When I was asked to join Wisdo.com as a coach I thought for a long time before I came up with a name for my coaching sessions. I chose “Joyful Retirement” because as a retired person that’s I aspire to joyfulness.
Joyfulness vs Happiness
I think a lot of people confuse joy with happiness. They are closely related and can occur at the same. But these emotions are not the same. Happiness is an emotion that brings bursts of intense pleasure, excitement, and satisfaction. While joyfulness is a stronger, and longer state that gives us feelings of inner peace and contentment.
Happiness can be brought about by a good cup of coffee in the morning or a funny movie. Joy, on the other hand, is more difficult to achieve. Do you think happiness is what is happening around us while Joy is what is happening within us?
It is important to have joy in your life as people who maintain a joyful life have lower heart rate and blood pressure, as well as stronger immune systems. Additionally, individuals who report having more positive emotions also have fewer illnesses, including fewer minor aches and pains.
You Can Increase Your Joyfulness
A joyful life is different for everyone as people associate joy with different things. Probably how it should be, you shouldn’t be following someone else’s version of joy. Here are a few things we can all do to find or increase joyful living.
Dust off your Bucket List
Often, the saddest summary of a life contains three descriptions: could-a, would-a, should-a. Start doing things that you always wanted to do. Get out there with your “bucket list.” Start living a life with no regrets. Life is about savoring every moment and making the most of it. These little joys will make your whole life more joyful.
Find Your Purpose
There is no joy like working on something you are passionate about. Knowing that you are dedicating your life to something purposeful is a hard feeling to be expressed in words. The thing about passion is that it makes your life both beautiful and worth living for. If you haven’t found your passion yet, it’s absolutely okay. Just keep looking for it and don’t settle.
Get Outside
Start spending some time in the out of doors. People who connect to nature and believe that nature is important to their lives are generally happier than those who don’t. The fresh oxygen, beautiful mix of colors, and the serenity can change your mood in an instant and boost your happiness levels.
Take Care of Yourself
Start looking after yourself. Joy comes from within and nothing in this world can make you joyful if you are not content inside. You must learn to look after yourself if you want to live a joyful life. The first step to do this is to start looking after your body. Start somewhere: yoga, dancing, hiking, swimming, or bicycling. Start with whatever you find interesting.
Give Back
Start giving back to the society. Giving not only helps us to feel generous and benevolent but also gives us a sense of purpose. To quote Denzel Washington, “At the end of the day it’s not about what you have or what you’ve accomplished… It’s all about who you’ve lifted up, who you’ve made better. It’s about what you’ve given back.”
Invest in Your Joyfulness
Start investing in your growth— mental, physical, intellectual, and financial. Knowing that you are becoming better with every passing day helps you enjoy your life even more. Read books or blogs, watch videos that inspire, indulge your curiosity, take a class, listen to podcasts to stimulate your growth. All these habits and actions will have a profound effect on your overall well-being and joy.
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This was helpful, excellent food for thought, and I know I must get outside more. That really does promote joy. Thank you, Shelley! Good one!