When you are experiencing joy, your heart opens. Your mood lightens. You find yourself smiling or laughing or awestruck. Joy is experienced in the moment.
Here are some ways you can deepen the experience:
STOP and notice that you are joyful.
SENSE what’s happening. Take note of what you see, hear, taste, touch, smell, think and feel.
SAVOR the moment. Swish it around in your mind the way you would swish a fine wine in your mouth.
SAVE the experience. Take a photo. Write about it in your journal. Make a memento.
SUMMON UP the memory of the experience. Turn it over in your mind and watch it sparkle.
There are many ways to practice joy. Dr. Michael McGee provides 20 suggestions, including having reverence for this moment, remembering to play, and being around joyful people.
In your journal:
- Write about a recent joyful experience.
- Draw a joyful scene.
- Read over the 20 suggestions for practicing joy. Try one of them and report your results.