In the famous words of Marie Kondo….does it spark joy?
Life experiences can be very deafening and humbling at the same time. When things are going smoothly, you find that your joy is easy to identify and explain to someone sitting next to you. But the minute it all goes pear-shaped, the narrative changes from being aware of all the things that sparked your joy to trying to figure out exactly what’s going on.
And in the midst of all that thinking, the joyful things in life we once cherished are swept aside as we give attention to the emotions currently drowning us.
As I go through my own journey in this university of life where I remind myself to be grateful daily (irrespective of what might be happening on that day), I’ve come to realise that joy is not just a feeling, but a habit to be cultivated intentionally. By being intentional about finding little things in your day to be joyful about, you’ll end up having more things to be grateful for.
It is worth mentioning that joy doesn’t always have to be about YOU. It can also be about your loved ones and strangers that you come across throughout the day. The most important thing is taking the time to find/do something that brings you joy daily.
Still in doubt? Here are some ways you can find joy in the ordinary moments…
- Shift your focus from what you’re feeling to what is around you. Find something to be appreciative of. If you find it difficult to shift your focus when things are going south, consider keeping a journal daily where you write down all the things that you’re grateful for, and the things you did/saw/experienced that sparked joy. It’ll serve as a good reference to fall back on when you’re struggling as you can always go back and read these.
- Go for a walk. I make it a point to go for a walk every day during my lunch break as it helps to break up what may be a stressful workday, and allows me to appreciate my surroundings.
- Listen to a track that always puts you in a good mood. For me, it’s God Win by Korede Bello
- Say something positive to yourself daily. Lock yourself in the bathroom and give yourself a good pep talk if you have to.
- Show some love/kindness to someone else. This is definitely something that I love doing. Sometimes when I’m upset at work and almost driving myself up the wall, I offer to go to the kitchen and make a cuppa for a colleague sitting next to me. Most of the time, they appreciate the gesture. For me, it’s the little change in mindset I need to take my attention (momentarily) off what was upsetting me.
- Make a plan to do something for yourself before you go to bed
- Sing a song of praise and worship. This works ALL the time for me
I would like to know some of the things you do to cultivate joy daily. Was it easy developing this habit? Do share in the comments.
