I found this charming mug in a Dollar Tree (of all places!). I saw it and knew it had to come home with me.
As I reflect on my journey, I noticed that I intentionally inject joy into every day. It wasn’t always this way: I had a little help. Earlier this year I participated in the Joy Challenge hosted by Amina Makhdoom. That experience highlighted how much my daily life lacked joy. Since then, I’ve created a daily practice that makes sure I activate feelings of joy regularly.
Here are the 7 daily practices I engage in order to feel joyful.
1. I listen to my body. I may not always be able to honor what my body wants, but I give my body what it needs as soon as reasonably possible. Maintaining balance and refusing to overextend myself makes each day better.
2. I maintain some organization. I find it hard to remain joyful when I’m surrounded by clutter and confusion. As a result, I use various tools to stay organized. I have a leather-bound daily planner, hour-by-hour planning sheets that I use during days when I need to be extra efficient, and I also dedicate 10-15 minutes to tidying each of the rooms in my home (this never exceeds an hour). This helps me stay organized and makes physical, mental and emotional room for joy.
3. I indulge in at least one self-care practice daily. This can be as simple as taking a nap, reading a good book, or taking a little more care to moisturize after showering, or it can be as lavish as a weekend getaway, a massage, or an exquisite meal. I just make sure that every day includes at least one thing that I do just for the pure enjoyment of it.
4. I wear perfume. Nothing makes me feel as elegant and feminine as perfume. My scents vary, but I always wear one and I can’t help but smile every time I sniff my wrists.
5. I daydream. I allow myself to ponder all sorts of delicious possibilities. I don’t worry about the present, and I don’t mourn any missteps in the past. I just joyfully consider, “What if?” and think about all of the good things that can happy. I ONLY focus on happy, incredible scenarios, and how it would feel to enjoy them.
6. I start every morning with a cup of tea. I used to be a coffee drinker, but I find tea is much more mellow and matches my demeanor much better. I still get my caffeine but in a gentler way. I purchase high quality teas that aren’t bitter or have otherwise overpowering flavors.
7. I count my blessings at night. This is key to ending the day with joy. I have my gratitude journal where I log what went right with the day, but I also make a mental log of how blessed I am. Ending my day with gratitude gives me sweet dreams and sets me up for a positive day to follow.
Those are my 7 tips for a joyful journey. Do you have any daily practices that activate your joy? Please let me know in the comments below!
Bronze Butterfly 