I sit here typing this my girlfriends patio in Los Angeles. I’ve got sunshine, a Breeze and a lemon and orange tree next to me.( and let me tell you, I had NO idea just how much JOY this would bring me!) In just 2 days , I feel recharged and like I’ve done a full reset. Like a full mind/body experience occured naturally and it’s simply because I was able to be present. It’s partly time with a good friend, partly time in sunshine and mostly just SLOWING down and doing things intuitively that bring me joy.

You MUST do more of things that bring you joy. Things that make your heart skip a beat, that make you laugh and smile, that make you feel connected and inspired.

There is such pride in being overscheduled, over worked and down right committed to everyone else, while we seem to lose focus of our own self care. We forget that we need to do things that spark joy, we even forget what the things are that bring us joy as we run on autopilot most days.

I know what you’re thinking. I’m SO busy with work, taking care of a family, with everything else..that how can I find the time to do more of the things that I love to do? HOW can i do more of the things that bring me JOY?

I guarantee that you can. In fact, I’d bet on it.

Some of that over busy, over scheduled stuff is simply learned behavior and when you acknoweldge that, you can conquer it head on . You can tackle the WHY behind ALLOWING yourself to be over busy or overscheduled and choose to go about things differently. Choose to take control of your days in a different way so that they flow with ease and without any added stress.

I know you’re wondering how you can incorporate more of the things that bring you Joy when you’re already busy…..so let’s take a deeper look :

First things first:

• Identify what brings you Joy

• How often do you want to incorporate this activity?

• Is there any pre-planning you need to do around it? ( for example if you want to plan a trip, you need to pay for the trip, arrange travel etc.)

**Identifying what brings you joy is simple: (*don’t over think it)

(for me it’s more travel, at least 5 trips a year)

Here are some ideas:

• Do you love to dance? What if you started taking a dance class once a week?

• Do you miss connecting with friends? What if you had a group zoom GNO ( girls night out) monthly?

• Do you love to cook? Take a cooking class

• Do you need to focus on your mindset? Find a meditation Class or Make time to Journal

• Miss Yoga? Get up an hour earlier and practice before you start your day

• Love animals? Volunteer at an animal shelter

• Need more travel in your life? Plan a trip ( and no excuses here!)

• Want to spend more time in nature? Find local/national parks

• Need more self care? Put an hour of non negotable self care time on your calendar a week

The goal here is to Slow Down, Become Present and Incorporate the things that Spark Joy in your life. This can look like : laughter , happiness, connection, happy tears, feeling satisfied, bliss , gratitude, feeling blessed.

On a final note , here are some tips to finding a bit more Joy in each day.

1. Start each day with a smile and a postive mindset ...

2. Connect with others virtually or in person ...

3. Do things that you’re passionate about ...

4. Practice gratitude daily ..

5. Choose to be positive and see the best in every situation. ...

6. Take steps to enrich your life..

In Wellness,

XOXO - A