes to sip a morning cappuccino, instead of ordering it to go, taking time for a yoga class during lunch, what about an evening bath – light candles and fill the bath tub with your favorite bath salts, dancing around the house to uplifting music, taking your dog for a walk. Make a commitment to YOU, and put yourself first.
Tip 5: Keep a dedicated Joy Journal. Keep a dedicated journal where you write down all the things which bring you joy. Include how you feel about the experiences – happy, uplifted, feelings of love, feeling calmer, more optimistic? Putting your attention on what brings you joy changes our physiology. It helps activate the parasympathetic nervous system, which promotes healing and well-being as well as feeling calmer.
Tip 6: See learning in everything; reframe the negative to positive. Let’s face it, life happens and there’s no guarantee difficult situations won’t arise. However, from the words of Viktor Frankl, “Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of human freedoms – to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way”. If you consider that there is learning, upliftment and growth available in ALL experiences, then consider how you could reframe a negative situation and see the opportunity for learning.
Tip 7: Getting a good night sleep. Sounds simple, but with so many demands on our time, it can be tempting to stay up later and get up earlier to meet these demands. For the next week, try to schedule set bed times, where you are getting a restful night of sleep. We all feel better when we are well rested and tend to be more resilient in facing any of life’s ups and downs.
The advice written by Julie-Ann Tathem, Tathem LLC is opinion based and for entertainment and informational purposes only. It is not intended to be in place of a consultation with a health, tax, legal or other professional.
Leaving a successful career in Wall Street behind, Julie-Ann Tathem was able to realize her dream of combining the love of psychology, spirituality and business to start her own business and life coaching company, Tathem LLC. She gets to do what she loves every day: assisting people from around the world to see their lives anew and empowering clients to make better choices and live more meaningful and fulfilling lives. You can contact Julie-Ann at julieann@tathemllc.com, and follow her on Facebook and Twitter.
