Joy for Joy’s Sake
Have you ever found yourself struggling to “just have fun”, and wondering why? Why in the world would it be difficult to lean into joy? You’d be surprised how often this is the case.
I’m here to tell you that I see it all the time. It looks like:
I see it in high-achievers who feel pressure to optimize every moment of their day…
I see it in those struggling with their sense of self-worth who might unconsciously think they don’t deserve fun or rest…
I see it in people who feel like they must “earn” rest by first burning themselves out completely…
I see it in those who are so angry and resentful with the world and others that they struggle to bring themselves to relax or enjoy an activity.
Does any of this sound familiar for you? Before I did my own healing work, I could check off all of these boxes! Not a good way to live, my friends.
When you’re not allowing yourself to rest and play before you burn out for instance, you’re unconsciously telling your system that you don’t deserve it. I’m here to tell you that you do deserve it. You do not need to earn rest. In fact, we must implement rest and play into our lives before we get to a place of burn out. Making time to have fun and relax in a proactive way can help us prevent things like burn out, and it can help us regulate our nervous system. Hello, living room dance parties with my dog!
Other great ideas for true relaxation and play time could look like starting an artistic or craft practice like collaging or painting, or scrapbooking. It could look like writing in your journal, taking nature walks, or photography. It could look like running, or biking, or cooking, or reading, or playing a tabletop game. Whatever soothes you and infuses you with joy for the sake of joy alone!
You see, our brains and our nervous system need play time. It’s incredibly important to let yourself relax and enjoy something for the sake of enjoying it, without an agenda, i.e. side hustling. In today’s society, I see a lot of people only enjoying hobbies they can monetize or “turn into something big” in an attempt to optimize every aspect of their life. But I want to see people enjoying a hobby or an activity for the sake of relaxing, shutting off their mind, and leaning into joy.
Leaning into joy not only calms the Mind and resets the nervous system, but it feeds the Spirit! Plus, PLAY is our brain’s favorite way to learn something new. Making time to relax, laugh and play also allows you to connect with your Inner Child. All of this is important to your overall wellness because at the end of the day, you can do all of the personal development work on yourself that you want, but if you’re not stopping to enjoy your life, what’s the point?
So remember, make time to play. Make time to relax and turn inward and laugh and smile and enjoy the world around you!
And, as always,
Be well,
L
