5 Everyday Tips to Bring Joy into Your Life

Try New Things

Seek out new experiences! Try out that local restaurant or café you’ve never been to before, or sign up for that pottery class or Spanish class you’ve been looking at but never tried. Trying new things introduces novelty and interest into your life, while allowing your mind to experience challenges in a safe environment.

Move More

Get up and go! Take a walk, check out the activity schedule of your local community center or legion, sign up for a dance class or yoga class, or if those sound overwhelming to you, just set a reminder in your phone to sit up straight and have a quick stretch a few times a day. Moving more can provide physical benefits like stronger muscles, better balance, and increased endurance, but physical activities can also have other benefits like socializing with others and the release of feel-good hormones, which are good for our overall wellbeing.

Share Your Gifts

Help others in your community, either at work or in your personal life, by volunteering and offering your skills and expertise. Volunteering our time and sharing our knowledge with others can be a source of joy, and for some these activities can give a sense of purpose and to their lives.

Reflect

Setting aside time to reflect can help you sort through your feelings and recall good memories. A common activity that mental health professionals recommend is journalizing, but if journaling isn’t your style, you can go through an old photo album or reconnect with an old friend.

Practice Gratitude

Practicing gratitude has lots of benefits including improved mental health, more positive interactions with others, and even boosting our immune system! You can practice gratitude by making a list of good things that happened in your day, thinking on the things in your life that you are grateful for, and expressing thanks to the people who have helped you in your life, even if that thanks is only shared in your mind.