Ah it's the New Year, that time where everyone on earth starts a new diet. Although I'm definitely eating healthier after consuming 97,654 cookies during December, I'm going to focus most of my effort on The Joy Diet. In a book of the same name, Martha Beck explains that by picking an activity or two each day that brings us joy, we're better able to navigate the ups and downs of life. I believe joy isn't a constant state of elation, but the ability to recognize the magic in little things, and the contentedness that comes from that. Here are the 4 ways I'm bringing joy to my life right now:

Music - Make a playlist that’s jam packed (get it!?) with songs that make you happy, energized, and downright joyful. Play it loudly! Bonus points for singing along! My kids and I start a new playlist at the beginning of every year. This week we began our creatively named "2019 Playlist." Each week we listen to the top songs on the pop chart and vote which ones we like enough to add to our playlist. By the end of the year we have about 50 songs. It's fun to go back and listen to prior years, too. We get our dose of musical joy every morning the drive to school!
Creativity - Many studies have shown the benefits of creative activities on our minds. It allows us to think outside the box, express ourselves, and connect with others who share the same passion. One of my goals this year is to try painting. I have always appreciated art, and my house is full of paintings and bright colors. However in my family, I am the least talented and creative person. My brother is a legitimate artist who is immensely talented. My sister is also very creative and has a degree in design. For some reason, this fact made me assume that I couldn't be an artist, too. Oh the stories we tell ourselves! Also, I like to do everything “right” so it’s scary for me to try something that I’m not already good at. #oldestchildproblems
Sigh. But since one of my affirmations is "I give up being perfect for being authentic" I'm going to give it a whirl. I ordered a box from letsmakeart.com and it arrived today! It's currently unopened on a chair in my office, but I'm going to do it and I'll keep you posted on this attempt at joy dieting!
Silence - Getting quiet at some point during each day is essential to joy for me. Contented joy. I do this through meditation and/or prayer and/or true silence. This brings an immense amount of clarity to my life. The easiest way to try this is to use an app like Breethe and follow a short guided meditation. This is another good one for kids, too! My kids, ages 8 and 11, both love to meditate with Breethe before bed.
Connection - If I asked you to think of someone who always brings a smile to your face, who would that be? Spending intentional time with that person is a great way to raise your joy-meter. I built in 2 "white spaces" on my weekly calendar (more on this next week!) for connection time. Sometimes I call my sister and we go for a virtual walk together and chat. I tell her how it's freezing and she tells me how she's wearing a tank top in Charleston and we catch up on real things that matter. My friend Christine and I have a standing date for what we've dubbed "folding and fun" where we chat for an hour as we fold our laundry, together. Where and when can you connect with someone special?

Do any of these sound like they'd create joy for you? What's on your joy diet?