If you’re having to dig deep to find joy these days, here are some helpful tips to ignite the JOY SPARK!
- Take a media break: Even for 24 hours. Put down the phone, shut off the screens and give yourself a chance to get quiet and have a break from the constant news cycle. When you connect again with social media, follow accounts that have positive messaging like Upworthy and Good News Movement.
- Take a dance break: Moving your body to music in spirited (and even silly) ways expels excess adrenaline from your system, helps to lower blood pressure, and increases your happy brain chemicals like dopamine. (Pro Tip: Dance breaks are even better when kids or dogs are involved!)
- Do something for someone else: Dopamine hits in our brains are activated by doing good! Donate, help out, serve soup, shovel a sidewalk, do something nice for someone, and pass the joy on.
- Mediate on gratitude: Meditation expert Jack Kornfield has found through his research that accessing gratitude daily helps increase our joy factor. Find one of his meditations here
