Is your life too busy with work, family and other commitments? Do you feel stressed, exhausted and tired? If the answer to any of these question is ‘yes’, then it can help to find activities that will increase your enjoyment.
Think of something you like to do that makes you smile. It’s important to prioritise increasing the joy in your everyday life and it doesn’t need to take much time. The more you are able to focus on fun activities, the more open you will be and the broader your perspectives.
As personal growth expert and founder of Johaloha, Ulla Lilliehook, offers some useful tips that can help you put more joy into your life – in no time.
What joy means
Joy means an emotional state of great pleasure and happiness. Pleasure is part of several mental states that humans and other conscious animals experience as positive, fun or worth seeking out. Happiness is used in the context of mental health or emotional states, including positive or pleasant emotions, ranging from satisfaction to intense joy (life satisfaction, prosperity, and wellbeing). When you feel happy, it is often expressed through a smile. Source: Wikipedia
Why it’s important to feel joy
Positive emotions open our minds. According to Barbara Fredrickson (Ph.D. in Psychology, University of North Carolina), positive emotions make us think more broadly and see global differences and similarities. Positivity transforms us and can even affects us on a biological level through cell renewal.
When feeling joy our field of vision expands allowing us to see more opportunities and to be more creative, which can have a positive effect on your life. You get more ideas at your work, home or things you want to do. Thereby, doing things that give you joy, also help you in other areas of your life.
According to a 200-adult study by Lahna Catalino (Ph.D. in psychiatry at the University of California), people who prioritised activities had more positive emotions, fewer negative emotions, fewer depressive symptoms, and more life satisfaction.
What are you doing today that won’t bring joy?
You may be planning on spending time on things that don’t bring you joy. Think about a normal week in your life, is there something that you do every week but you know that it doesn’t bring you joy?
For example:
• Do you watch anything on TV every night? It may be relaxing but it doesn’t feel very joyful. You do this because it’s easy to sit down in front of the TV and press the remote control. However, it would be so much better for you if you turn on and only watch a specific movie or series you really want to see. Then you get more time to do something else you like.
• Do you often flick through social media and see all the fun that other people are having? If you don’t feel joy when comparing your life to others’, it may be better to give up. The risk is that you will feel the exact opposite of joy, encouraging negative emotions to flourish, such as envy, anger, sadness, guilt, shame and poorer self-esteem.
• Do you know people who drain your energy? If you want to retain the connection it’s important that you tell them how you feel. But if there is nothing but problems, it is probably better to end the relationship.
You may find that you spend a lot of time on activities that create negative emotions or don’t feel meaningful. Instead, you can prioritise this time to do activities that generate positive emotions such as joy, commitment and energy.
What you can do to feel more joy
To increase positive emotion Barbara Fredrickson recommends doing loving-kindness meditation regularly over three months. People who tried the meditation experienced increased mindfulness, resilience, better health and relationships.
Joyful activities
Start by exploring what makes you tick, what makes you smile and feel good. Maybe something you liked to do when you were younger or something new that you would like to do now. Try to start with an activity that will be easy for you to do, even if you have a hectic schedule.
I am often asked the question, “Where do you get your positive energy from Ulla?” All I can say is, I prioritise doing the things I love and do them as often as possible. They are the most important source of my high energy level.
Here are eight of my favourite activities that bring me joy and energy. Even before I start doing these activities, they bring a sense of fun. Just thinking about doing it, while I do it, and afterwards (with the exception point 6). It also makes it easier to deal with things that I must do (point 6) that are not quite so much fun.
Activities that bring me joy and energy:
1. Listen / read feel-good books or watch feel-good movies.
2. Read magazines about feeling good such as Recharge, Inspire, Mindful, Yoga and Health. They fill me with ideas and motivation to do healthy things to raise my energy levels.
3. Quotes or tips about books, podcasts that appeal to me, I take pictures with my mobile and save it in various albums for later. When I have time, I have a bank of ideas as a source of inspiration.
4. Take a nap if I get tired in the afternoon. I sometimes get tired in the afternoon around 3 PM. If I only sleep for ten minutes, my brain will be as alert as it is in the morning. For me, it works well…but I need to set the alarm!
5. Taking power walks and listening to music (my power walk playlist) with a high heart rate helps me go faster and relax from everything else.
6. Listen to music when I do boring things, like administrative work, cleaning, laundry. The music will get me in a better mood and the positive emotions that rise give me energy make them feel easier.
7. Relax my brain by playing games like (solitaire, mah-jong, spider) on my tablet for 10 minutes, take a 15-minute walk or have lunch at a new restaurant.
8. Make minor changes at home. A nice bouquet of flowers makes me happy. Or arranging the things I like in a new way. Right now, my project is to paint a table lamp and find a new shade for so that it fits in its new place. Just by thinking about the result, I feel joy.
By searching and finding out what activities you find joyful, you are prioritising your time to do them and your energy level will increase. The more positive your emotions, the better your mood will be. You will feel happier, and this will also have a positive effect on people around you.
By Ulla Lilliehöök Trainer and Personal Growth Coach, JOHALOHA.COM
