Why You Need a Joy Resolution
This year, more than ever, we need more joy in our lives. Surviving a pandemic and transitioning to a new world post-pandemic has taken us all to the max of our stress threshold. When we are in survival mode, we revert back to ensuring our basic needs are met and things like happiness and fulfillment drop off the priority list. This isn’t good for anyone. Not ourselves, the people we care about, or our community. We can no longer ignore the importance of self-care and the power of practicing joy.
Joy is a positive emotion and catalyst to improved mental, physical, social, and spiritual wellness. Studies show that the more joy you experience, the more contagious it is. A simple smile can ignite joy in yourself and others. But how aware of joy are you? The first step to creating more joy in your life is awareness.
Pay attention to the things that give you joy. Is it the people you are with? Is it a certain song? Do you feel joy when you are alone or with others? How do you feel when you are outside in nature? Do you like the hustle and bustle or do you prefer silence? What activities make it feel like time is flying by? Take 5-10 minutes and create a personal joy list.
Create a personal joy list
Once you’ve identified your joy list, start curating your life around the things that bring you the most joy. Bring into focus the things that make you feel good, and reduce the things that create tension and stress. I can’t tell you the difference it has made in my life simply by cutting out negative and unnecessary distractions like certain social media influences, non-stop notifications, and toxic relationships.
Finally, create a joy habit. Take your joy list and put at least one thing from your list on the calendar for each day. It can be the same thing every day, or you can try a different activity each day. Each day you experience that joy, mark it as “complete” on the calendar. Marking the activity is a way to celebrate your accomplishment and positively reinforce your new joy habit.
“Carving out time for joy is a powerful tool for improving well-being and lowering stress and burnout.”
