How To Joy?
Written by Kathryn Savage
With the tax deadline fast approaching and swimsuit season right around the corner it’s hard to savor the moment and remember to slow down if you are stressed out, running late for your final meeting with your accountant, or running to the gym to de-winterize flabby arms.
So how to joy?
Meditate on life’s simple pleasures and blessings. Find a fun-activity partner and share the good times. It’s easier to motivate to slow down and savor the moment if you have a scheduled time to decompress and relax in your week.
Want to learn to dance?
Sign yourself and a friend up for salsa lessons. While it’s good to have alone time, isolation can lead to depression, procrastination and foul moods. It's easier to make time for decompression when it's a part of your weekly routine and you have someone relying on your participation as their motivation.
January's Oprah Magazine features a great article about chasing joy and finding bliss. It's an excellent read. A great tip: jot down a "nourishment list" - a list of activities that bring you joy. Write down a number of things you really love to do, and get to work incorporating those activities into your daily life.
Another fast track to savoring the moment is to slow down through meditation or a relaxing Hatha yoga class.
Enjoying a glass of wine at the end of the day is another way to slow down and experience a calmer state of mind and a more relaxed physiological state. Scientific data supports the notion that wine may have anti-inflammatory and anti-stress capacities. So pour a glass of you favorite Pinot Noir and better yet- grab a side of heart healthy pistachios and hit the deck for an unwinding and decompressing happy hour when you get home from work.
We’re programed to think that a slimmer waistline, a better income, and more travel time is the secret to happiness and bliss but in the meantime, the power of positive thinking really seems to have a positive affect on overall happiness and joy. In other words, research suggests you can make yourself happier just by focusing on the positive, slowing down, and appreciating the moment.
Robert Holden, Ph.D., author of "Happiness Now! Timeless Wisdom for Feeling Good Fast" explains: "We use the language of having, getting, and chasing to describe happiness, rather than being," says Holden. "What we've learned about happiness is that it isn't an it or a thing. Research has proven that there is no one set of circumstances that makes someone happy; it's more about having a healthy mental attitude toward whatever you're experiencing. So, you can either chase happiness or you can choose to be happy. It really is that simple."
Sounds good to me!
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