Bringing more joy into your day

Lately - especially with everything going on - my days have been getting longer; and my mood has been suffering from it. Currently being quarantined with my entire family until I move back to Ottawa, It has been quite a challenge to re-charge after these long days with no personal space. I have noticed that because of this, I have found it hard to continue being my usual optimistic and positive self. I find myself feeling down all of the time and unfortunately, end up taking it out on everyone else. As someone who finds joy in being positive and kind towards others, I have really tried to remind myself throughout the day to bring my awareness back to joyfulness and positivity.

Gratitude

The first thing I have been doing - some days on paper and some days in my head - is coming up with three things that I am thankful for; things that give me joy and contribute to my positivity. My gratitudes range from being thankful for sunshine, to being thankful for a specific album i love, to being thankful for my ability to move my body. There is nothing too big or small to be thankful for. The act of reminding myself all of the amazing things in my life not only lifts my mood, but gives me inspiration for what I can do that day to make myself happy. For instance, today I am thankful for my body and my mobility; So I am inspired to go for a walk and choreograph a dance to my favourite song!

Checklist

Make a checklist at the beginning of the week of 5 things you can do for yourself physically and 5 things mentally. Each morning of the week, pick one physical and one mental thing to complete! This exercise will give you something to look forward to each day and will remind you to do something good for your body and mind; making you feel better in the end! Some physical things could include; showering, painting your nails, doing a 15 minute workout etc. Some mental things could be; 5 minute meditation, a breathing exercise, a journal entry about something you did or felt that day etc. I encourage you to pick things at the beginning of the week that are small enough and doable so that there are minimal excuses to stop you from completing them.

Sleep schedule

I am neither an early bird or a night owl, I just love sleep! However, if you are like me and can rarely have time alone to recharge, adjusting your sleep schedule is a great way to change that! Going to bed a little earlier in order to wake up earlier will help you have alone time in the early morning where you can do anything you want or need to do. Whether you are a parent or just in a full house like me, a little extra alone time before everyone wakes up will give you the energy and motivation to enjoy your day just that much more.

Refined sugars

Limit eating a lot of or any refined sugars; like white breads and pastas, fructose, artificial sweeteners etc. This sugar really affects your energy and mood. By limiting your consumption, you will see such better improvement in your energy and overall wellbeing. There are many studies done that are linking high diets filled with refined sugars to mood disorders such as depression and anxiety. Therefore, even simply choosing water over pop or whole wheat bread over white bread; little changes will quickly start to change you for the better!

Move your body

As much as you are able, moving your body each day is so important! For your physical health of course, but it is amazing for your mental health too! Including some sort of movement in the morning or afternoon, you will feel so much happier and more joyful afterwards. You will also increase your motivation and productivity! Whether it is a simple stretch in your living room or a walk around the block; just get up and move!

Learn to ask conscious questions

This is not a simple activity like writing a few sentences or going for walk, this is something that will take a lot of mental focus, time and commitment. Start trying to consciously remind yourself to ask why; why am i feeling this way, why do i want to respond this way, why do i need to raise my voice right now...? Before speaking, before arguing, before getting down on yourself or someone else, ask yourself why. Try to come up with a possible alternative; and be honest about this question specifically: why is this comment, this feeling, this response the most effective right now? Am i helping this situation in the most positive way? How can i change and improve how i respond to my surroundings?

And there you go! Six things that you can implement that will add some joy within yourself - and ultimately brighten up your day!