April 2, 2021

Can you choose joy? I want to share 10 daily habits for more joy that I learned and implemented over the years. These are also the habits I turn to when I need to get myself out of a funk and by using these tools, I have been able to live more joyfully. I think choosing joy is not a one time choice. Like everything else, choosing joy is a practice and the more we do it, the easier it will become. If you're wondering how to get yourself out of a funk, I definitely suggest to implement as many of these daily habits for more joy as you can!

Habit # 1: Make your bed first thing in the morning. 

I never used to make my bed. I thought it was silly to make your bed because you’re just going to get back into it at night. What’s the point of making it if it’s just for yourself and no one else will see it anyway. It wasn’t until I was selling my first home and we had to make our bed everyday for house showings. Since then, I’ve made my bed each morning and there were many reasons why I think this small act can make a difference. A lot of people say you should do it because you’ll have accomplished the first task of the day and have a sense of accomplishment and be ready for more. That’s probably true! But For me, I like walking into my room and not have that messy bed be a distraction and a source of stress. An unmade bed is one of the biggest source of visual clutter in your bedroom because of how much space a bed takes up. So when you think about it, Making your bed is the quickest shortcut to tidy up a large amount of space in your room.

Habit # 2: if you look good, you feel good

This is something I learned from an university friend. I went to visit this friend when she wasn’t feeling well. When I got to her apartment, she opened the door looking more glamorous than usual. I was like, wow you look great! She said she felt completely miserable but she always put in more effort to make herself look good whenever she is not feeling well and that helps her feel better. She said if she just stayed in her comfy sweats, she would just be in a state of self pity. That was something that stuck with me and never fails to make me feel better when I am not feeling well. Looking good can mean different things for each person. Do what makes you feel good. For me, it is my 5 minutes makeup routine and change my clothes. I noticed For some of my friends it’s one makeup item - like mascara and lipstick - they’d put on their one item and their whole energy changes. I think it’s not because they found some sort of life-changing magical mascara or lipstick but it’s coming from a place where they feel great and that shifts their mood and energy. If you don’t wear makeup, maybe it’s about doing your full skincare routine and style your hair or maybe it’s a shave. Do what makes you feel good.

Habit #3: be your own hype girl

When was the last time you gave yourself a really nice compliment? Tell yourself you’re great at something? I think that is something we need to do more often because we should love ourselves the most. When you’re feeling down about yourself, give yourself some compliments, be proud of what you have accomplished and be proud of overcoming the obstacles in your life. Be your own hype girl! When we’re not feeling great, we tend to think negatively about ourselves. That negative energy will lead you to think you’re not worthy of any joy, love, friendships, experiences or opportunities. Being happy starts from within you. Tell yourself you’re beautiful, you are smart, you are worthy of love and joy and opportunities.

Habit #4: put out positive energy

I believe the energy you put out into the world is the energy you’ll get back. If you want to have more joy in life, send more joy out into the world. There are so many ways you can put out positive energy into the world - Send a friends a nice message, give a stranger a compliment, Sign up for volunteering, Buy a needy person a meal, hold the door open for someone, write a positive review for a local business you enjoy going into - you’ll make someone’s day. Doing something good for others can help you get you out of your own head. adding joyful energy into the world will attract more joy to your life.

Habit #5: eat a healthy meal 

Sometimes when we’re not feeling great, all we want to do is eat potato chips and ice cream and watch Netflix but when you’re not feeling great it’s especially important to eat well. Having bad digestion when you’re not feeling your best will only weight you down even more. Eat a healthy meal and you’ll feel better. healthy meal doesn’t mean you need to be extreme. we already know what’s good for us and what isn’t good for us. you also don’t need to be perfect about it. Don’t eat potato chips and ice cream as your meal but have it as a snack. Moderation is joy!

Habit #6: move your body

I know this tip is especially annoying when you’re not in a good place. I remember when I was going through post partum depression, my family doctor at the time told me to get a running stroller and that I’d feel much better after a run. I wanted to slap her when she said that. And every time I try to start an exercise routine or program, I’d feel even worse when I couldn’t do it perfectly or be consistent with it. That’s why I said move your body and not go exercise. Moving your body is less of a commitment. Start by turning on your favourite song and have a dance party for one song to start. If that doesn’t spark joy for you, go walk around the block for 5 minutes. Sometimes I don’t want to do either so I’d turn on YouTube and take steps in place while I watch it. Once you get your body moving, you’ll feel much better. 

Habit #7: tidy up your space.

Our space is a reflection of our mind. When I am feeling down, it’s likely my space isn’t looking great either. I am not saying you need to tackle your entire home when you just want to lie down so my suggestion is set a 10-20 minute timer and tackle one area. If you’re trying to motivate yourself to work, take those 10-20 minutes to tidy up your desk. if your clothes are everywhere, take that time to hang, fold and put away clothes. If your kitchen is a mess, take those 20 minutes to put away clean dishes and put dirty dishes in the dishwasher. i find Having these 15 minute wins really help to boost my mood when I am feeling down. 

Habit #8: take out the garbage

It’s weird but whenever I am feeling blah, it’s time to take out the garbage. For some reason, The more garbage is in my space, the more garbage my mind feels. There is something oddly satisfying about taking things out of your home. If you’re feeling blah, look around your room - throw away those boxes from your online orders, see if there are dirty cups and bowls and plates you can take to the kitchen. See if there are any other garbage or recycling laying around. See if your garbage can is over flowing. Or Maybe for you it’s not literal garbage. Maybe it’s donation items piling up. Load them up into your car, drive it down to the donation centre. You’ll feel much better when you get those items out of your space. 

Habit #9: take a bath

Whenever I am feeling blah after a long day, I find taking a bath really turns my mood around. It’s washing your worries away. I like to keep some bath products on hand and use it when I need a boost. If I can’t be bothered with a bath, I’ll take a long shower. sometimes take the extra time and do a mask or a scrub. finish by using my favourite scented lotion and I feel like a new person.

Habit #10: gratitude journal 

My final tip is to keep a gratitude journal. Each night I write down 3 great things that I am grateful for that day. Some days it’s big celebrations but most days, it’s just the little things. I found that over time, having this gratitude journal help me see all the little things in life that I could easily miss or take for granted. It becomes a habit throughout the day to look for all the little things to be grateful for during the day so I have something to write in my gratitude journal. 

These are my tips and daily habits you can implement to live more joyfully and get yourself out of a funk. People often say you can choose joy but it’s not something you choose once and just be happy. For me, I think It’s a practice and the more I do, the happier I feel. Thanks for stopping by today, until next time, choose joy live well!