Life is full of distractions. Things that can take us away from where we want to be. Events that can disrupt our headspace.
In these times, it’s easy for us to feel a sense of overwhelm. It’s easy to forget all the good we have in our lives.
We can try to alleviate this by crafting a joy list. What’s a joy list? It’s a list of those things, and moments in our day, that give us that warm, glowing feeling. Small things or big, it all counts.
Some questions to help you get started:
What do you look forward to?
What really lights you up?
Do you have a happy place, or places? That’s one (or several) for your list.
Do you have a favourite part of the day (sunrise, sunset, early morning coffee)?
What people, or groups of people, in your life give you positive energy? Make space for them.
What really matters to you?
Identify these things. Turn them into a list. Your list. A Joy list.
Such a simple act. However, we can leverage this as a type of positivity anchor. Particularly when life hits us with the unexpected, bad news or loss, having an anchor like this can really serve us. Acting as a constant reminder of where we can find positive energy and focus.
Craft your own list. Call it a joy list, or call it something else. Refine it, add to it, keep it close. Let it be part of your self-care toolkit.
Note:
This piece originally appeared on my blog, Frictionless Living.
The idea for this piece was triggered by listening to Greg Mckeown’s interview with Rachel Hollis (particularly the last 15 minutes of the conversation). The podcast, and Greg’s work, are well worth your time.