How can we find more joy despite all the stuff going on around us (with our families, at work, in the world….)? Making conscious and intentional choices about what we choose to focus on and how we interpret our situation helps us shift our mindset and find more grounding.

I’ve been making some subtle adjustments to my life that have been improving my state of being, so I thought I would share these tips to help you reprogram your frequency for more fulfillment. Here are three simple things you can do right now.

1) Change the Channel.

When you’re watching or listening to stuff that brings you down, you can reduce your exposure to negativity once you notice it. Whether that’s people who bring the drama, friends or family who constantly complain or news and media that are unsettling and alarming. I’m not implying you should bury your head in the sand to completely drown out or turn off all negative news (unless of course you want to), because that may not be practical, realistic or helpful.

However, too much of a bad thing can get worse and bring you down into a dark spiral of fear and worry. This is when we need to take action, ideally before or when we’re in the midst of the mire. When you notice that you’re over-exposing yourself to negativity, choose to extricate yourself from the doom and gloom. Limit and even eliminate those sources that regularly disturb your wellbeing.

I’m not recommending replacing these with other unhelpful addictive habits, like online shopping or binge-eating which can easily replace doom scrolling. Instead, consider some healthier options like going for a walk, calling a caring friend, doing exercise or reading a book.

Choose more uplifting and inspiring fare as much as possible to bring you back into balance. Remember that dark and light co-exist, so we can balance our consumption of media and monitor our thoughts to notice which direction they’re heading. When the soundtrack becomes too depressing, press pause or change the channel and insert some optimism. Bring in the good vibes!

Explore positive actions that feel empowering. For example, instead of thinking “we’re all going to die in this war-focused world,” you might instead consider “let me make the most of my precious life. What would bring me more joy now?” Then call and email your state representatives and protest in the streets or donate to causes you believe in.

What corrective actions and conscious choices can you make to feel more in control of your experience?

2) Curate and Clear Consciously.

Choose who and what you surround yourself with. Beyond news, thoughts and experiences, consider your environment and your relationships. Are you surrounding yourself with helpful people, uplifting music, visually calm settings and things that inspire you? Look at the soundtrack of your life and see what might need to shift. Do you want to create a more hopeful playlist of beautiful music, thought-provoking podcasts or intriguing audio books.

Wherever you have clutter, this can offer a clue to what you might be avoiding. Our stuff can build up when we experience resistance, which can cause us to feel scattered, overwhelmed and stuck. So if you notice things piling up, take some time to go through them and restore order to your space. Clear off that chair you keep throwing dirty clothes onto so you can sit there, donate old stuff that you no longer wear or use.

Eliminating (or at a minimum reducing) visual and mental distractions can help you prioritize what matters and focus more easily. Reducing the number of choices we have to make in a day can go a long way to making our lives easier. Less can be more when it comes to freeing up your mind to focus on more challenging tasks and reducing decision fatigue.

The fewer things you have to deal with, the more flow you will find. Where might you want to simplify or declutter spaces in your home or work space?

3) Choose Cheerful.

Recently I shared a little about my style journey which has been inspiring me to wear more things that I love. While I lean towards comfort, I’ve been embracing more color and playful accessories that bring a smile to my heart. Certain objects, activities, foods and music just make me happy, so I’m choosing to indulge in those more often. Why would I want to suffer if I don’t have to? Why would you?

Instead of saving things for a rainy day or special occasion, why not break out your good china or drink from your favorite glass or mug and make a toast to more happiness now and in the future? Which subtle shifts could you make that you know will bring you more happiness and less stress?

Sometimes we tend to choose what’s quickest and easiest. I’m all for that, however bringing more intention to everyday acts can create elevated moments of awareness and appreciation. Doing things in new ways, making unconventional choices and changing things up can be a subtle, yet effective way to inspire more creativity and innovation in your thinking and your work.

This goes beyond your clothing, and could be how you drive to work or what you choose to read or the food you cook. Is there a new dish you’ve been meaning to try? I love buying new fruits and vegetables and learning how to cook them. Might I suggest some dragonfruit (yellow is sweeter than pink) or tamarind pods (one of my personal favorites, it’s a little like a sweet and sour date), if you want to try something a bit more exotic. Can’t get to the tropics, bring the flavors home now. How and where might you experiment more?

Intentional Joy

These little adjustments have been helping me feel more relaxed and less stressed on a regular basis. We get to choose our experience and how we want to respond to the things around us. While these suggestions may seem like lifestyle tips, we are more than our work and you can easily apply these principles to how you show up professionally.

Avoid the office gossip, reach out to someone new to connect with, research a different industry, company or approach to see how that might apply to your own work. Get creative with your choices and know that you can choose more happiness more often. I’d love to hear what’s coming up for you and where you might do something different that brings you some ease.

Want to talk more about how to incorporate more joy, let’s connect! We’ll explore your experience and opportunities for you to shift into more fulfillment and alignment. You can consciously create life and work that lights you up, and now is a great time to consider what’s next.

To more intentional choices,

Lenore

P.S. Want to realize your dreams? Schedule a Life Path Audit Call here to explore your next level of growth and how transformational coaching can support you.