The Challenge of Joy... (and not missing out on microbursts of emotion)

Coaching Tip #21

I have been debating with myself the topic of this week’s coaching tip for several days now, and actually have another one ready to go. But something has made me take a pause and shift the direction.

Each day we are exposed to daily updates on the fight against Covid-19, including the latest statistics, alongside the ever-evolving plan toward a new normal, and then a new, new normal. Every person, each region, and even each country has a point of view, a philosophy on how to adjust and cope. Stories and feelings of hope, gratitude, incredible sadness, and fear penetrate our actions and our conversations. In the quest to explore the “what if …” some are taking steps forward and others are trying to avoid taking steps backwards.

Each and every one of us is affected by Covid-19. And we are all experiencing intensely personalized emotions.

But are we pausing, and physically noticing joy?

I mean the physical manifestation that can show up as that burst of positive energy, the feeling of goosebumps on your arms, a tear on your cheek, a taste of something delicious, a moment of intuitively knowing a connection has been formed with a friend, colleague, or stranger.

Joy is more than the physical things that we purchase to make us happy. It is a feeling of awe, of inspiration, of deep love, of contribution to others, of connection to something or someone, of doing something that has great meaning, of losing track of time because you are in the moment, or just feeling blessed.

It is a microburst of emotion.

We all have our own definitions of joy – we know them when we have them – but our tendency is not to pause and notice them. Instead, we go back to the “to do list,” the job, the Netflix series, the chores at hand, because those are the actions that move us through our days.

I challenge you to notice them. Now more than ever we need this. As the weeks are melding into months, the positive aspect of our psyche is being overwhelmed by the negative energy and fallout of Covid-19. We each need to take control of what we can.

The more aware you are of these moments of joy, the more aware you become. By acknowledging joy, you are building a resilience to handle other aspects of your life.

When you notice that moment – stop and say it out loud. Acknowledge what you are feeling in your body and mind and spirit and imagination. If you are uncomfortable saying it out loud, whisper it to yourself. Form the words on your lips, and keep the volume low if you want to. But make that mind / body connection.

Noticing joy is a muscle that needs to be developed. It starts with a habit. Although I know how important this habit is, and I do pause and notice it every day, here is a tip that I am going to try.

On my mirror in the bathroom I just put up a sticky note with the question, “I wonder how I will experience joy today?”

I am curious on how that frames the rest of my day. If you try this tip, let me know if anything changes for you.

Melinda