As we approach the New Year, we’re devoted to ensuring we set joy as our highly ranked daily intention. All pathways to joy begin with gratitude—a feeling of appreciation or thanks. In practicing gratefulness, we’re expressing an openness to love, happiness, and peace, which in time will improve self-confidence, increase positive emotions, and boost optimism—and who doesn’t want that?
As part of our wellness series, we’re sharing our favorite attainable ways to add a dose of positivity into each day.
Accept that you deserve joy
Every journey has to begin somewhere. Cultivating joy begins with you. Firstly, you must give yourself permission to be happy. We all deserve to be at peace with ourselves as well as our surroundings. Interrupt negative thoughts about yourself with positive ones.
Connect with nature
Step outside. Being at one with nature allows us to be present in the moment, reduces anxiety, and boosts creativity. Connecting with nature doesn’t have to be a long hike or trek through the woods. Why not head to the beach, take a walk in the park, or sip your morning coffee in your backyard.
Get creative
Pick up the paintbrush, dust off the sketchpad, or reach for the sewing needle. Focus your mind and immerse yourself into creating. Forget about the end product, and instead fixate on the process. Get creative, get messy, and forget perfection. Notice how it makes you feel. Take the inspiration it gives you into your professional practice.
Practise work life balance
When life gets busy, it’s often the activities that bring us the upmost happiness that get pushed to the side. Regardless of your social and work schedule, it is important that you take time to nurture yourself. Joy comes from prioritizing and caring for our own needs. The ultimate takeaway being, don’t skip those all-important day dates with yourself. People watch at your chosen coffee spot, make time for your favorite workout class, and mentally turn on your out-of-office during post work hours.
Disconnect from digital
Start setting boundaries around screen time. Snooze notifications out of working hours, take time away from social media, and avoid checking your phone an hour before going to sleep. Disconnecting from digital can help improve sleeping patterns, refrain from upward comparison, and eliminate negative thoughts. The hours we spend disconnected from our iPhone screens means we have more time for seeking green space and the hobbies that bring us joy.
Collaborate with inspiring people
Creativity is at the forefront of an upward spiral to positive emotions. In connecting and collaborating with other creatives, we are creating an inspiring, uplifting environment for ourselves. So next time you are wondering what that creative is working on behind their laptop in your local coffee shop… Ask them! Branch outside of your career field and connect with content creators, designers, and artists over social media. Take more time to learn more about your social circles career paths, hobbies, and interests. In doing this, you might find a new vocation, source a different perspective on a work project, or adapt an interesting imaginative way to brainstorm.
Stop striving for perfection
Believe it or not, constantly aiming for perfection increases stress, tampers with innovation, and suppresses creativity, which ultimately lowers our sense of joy. It’s time to start delegating certain tasks as unimportant, quit biting off more than you can chew, and learning to embrace your slightly burned banana bread or that accidental brush stroke.
Choose your circle wisely
Spend time with family and friends who inspire you and make you feel your best. Disassociate from personality types that bring you down, and instead focus on the friendships that celebrate your wins and push you to be your very best self. Your social circle should always be about quality over quantity.
Create a playlist
Create a collective of your favorite feel-good songs guaranteed to boost your mood. Great for anything from your morning run to dancing in the kitchen while you rustle up dinner.
Journal
In writing down your thoughts and feelings, you are validating them. Journaling is a great tool for starting each day with a new mind-set. It helps set intentions and allows you to keep track of the things that make you feel good. Overall, journaling helps elevate your mood and enhances your sense of wellbeing, as well as improving your memory.
