Some people live in a perpetual state of grumpiness, or they worry all the time, or they’re stuck in the head-down-trying-to-get-ahead gear, or they watch too much news. Let’s face it. Many people are joy challenged. They’re so distracted with the problems of life, they don’t remember how to feel joy or suddenly realize that they haven’t felt joy in a while. We’ve all gotten stuck in that rut at one time or another. This mindfulness snack is designed to help us return to joy, one step at a time.
Commit to finding one thing every day that brings you joy . It can be something you eat (really taste it and savor it). It can be something big that jumps out at you or something small and subtle that you may not have noticed if you hadn’t been hunting for you Joy of the Day. Maybe it’s a phone call to an old friend or a great piece of music or a moment when you felt undeniably calm for no reason at all. The mere act of looking for the most joyful moment during the day will tune you into your life differently. You’ll be more present, more aware of what’s making you happy (or not). At the end of the day (or anytime, really), review your list of the joy(s) of the day. There’s even some neuroscience to support the switch in brain chemistry to more endorphins or dopamine. You be the judge. Just try it for one day, then another, then another.
