“Happiness is an inside job. Don’t assign anyone else that much power over your life.”
~Mandy Hale
Throughout life, there have been times of stress and uncertainty. Whether it is a pandemic or a major life change, I will find myself feeling more anxious and frustrated than normal. I worry about my family, my friends, my ability to care for myself, my concern for doing the right thing. These worries can hit all at once or take a revolving door approach.
The one thing I have had to remind myself, despite all of these overwhelming worries and feelings, is that there is still a place for happiness and joy. If fact, it is crucial to seek happiness and joy in order to not be swallowed up by all of the uncertainty.
You can have both moments of happiness and fear for the unknown. They are not mutually exclusive. However, I believe that when you seek joy and fight for happiness, it helps balance out the other parts of your life that may be a bit less predictable.
It is about controlling what you can when so much is uncontrollable.
So, I have made it a daily practice to find happiness. To seek the lighter side of life.
And it isn’t looking to someone else to fill the hole.
All too often we expect someone or something to make us happy. Or we are waiting for this thing to suddenly make our lives complete. It is trap we all fall into. The truth is, it can’t come from another thing or person. You know why?
Because people and things aren’t perfect.
Life isn’t perfect.
We are literally setting ourselves for disappointment. Let’s be honest. You have done this, right? I have done it. More times than I care to admit.
So when you find yourself in a place of fear and anxiety, I propose you do one thing every day that brings you joy and happiness. What is one thing that you can create or do for yourself to generate a moment of balance? It doesn’t have to be big unless that works for you. Even WebMD and Gretchen Rubin agree! Some ideas that I have used in the past are …
- Go for a walk in your favorite park
- Cook or eat your favorite meal
- Read a book
- Take a bath while drinking a glass of wine and listening to relaxing music (YES!!)
- Finish a project that has dragged on
- Take a nap
- Call a friend just to check on them
- Journal
Whatever it is, you do you. Note to self – it doesn’t have to cost money (Read more about self-care). Just your time, attention and a commitment to turn down the noise and give balance a fighting chance.
However, if you find yourself stuck in a constant cycle of fear and anxiety, to the point that it is significantly affecting your life, I highly recommend seeking professional help. I have sought counseling and am a HUGE advocate of asking for help if you need it. It has helped me in some of my most challenging times and I will always encourage people to seek help if they think it might help them.
With all of these ideas, I challenge you to seek what joy you can regardless of the noise in the world. One small thing every day. For all of my competitive folks out there, I am challenging you to try this for one week and let me know in the comments section how it is going.
Here’s to facing a challenging time with our strongest, happiest selves.
Until next time… Stay safe, sane & healthy.
