Podcast Version

I love podcasting since although this post is great, it’s so much more fun (and impactful!) to listen. To subscribe to the podcast, open your favorite podcast app and type “Balanced Working Moms” in the search. You can click HERE to subscribe on Itunes.

Filling Your Life With Joy

Wouldn’t it be beautiful to fill our lives with joy?

For too many of us, joy is something that alludes us. We’re busy, that’s for sure. But joy?

This is such an important topic to bring up especially now, when many of us are having a hard time.

But truthfully, joy is something that’s missing for many of us, whether we’re in the middle of a pandemic or we’re just trying to get through the day.

But it’s important to find your Joy. Because when you find your joy, everything else in life is easier.

Life flows better. 

Doing hard things, which we all do, is so much more doable when we have more joy in our life.

Handout (Free Printable)

I have a handout that goes along with this article where you can write down the things that bring you joy and start incorporating them into your life. 

Go ahead and download it and start adding some joy to your day. To access the download, click here.

Why Find Your Joy?

So many of us are lacking joy. So many of us are lacking joy. I believe this may happen because life is hard.

We have so many responsibilities and frankly, we’re tired. We’re exhausted. We’re trying to get through the day and the thought of doing things with joy may seem as far off to you as Mars.

But joy, my friend, is not something you should see as another thing to put on your to-do list, or as impossible as going to mars.

Let’s paint a picture since it’s so much effective to describe things than just telling you something.

Joyless Gila

Imagine a Mom who’s not filled with joy.

Let’s call her Gila. She wakes up tired. She puts on some old yoga pants and a messy bun. She fills her body with lots of caffeine and sugar. She gets a ton done through the day. Laundry. Three meals for kids. Keeps the kids alive. Maybe she even organizes a closet.

None of her day is full of joy. As she does everything, she feels resentful and bitter. She snaps at her kids when they fight. She’s angry at her husband. And I did I mention she’s tired? She’s beyond tired. She’s EXHAUSTED. Every day all she wants to do is sleep, sleep, and more sleep.

I feel so badly for this woman. And some days, she’s me. 

Now let’s talk about this same woman on another day.

Joyful Gila

Gila went to bed early the night before so she actually feels okay when she wakes up. She gets up before the kids and takes time to nurture herself. She drinks water and maybe even meditates for a few minutes. She does a few yoga stretches.

As she goes through the day, she gets frustrated. But there are parts to her day that are incredibly fulfilling. These give her energy and zest for doing the laundry and cooking yet another dinner that none of the kids will eat…..:)

Some things that give her joy includes the music class she attends. She also chatted with a good friend on the phone while she was cleaning the bathrooms. While she cleaned up from dinner she listened to music and maybe even swung her hips a bit to the beat while loading the dishwasher.

Bringing out the Joy

All of us have both these women in us. Some days we’re more like the Joyless Gila, other days we’re more like Joyful Gila.

The intent of this article is to bring more of Joyful Gila into your heart.

So lets talk about how you can get some of this nourishment and joy into your life.

Faking Joy

Before we get started talking about how to find more joy in our lives, I want to let you know that this topic is about genuine joy.

Because it’s not FAKE. It’s not pasting a smile on your face when you feel like crying.

There’s nothing less joyful and exhausting than faking happiness.

Think of a time when you pretended to be filled with Joy.

It takes so much effort and work. It usually does NOT feel good.

Instead, let’s talk about some simple things you can do to help you find joy in your life.

#1: Rest

The number 1 thing you can do to find your joy is to rest.

I believe that the biggest reason why us Moms so often lack joy is that we don’t pause to rest.

When we don’t pause to rest, it’s almost impossible to be filled with joy.

Those things on your to-do list, let them go. You’ll be filled with so much more joy when you rest.

I know this is easier said than done. This is a big topic we need to keep exploring.

