Reconnecting to Joy

I have a women’s circle that I meet with twice a month.  It is a safe space for us to connect, ask questions, and seek wisdom from the group on anything that may be on our minds.  In our last circle, the topic of joy was brought to the table. 

What brings you joy?  And, are you giving yourself the time and space to receive it?

I had some immediate thoughts on things in my life that bring me joy: my sidekick Gringo Bingo, the most perfect Chihuahua ever created; running my business; the scent of the orange blossoms at night which only happens briefly in the spring.  See, I’m connected, right?  I got my joy handled!

But when it came my turn to pose a question to the group and I asked how to learn to gain more balance between my work life and personal life, the ladies immediately picked up on the fact that I am not balanced because I am not taking enough time out for self-care, which includes time to connect with my joy. 

Okay….  So I guess they are right.  But how do I do that?  I didn’t really realize I wasn’t doing it! 

Now, how about you? 

Have you fallen into the “trap” of your weekly routines and stepped out of rhythm with your self-care?

I am using the terms “joy” and “self-care” interchangeably here, because in many ways they are one in the same.  I suppose there are parts of self-care that aren’t necessarily joyful (brushing your teeth or doing squats are prime examples);  what I am talking about in this article are the things that bring you joy and uplift your spirit, affecting your health on a mind-body-spirit level.

When you realize you have fallen off the self-care wagon like I did, the best place to start is to make a list of everything you can think of that causes joyful feelings in your heart.  My list includes things like playing with my dog, visiting family, hiking, taking day trips with my boyfriend, going to the beach, always stopping to smell the flowers, and doing yoga.  (Disneyland might be on my list too, but let’s keep that between us!)

Just the act of writing out our lists is helping us refocus and reconnect.  But that’s not enough—we need to act on this and start actively seeking out these things in our lives that cause joy.   

Take out your calendar.  When can you schedule in time for these things?  Obviously if back-packing across Europe for a month is on your list, that will take some serious planning!  Start with the small stuff!  I want to establish a consistent yoga routine as this practice brings joy to me on both a physical and spiritual level.  I am writing that into my calendar and making it a part of my weekly routine.  I love to hike, but I never take the time to do it anymore, so guess what—it’s going on my calendar!  I am picking out 2 days a month to go hiking with my man and my dog, and I can’t wait to start picking out the trails!  I also want to plan some day trips or overnights out of town with my boyfriend, so those will start finding ways onto my calendar as well.  Oh, and I just thought of another thing for my list—I love cooking healthy meals, but I never leave myself time to do it!  I will schedule out some meal prep time to make this an easier and quicker task.

So, what is on your list?  What will you start scheduling onto your calendar?

Yet another thing that is on my list is spending time at the beach.  It is so ironic that I just launched my Endless Summer Collection, created to inspire a beach mindset, and I got so caught up in the details of the launch, that I completely lost touch with actually visiting the beach!  Now when I wear my Endless Summer jewelry, it will have even more meaning for me—it will be a reminder not to lose touch with the things that bring me joy and keep me sane! 

Let this collection do the same for you!  Which pieces will you choose to remind you to seek joy?  Shop the collection here!