Finding Joy

Welcome and thank you again for tuning into todays blog post. I am excited to share with you a couple ideas around how to find joy. There is such a heaviness in the world and so much hype around fear based media right now. I think a part of that is we are craving entertainment and connection. At the same time a lot of us are feeling the renewing energy of spring and all the sunshine. Just like anything in life, both sorrow and happiness go hand in hand. I truly believe there has never been a truer time in society where this has existed. So that being said how do we continue to enjoy our life despite the ebb and flow of sorrow and happiness. Some of us have the idea that because we have hard things it means we are struggling or depressed or need help. This may not be true for everyone but for those of us who live in this head space I want to clarify that life is hard. Its normal. It will continue to have sucky moments. Every human has to work on their mental health, even if they don’t have a “diagnosis.” For me, it is about embracing both the good and the suck, and finding the windows between the hard things. They don’t just show up either, sometimes you have to force them. That sounds so funny, however I am sure you know what I mean. As a kid, so much of our lives were created for us. Happy moments seemed to be given to us in a lot of ways such as events we partake in, holidays etc. As an adult however we are in control (not always) of our mindset and typically our day and what we partake in or not. When I say these things need to be forced, what I mean to say is they have to be intentionally sought after and purposefully done. Here are a couple things that work for me that I hope you will find helpful.

Gratitude. I know its over said. The truth is gratitude will always put you in a perspective that heads towards joy. Instead of complaining practice a statement of gratitude. Go to a place in your head that could be worse that what the sucky thing is and compare it to how awesome you actually have it. Big things require big comparisons so don’t limit what helps you find gratitude.

Perspective. When something upsets me I like to share with someone who I know will meet me coming from a different place or history. When someone can share their point of view on a situation it helps minimize the greatness of how I think it may impact me. Because the other person isn’t feeling how I feel they can more easily guide me out of the depths of my head. So rather than allow yourself to go down the rabbit hole and overthink things, simply reach for a trusted friend who can give insight.

Connection. Even with covid restrictions make a point of connecting with your people. It could be a simple coffee, a patio hang or even a hand written letter you exchange every month. I have to say that covid has forced my husband and I to get creative around our life. We sat in restrictions for a very long time because our son is immunocompromised and has a chronic health condition. When we explored outside of our own ideas and allowed ourselves to rewrite our routine we started to truly live again. Even within restrictions. My husband had the opportunity to switch his shifts to weekends which has provided us with a lot more time together during the week. We now make a point of playing cards together at least twice a week in the afternoons before we pick up the kids from daycare and it has wholly changed our relationship. It sounds small but we had to get super creative about how we could have alone time together without feeling guilty or requiring special childcare arrangements. Anything is possible when it comes to finding connection with your people. Not everything requires dramatic life changes but be open minded.

I am all about being cheesy. Life is truly about the small moments. All the little things add up to a bigger picture. Find joy in the coffee mug you use, the clarity after a house purge, in having your groceries delivered. Whatever small thing brings you joy, savor it. Get creative about what your life could look like or what you could force into your day or week that will bring you joy.

Your life is waiting for you to chase after what you want. I believe in you.

-Chantel