It has been already a few days that you might be stuck at home, and maybe your mood is not very good. You maybe feel a heavy heart or your soul feels dry and empty. It is normal, but it is not a one-way street. It is in your power to decide how you will live the weeks to follow. It is a matter of choice and priority.
What I would like to propose to you today is to include Joy in your life, to create Joy consciously. Joy isn’t only the absence of sadness, pain or suffering. Joy is a profound experience of inward peace and intense, momentary happiness that arises when something in your life aligns with your core values.
Even during these difficult times, 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 in your mood and your health. All you have to do is taking conscious action and let it be around you and empower it to take more place in your life, not with obsession but with awareness.
At first, it might seem not easy, but the more you get used to this mindset and approach the more the levels of Joy will increase inside your self and around you since Joy creates a ripple effect of Joy to your surrounding.
First, think about the last time you experienced real, full-bodied joy. What were you doing? Trust your gut here, and try not to analyze; write down whatever comes to mind.
– Go for a walk at the park, the forest, the shore, the mountain. Look attentively around you. Engage all your senses to savour the beauty of nature and the authenticity of its elements.
– Call your best friend and speak your heart out as you did with her when you were a child. Remember old stories and share memories. It is probably just a matter of time until you laugh your heart out.
– Look at funny videos with your kids, or, even better comedies with the rest of the family at home. It will cheer you up immediately.
– If you have younger kids, play with them on the floor, try simple pranks with them, tickle them. Play pantomime, board games, games with bubbles.
– Take a hot bubble bath with your favourite candle scent, gentle music and enjoy the moment.
– Practice yoga in front of your window and practice with breathing.
– Buy indoor plants and take care of them in the best possible way.
– Experience yourself with new recipes, maybe more healthy and original ones.
– Practice some simple gratitude exercises. Keep a gratitude diary and write every day three things for which you felt grateful. Choose an object which reminds you of something pleasant and at the end of the day, look at it and think of the events that made you feel grateful that day.
– And don’t forget to say thank you, and I’m sorry. At least once per day.
– Finally, smile under your mask and connect through the eyes with your surrounding, even with strangers.
Balance the levels of Joy inside of you, connect through Joy with your surrounding and have every day “Actions to create Joy”.
Small, daily and straightforward. The way to build your panoply of Joy.
This article was written by Isabelle Razis and was originally published on www.govastileto.gr in Greek
