Joy Triggers
Thursday, October 06, 2011
Last week, when Roxanne retweeted an interview with Dr. Jill Biden about her joy triggers, I immediately fell in love with the concept. What things bring me joy and how can I keep those things coming on a consistent basis?
Lately, I've been really feeling quite overwhelmed and coupled with being abnormally busy, I've cut the very things that bring me joy out of my life. This always happens. They're the first things to go.
The following are my joy triggers and things that I am working on getting back into my life on a consistent basis regardless of my schedule.
Running.
Reading.
Listening to music and words that soothe my soul. Currently: Bon Iver, Feist, and Florence & the Machine. And, CBC Radio One, if in the car.
Planting my feet in the grass (or inside now that it's cold again) and doing yoga. Breathing.
Going for walks with my camera. Marvelling at the beauty that surrounds us this fall.
Blogging. Finding inspiration and chatting on twitter. Connecting.
Building relationships with students, staff, and coworkers.
Drinking tea and wearing big fuzzy winter socks.
Chats over beverages with lovely people.
Quiet time. Sleep.
What are your joy triggers and are they close by?
I'd love to hear that things that bring joy into your life. Do share.
7 comments:
*love love love*
Now that that's out of the way... In no particular order, some of my joy triggers:
Taking photo walks, particularly in the fall.
Waking up before the alarm clock
Catching the sunrise
Anything with vanilla
Knit sweaters and soft fabrics
Music with female vocalists or a strong guitar part
A long coffee date with a friend
New internet connections and magical Twitter moments
Hugs. They work every time :)
I'm going to get off the internet now and make a bigger list...
hi mary! i've missed you, and i'm so grateful to have come across this post. my life seems to be echoing the pace of yours: a bit hectic!
i love the idea of planting joy triggers in my path. just a few things come to mind for me: candles, hot baths, yoga, healthy food, hot tea, water with lemon, letter writing, journaling, fancy pens, bike rides.
you're right that we can make an intention to include more of these things in our day to day, then the way we spend our days (which is the way we spend our lives) is full of more meaning, more beauty. thanks for the reminder! and much love to you :)
Stephanie
Thanks for sharing your list, Roxanne. I definitely need to add hugs to my list.
Stephanie--LIKEWISE. Thanks for stopping by. Hopefully we can keep in better contact even through these hectic times. Sending that love right back at you.
Joy triggers are often the first to go. How does that happen? I really need to make them higher priorities.
Anyway, a quick list, totally tailored to this time of year:
Cool fresh air in the house, without a trace of humidity. I don't get it all day--it's just too cold--but short blasts of it ground me.
Long walks with the smell of falling leaves in the air. No earphones, no music, just listening to the world and hatching plans and plot points.
A pot of soup on the stove for a few hours, and then a bowl of it at the table with a slice of good bread.
The way the downstairs of my house looks at around 7 pm, when all the lights are on. And for that matter, the way my bedroom looks when I've got a few candles lit.
Catching the eye of an infant or toddler on the bus or in a store, and watching it smile when I make a silly face.
AH! My new jeans. That's a materialistic one but I don't care.
Creative work from very smart people--music, books, TV, movies, even a blog post :) Any time that I get a sense of the power of someone else's creative gifts, really.
Snail mail. (That's all year long, really.)
You know, I have had a great smile on my face this whole time, just writing this out. Thank you.
I think most of my joy triggers are the same as yours! And what I love most is they are pretty much doable anytime, anywhere. :)
Hi Mary,things that trigger joy are organized spaces,a good book with history in it,the smell of baking,fresh cold air and the sound of children playing.Love Mom
Hi Mary...
Oh, I love the idea of joy triggers. There are so many...
A deep hug, a smile that catches off guard, a poem which burrows deep into the unknown corners of the heart, kneading bread, the touch of a child's hand in my own hand, feeling like life takes you to an edge where it fills it over and over again with wonder, the click of a camera shutter, swimming in the ocean with waves lapping and overtaking expectations, foraging for the potential within oneself, headstands which bring a rush of alive to the whole being, the smell of freshly cut grass, just being...
(thanks for giving me the opportunity to write these words: they too have brought joy)
Clare.
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