Hi ,

Life has a tendency to go by very quickly, especially as we get older. We often feel as if we never have enough time to do the things we want, or complete everything on our to do list. Because of this, we put off doing favorite hobbies, pursuing passions, “indulging” in self-care, and fun leisure activities until later…when we have more time. The problem (and reality) is that time rarely comes, as something else fills the space. Another obligation, responsibility, or appointment gets our attention.  

Unfortunately taking care of all of these tasks week after week, without making time for activities that bring us joy, lift our spirits and renew our minds/bodies, often lead us to feeling weighed down and unhappy. 

What if we were to begin prioritizing joy each day. Yes, you heard me, each day, not once a week or something we save for the weekends! What we prioritize, and therefore give our attention to, often gets done.  Imagine how you might feel at the end of your week if each day you experienced some joy.  How would your mood, energy, and body likely feel after experiencing joy over weeks and months?

Some Ways We Can Find Joy Each Day:

Start by giving your Self permission to experience joy, despite whatever difficulties and hardship is going on around us. There is extraordinary stress and tragedy currently in the world, which can make it more challenging for us to do this. 

Many of us also have the unconscious belief that prioritizing joy is indulgent, selfish, and not responsible. It often makes us feel  uncomfortable to make joy more central in our daily lives. Doing it may begin to feel so good that we then experience guilt for feeling happier in our lives.😀

The incredible and surprising benefit of finding joy each day is that it often gives us more energy, and increases our motivation and zest for living. We then find ourselves getting more done, and managing our responsibilities with greater ease and less effort. How wonderful and smart is that!

This week, conduct a joy experiment. Ask your Self, what would bring me joy today? It could be anything... listening to your favorite music, talking to a friend, baking a special dish, spending time with loved ones, or engaging in a passion/hobby at some point during the day. Ask the question, and pay close attention to whatever comes to mind (even if it sounds odd). Then do your best to do it! Notice the positive energy and mood shifts that come. 😀

Please get in touch at dr.gionta@gmail.com if you would like support, and want to make some important life changes. We can talk further and explore whether working together at this time would be helpful.

Cheers!
Dr. Dana