And the more mentally drained you are, the more you need rest. So if you take just this lesson, trust me, you’ll have so much more joy in your life

#2: Express Yourself

Expressing who you REALLY are is another really important way to find joy in your life.

When I think of the times I lack joy, it’s almost always because I feel that I’m not being true to myself or I’m hiding who I am.

Show your beautiful self to the world.

Since when you hide who you are, it steals your joy.

A simple way to express who you are is to buy a little decoration on etsy that expresses your values. Put up a quote. 

In a casual talk with coworkers, mention something that’s important to you. (but maybe not politics!!)

Be YOU. There is nothing greater than being your beautiful, authentic self.

It’s such a simple way to add joy, but being more of yourself is one of the most simple and effective ways of being filled with more joy.

#3: Living Your Life’s Purpose.

So you’re getting more sleep, you’re expressing who you are. And now, to feel real joy every day, you need to live your life’s purpose.

Living your life’s purpose does not necessarily mean doing a job you love. That’s wonderful, but that’s different.

Living your life’s purpose means doing the things in this world that you’re meant to do.

When you know in your heart of hearts that you’re doing your life’s work, whether that’s being a Mom, recording a podcast at 5:30 in the morning, helping others, or whatever you feel drawn to, it brings you more joy than anything in the world.

For me, it’s why doing a podcast is so important to me. Yes, it’s work. And I need extra work like I need a hole in my head.

But it brings me inner joy and peace that I talked about at the beginning of this episode.

It’s what I feel that I was put in this world to do. To help people. 

I invite you to dip your toe in.

How can you ease into your life’s purpose? Can you do an hour of volunteer work a week? Or even an hour a month?

I challenge you to start small — but to start.

This joy will wake you up. It’ll give you enthusiasm and so much joy.

Find a way to do this that’s easy for you.

Don’t make living your life’s purpose into a big deal. Doing this could be a small thing you do each week or each month. But do yourself a favor and fill yourself with joy by getting started!!

#4: Relationships and Connections with Others

In our busy world, especially as Moms, the first thing that tends to go out the window so is our friendships.

Sometimes we don’t feel like we have time or energy to connect with others.

But there’s nothing like connection to bring you joy.

“We are happy when we have family, we are happy when we have friends and almost all the other things we think make us happy are actually just ways of getting more family and friends.”

– Daniel Gilbert

#5: Move Your Body!

If you’ve talked to me for five minutes, you know that I love to walk.

It’s funny because if I go two weeks without a walk, I become someone I don’t even recognize. I get depressed. I’m pessimistic. Life feels really hard.

But if I walk regularly I’m “me.” There’s no other way to describe it. I just feel upbeat and like myself.

I’ve heard that exercise can be as effective as prescription drugs in treating depression, and I believe it.

Based on my experiences, I believe our bodies are built to move and when we don’t move, it can effect our emotions and our joy.

So as a simple way to find joy in your life, I invite you to do some movement. 

You get extra credit if you do it outdoors since research shows being outdoors also brings you joy!

#6: Hobbies

My final suggestion (for now!) that will help you add some joy to your life is to rekindle one of your beloved hobbies.

Doing our hobbies is another thing that usually goes out the window as soon as babies come.

But doing your hobbies makes you more “you.”

They can fill with you with so much joy.

So find a way to fit your hobby into your busy life.

You’re creative and smart. I know you can find a way. 🙂 It won’t be easy, but it’ll be so satisfying!

Bring On the Joy!

I hope you were inspired by this post to find more joy in your life, no matter what’s going on.

Especially during this time, when our kids may be depressed, tempers are short and life is harder than usual, I invite you to bring more joy into your life.

The cool thing about joy is that when one person experiences it, it spreads. (Even quicker than a virus!)

With what’s going on in the world, be the different one. Be the one who spreads love and joy. Do it for yourself. Do it for your family. And do it for everyone. We all need it right now.

Thanks for reading this post. I hope it inspired you to find ways to fill your life with joy and love.

XO,
Rina