Habits to Inspire a Joyful Life

I’ve engaged in many conversations with people lately, from my own children and those I work alongside, to educators I chat with on Twitter. I hear people share how exhausted or frustrated they are (for various reasons), yet I also hear and see others share things they are proud of or excited about. The truth is, none of us are strangers to challenges, but the habits we fall into when we face those challenges can make all the difference.

In talking with my own boys, I often remind them that life is like a roller coaster. It’s filled with ups and downs. Have you ever been experiencing a moment in which you know is simply amazing? It could be a big event, such as a wedding, a birth, purchasing your first home, or it could be something ordinary, such as holding someone you love or enjoying the sunset. However, within each of those moments, we know that life can shift on a dime. During challenging times we might feel anxious, depressed, fearful or unsettled. Like a roller coaster, life is filled with twists and turns; it’s unpredictable.

In thinking of the ‘dips’ in life, we may experience times that feel low. The good news is that it means that around the corner there will likely be something positive. There almost always is IF we keep our eyes open to it. Sometimes we need to be extra intentional to look for the good. When life seems to be going smoothly, express gratitude and recognize the goodness you feel– soak it up!

The thing is, life isn’t supposed to be perfect or ‘easy.’ Yes, we can enjoy the ease we feel when everything is going smoothly, but if we are purposeful with our thinking, we can learn from the adversity we face. And, we can even find joy among it. Each day is a new beginning; a new slate for us to work with. That doesn’t mean that yesterday’s stressors are gone, but it’s a new beginning for how we choose to respond to the challenges we face.

I also believe we choose what to hold onto. For example, are we choosing to hold onto the challenges or creating more space to experience joy?

Each day we can engage in habits that set us up for success and encourage us to seek joy. Healthy habits can result in us being more joyful, even during challenging times. Prior to the pandemic, I was already engaging in gratitude journaling, being more self-aware, and other healthy habits to be the best version of myself. Over the past year, I began to dig deeper to learn more about creating a joyful life– not just for myself, but because I could see the impact of the pandemic on family, friends, acquaintances, and others across various social media platforms. I took a step back to really digest what was going on in the world, and turned to what filled my soul and supported our family. I want to share with you some of what I’ve learned, along with where I have found success to live a more joyful life.

Habits to inspire a joyful life:

• Engage in gratitude journaling: Take a few minutes each day to write down what you’re grateful for. I share this often, because it makes a significant difference on how we think. You might also be interested in reading Embracing a Mindset of Gratitude, The Power of Gratitude or explore how we can Encourage Gratitude in the Classroom.
• Prioritize your health: This sounds so obvious, but eating healthily and exercising takes time. Many (myself included) claim to not have time. However, if it’s important to us, we make the time. Prioritizing our health might be ensuring we drink plenty of water, eating foods the fuel us with nutrition and energy, and participating in exercise/activities that help us reduce stress and also feel more confident about ourselves. Let’s even consider the habits we might partake in that have a negative effect on our bodies. Could these habits be traded for something that leaves us feeling better? Recently, I’ve paid more attention to how much sleep I get. Even though it’s tempting to continue writing late at night or sometimes binge watch Netflix (hello Cobra Kai, Schitt’s Creek and Bridgerton), honoring my body by making sure I get the sleep my body needs, has made an immense difference in how I feel each day.
• Focus on self-awareness: The more we understand about ourselves (who we are, why we respond the way we do, what makes us feel certain emotions, etc.), the better we can see where we are headed. We benefit from understanding our strengths, areas of growth, our ‘why’ for what we do, in addition to why we engage in the habits we do. Being self-aware helps us navigate through challenging times the best way that we possibly can. Most recently, I’ve been taking ten minutes each day to close my eyes and just breath. Paying attention to what we are feeling, thinking, and where our energy is, can help us refocus and head in the right direction.
• Create boundaries: Boundaries can be helpful when it comes to prioritizing our own mental health and wellness, to caring for our families. Many of us could continue working all day or all night, and still feel that there is more to do. More isn’t always better though. Sometimes what we need most is the opportunity to step away and refresh. With that said, creating daily goals and setting priorities for our work, can help us feel more efficient and accomplished. That way, when it is time to step away, we don’t feel as much stress weighing us down. Boundaries might include saying no, even if you have the tendency to say yes. It’s also okay to say you need just 10 minutes of quiet time each day. Boundaries that protect our mental health and wellness are essential.
• Surround yourself with those who bring out the best in you: Jim Rohn says that we are the average of the five people we spend the most time with. Take a moment to reflect on that. Consider where your energy is going- is it more positive and optimistic or negative and disgruntled. I want to be clear though, toxic positivity is real. For me, I want to be around people who honor the fact that we might feel down at times, but that we can work through and/or overcome those challenging times by focusing on the good, thus creating better experiences for ourselves. Ignoring our emotions is just as unhealthy as choosing to live in negativity. When I think of the people who bring out the best in me it is those who are genuine, authentic, supportive, inspiring, and know how to make people laugh. I appreciate those who purposefully add value to others and uplift; it is what I strive to always do, too.

A new day: be open enough to see opportunities. Be wise enough to be grateful. Be courageous enough to be happy.

– Steve Maraboli

You see, life will always throw curve balls at us. Nothing will ever feel perfectly smooth; living is both experiencing joy and persevering through struggles. Living with purpose, love, and joy will surely help us walk through difficulties together. But remember, no one is more responsible for your own joy, than yourself. The habits we choose to engage in shape the direction in which we go. What habits do you choose to embrace to live a more joyful life or, which will you implement? For me, I continue to create habits that serve me best and ditch those that don’t. Let’s strive to love ourselves enough to create our own joy, rather than waiting for it to just appear.