This post is for anyone and everyone. It doesn’t matter if you are a parent, educator, young professional, spouse, etc. Even if you don’t think you need it, you probably do. Seriously.
This year has created a roller coaster of emotions for all of us. Our once joyous and cheerful demeanors have succumbed to mental and emotional exhaustion from ongoing news briefings, canceled events, and the saddened global attitude. Yes, 2020 has gotten the world down. It’s true.
But, we are entering the new year in just a short few weeks, and I do want it to be one that we can all look forward to. One that we are enthusiastic about and hopeful. But that’s not going to happen without a little bit of work on our part.
Let’s take a look.
*We all Need a Serious Daily Life Edit
The first thing we need to understand, myself included, is that we do not need to exude extreme signs of depression or have meltdowns or breakdowns of any kind to actually be missing some regular daily pick me ups.
It’s true! I’m not depressed, but I’m definitely not as happy as I want to be. I’m stressed, overworked, tired, the works. And I know I’m not alone. But because a lot of us might not be showing what can be categorized as severe, we often overlook what we’re feeling right?
So the first thing you need to do is take an honest look at your current situation and evaluate if you’re really happy. Or perhaps you’re doing alright but can still use a little more joy in your day. That’s okay too! That’s what this step is for. Wherever you are, whatever you notice, reflect on that.
The important thing that I want you to understand is that rolling through a monotonous day is not the goal. Especially during a year like this because our bland daily schedules this year are much less joy inducing than our bland daily schedules last year.
The goal is to find some thing in each and every day that brings you just a tad bit more joy. And no that’s not drinking wine every night when you get home to get some relief from the day. That’s a bandaid because you’re not having that little pick me up during the day.
It’s also not getting to fold the laundry early because the kids didn’t put up a fight at bedtime or getting extra emails in because of spare time. You get the idea.
So let’s jump into how we might do that.
*Steps to Getting that Joy Back In Your Life!
1.Have the conversation with yourself: The first thing you’re going to need to do is have an honest look at your day and really try and figure out the different items that stress you out and the different things that make you happy. And we’re not looking for immense moments of uncontainable joy. That would be great but that’s unachievable on a daily frequency.
What we are looking for are the little moments in your day that you look forward to and the moments that cause you grief even just thinking about them. Have the conversation with yourself and be honest. That’s the only way this is going to work.
2.Start with the little things: You’ll see that we just spoke about this above. By focusing on little moments throughout the day that we can tweak, it will eventually compound to a lovely or at least pleasant day at the end. That’s the goal, moving from monotonous daily stress to pleasant and cheerful daily moments.
So make note of the little things. See what you can tweak, or see where you can add some fun. Remember, they don’t need to be hugely planned events or activities. That is not sustainable within a daily routine. Start small but get going.
3.Find space in your schedule to incorporate them: The next thing you’re going to want to do is take your brainstorm and schedule these moments within the day. So since you have already identified what parts need some help, now its time to fill in those spaces or revise those spaces to incorporate some happy moments.
Juts to give you an example, one of my friends just contacted 2-3 of us for a very small Covid safe and friendly little gathering. It can be as easy as that! Of course this is more of a weekend moment but the point is that it doesn’t have to be overly involved. It can and should be simple so you can do it more often. If the planning is easily managed, then the less overwhelm you will have and the more fun you’ll add.
One of my favorite things to do in the morning (in the winter time) is get my favorite cappuccino from this little mom and pop diner next door. It tastes great, makes me feel all warm and cozy, and I love saying good morning to the owner there. It’s just a lovely way to start the day!
Another little idea during the day is to schedule daily walks for fresh air, yes even in the cold. Getting a breathe of fresh air is good for anyone. Getting out in the sun, stretching your legs, and changing your environment is refreshing for anyone. And it doesn’t have to be huge, 5-10 minutes is a great start. If you can do 15-20minutes even better!
4. Make it a habit: This is pretty important. The only way you are going to have any long lasting effects is if you do this consistently and it becomes part of your routine. It’s so funny because as we become adults work becomes routine, errands become routine, even less sleep becomes routine. But what about making happy habits routine?
Make sure to continue to evaluate your schedule and make it a habit to add these little moments of joy to your day. If you do, you’ll see that over a longer period of time your mood and spirit will definitely be lifted.
More happy moments means less stressful moments, which means a more happier you!
5. Set the intention and practice positivity: The last step is going to require a bit more discipline from you. It’s going to be to take all these steps and actually put them into practice. Yep, things like this don’t just happen. It’s easy to read and understand but making something like this a habit really does take some intention setting. The only way for this to work is if you make it a priority. And the only way for that to happen is if you “intend” on doing so.
So set the the intention and start practicing positivity right away. If you catch yourself drifting to the other side, make note of that and bring yourself back. That’s where the work comes in. I know you can do this. You got it!
*Summary
Alright lovelies! I hope you enjoyed this post and I hope its getting you all ready for a better and brighter new year. But the goal is to kick start the year with an already awesome joy inspiring routine. So we need to start working on these tips and practices now.
Let’s make the last few weeks of this year the best we can. Remember, it’s the little things that will bring us joy throughout our days and its those little things that add up.
So lets get to it and I can’t wait to hear how you’ve turned your routines around, what’s creating happiness and joy for you during this holiday season and your plan moving forward.
And as always, If you have any questions, comments, or ideas please share them in the comments section below with your fellow friends! And definitely subscribe to the newsletter for updates and ongoing happenings at TylekTeaches.com. The subscription link is just at the bottom of this post.
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