Experiencing joy is an essential part of being human. I would say it’s as important for our well-being as exercising or eating vegetables.
In lockdown, some of the usual places we found joy were not accessible to us in the same way. But because humans are ridiculously adaptable, we coped, ‘looked on the bright side’, and tried to find new ways to experience joy. We learned to find joy in the little things, in the everyday, and it is important that we keep hold of this learning.
As well as this, let’s remember the levels of joyous high we are capable of experiencing as humans and actively try to seek them out. To dance, to laugh outrageously, to spark with different minds and spirits, to see a new sight, to create with others, to be in our spontaneity and act it out. As Lord Byron once said, ‘On with the dance, let the joy be unconfined’.
But, do you actually remember unconfined joy? Lockdown has been so interesting as we have forgotten and lost connection with all sorts of things. Some people are finding it hard to remember what they did before lockdown, such as how to make a plan. As our worlds became smaller and confined, many of us experienced forgetting certain words for things that were in our everyday language previously.
Let’s make it a priority to remember the levels of joy we are capable of. Look back through Facebook posts, old diaries, or forgotten photos, and connect with some of your most joyous times. Then, get out there and make some more. We are all in need of a massive joy injection, so let’s step into the world and get it.
Experience the depth and breadth that life has to offer, the new experiences and the new people. This period of time will have changed us and what used to give us a buzz may no longer do it, but it’s worth just trying it out to see how you feel.
Our great adaptability skills could mean that we have got used to low levels of joy and have become insular. We might not recognise this to not be normal, but our hearts and souls need nourishment and joy is a fantastic way to do this.
Integrate the new and the old, keep doing the recent things you found to bring you joy, and reengage with those from your previous existence. That means double joy – just what we need!
If you need a joy coach, just take a look at a dog. They live completely in the present and readily connect with unconfined joy at any moment. Do you?
Find out how important joy is to you, which of the four energies is your strongest and which has the most potential with the SuperPower Energy Quiz.
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Originally published at mypowerbar.co.uk