Four guaranteed ways to make you jump for joy
We say in Yoga philosophy that Joy is available to everyone and in fact it is a fundamental part of our true nature… That being said, it can be hard to access our “true nature” at all times… That is why I suggest four ways you can pump up your joy volume.
Search for Gratitude
Have you ever wondered why your mom always told you to “count your blessings” ? She said that because it works. You don’t have to even feel all that grateful. Just simply thinking about the good things in your life, elevates the serotonin levels in your brain diminishing stress and at the same time giving you a heightened sense of joy.
List the reasons you are feeling lousy
Give your unhappiness a name. Label them. Anger, powerlessness, whatever. Actually take the time to examine each one. Don’t push them away. Don’t obsess about them either. Just look at the emotions that are making you unhappy straight in the eye. By giving them a name they have less control over us. Neuroscience has proven with MRI imagining that our arousal centers of our brain are actually calmed when we acknowledge our negative feelings… Bringing us relief and joy!
Make a decision
Just like giving your unhappiness a name… moving forward and making a decision, finding a game plan… and more than anything …Taking action makes us feel better. It doesn’t need to be the absolute perfect solution but one that is just good enough. You will feel more in control. The more we feel in control the less stress we have and the more dopamine our brain produces. The dopamine activates our reward center making us feel better …joy!
Get hugged
Do I really need to tell you how this works?
You can rev up your level of joy in your life by taking a few moments every morning or before bed to search for gratitude, label your unhappiness, look for a plan and most of all… cuddle.
Now go get a hug and see how much joy it brings to you and the one you hugged!