8 Ways to Find More Joy in Your Life

When was the last time you felt truly joyful? Like do-your-happy-dance, hands-in-the-air, unstoppable-grinning-ear-to-ear joy? For a lot of us it’s probably been awhile since we felt that pure and utter bliss—and with the massive success of a certain viral organizer who speaks of “sparking” it, joy has become a pretty powerful buzzword as of late.

So why is joy so important and how can you spark it? For starters, joy is vital to a happy life and a healthy mind-body connection. It helps improve mental health by reducing stress, raising serotonin levels and can even help to avoid depression. It also boosts resilience and re-energizes your mind so you’re better equipped to take on grief and more of life’s challenges. So go ahead—take a moment to shut out the noise and meditate on how amazing life really is. Here are eight ways to find more joy in your life.

1. Reclaim Your Joy
Adults can sometimes trivialize joy. We tell ourselves we’ll feel joyful once everything is tidied up, checked off and finished up. But joy shouldn’t have to wait until your endless checklist is completed, it’s inside of us and we can access it at any time. Reawaken the joy inside you!

2. Laugh More
Laughing makes you feel good (and have we mentioned it’s great for your abs?!). Consumed with our grownup responsibilities, we don’t laugh as often as when we were kids...but we should! Laughing has shown to reduce stress, enhance immunity, improve blood flow and strengthen relationships.

3. Do More of What Makes You Happy
We have plenty of things we enjoy, but we never seem to get around to them. Make time to do the little things that make you happy. Hike or listen to music you love. Spend time with people who fill your cup.

4. Keep a Gratitude Journal
Notice when you are joyful and write it down. Take stock of your strengths and give thanks for what you have and for the joys you’ve received. What’s great about gratitude is you don’t have to get or achieve anything to experience it, you simply need a change in perspective.

5. Find Purpose
Find something you’re passionate about, something that drives you in life. Those with purpose in life are not only happier and healthier—they live longer. Research shows people with a sense of purpose in their lives tend to enjoy healthier and fuller lives than those who don’t.

6. Help Others
From lending a hand to a friend to volunteering in the community, there are so many small and large ways to help each other out every day. When we help others, we experience joy ourselves.

7. Foster Good Relationships
Invest in all the relationships in your life. Having and maintaining a healthy social circle will not only make you happier, it can also help you live longer. So go ahead—join an exercise class, a book club or even an adult sports team and start building your community.

8. Appreciate the Small Things
The small things are often the things that matter most. Even if you only have a few spare moments a day, take those extra ten seconds to enjoy that first sip of coffee, to close your eyes and feel the sun on your face, feel the breeze or lean in to smell the fragrance of a flower.

How do you spark joy in your day to day life? Let us know in the comments!