“Take a joy break this afternoon,” I advised participants in a morning creative journaling class. I said it without thinking, hoping to lighten the mood after an intense session.

“What a great topic for a future class,” someone suggested.

I’ve had a lovely time this week googling the topic and designing our next class.

Just thinking about joy and what a “joy break” might include has lightened my mood and increased my focus.

Every now and then, I consider what’s working and not working in my life and invite myself to reinvent the parts that are difficult. In the past, this has meant making accommodations to limitations brought on by physical disability. Now, with alternative tools in place, what I need most is an attitude adjustment. I need more fun and whimsy in my life. Joy breaks fit the bill.

Here are some suggestions I gleaned from my surfing:

  • Take a 3-5 minute dance break to your favorite music.
  • Gather flowers from outside for a small vase.
  • Massage your hands with a favorite hand cream.
  • Turn on some twinkle lights.
  • Go outside and sit in the sun with your eyes closed.
  • Go outside & lie in hammock; look up at the sky or trees.
  • Read a poem.
  • Look through a favorite photo album.
  • Make parmesan popcorn and eat it out of a crystal bowl.
  • Tend to a few houseplants.

In your journal: make a list of how you might spend a joy break.