lessons i learned about joy & creativity
Joy is something you feel on certain occasions or when you accomplish a goal. Creativity is an important aspect of your well-being but is somewhat rare in today’s world. Sometimes life will give you opportunities to have these moments & using this opportunity is valuable. Being in the job transition stage has allowed me to explore how to add joy and creativity through art and learning how to play my guitar. Both of these hobbies were hobbies I used to do before, but due to work, I had no time. I created time to make it possible even though it's only 15 minutes of my day. I have noticed a shift in my energy and happiness levels during this short time.
The lessons I would like to share with you are:
Source of joy & happiness:
You can find joy doing what you enjoy, thus increasing your overall level of happiness. The inner child is a concept you may have heard of lately. This inner child is a vital part of emotional healing. This allows you to connect with your inner child that is often forgotten about. The concept of play is undermined in today's world as seriousness and hustle culture is encouraged. Joy can come from some painting, playing a musical instrument, baking, or any activity that brings you joy. Joy gives the vitality and nourishes you on a deeper level. If I were to create a guide to health, it would include play to connect with yourself.
You bring balance back to your life:
Balance is an important part when it comes to your well-being. My definition of balance is being able to be in service of others and fulfilling my responsibilities, yet giving myself time to check-in and look after myself on an emotional level. You know what it feels like to be balanced and when you are imbalanced. Knowing the signs of imbalance is crucial to your wellness. Some signs of imbalance to look out for are irritability, anxiety, fatigue, low mood & muscle aches. These are signals to get your balance back.
Self-expression helps you disconnect from a racing mind:
I have found self-expression to help me slow down a mind with racing thoughts whether it is art or journaling. The disconnection from a racing mind is vital for your health as slowing down allows you to reflect. Reflection means looking inwards and seeing what is serving / not serving you, & the changes that will improve yourself. If you have a busy day, take a few minutes and reflect on your thoughts. Your inner critic in your mind can be tamed through reprograming the thought. According to Jennifer Shannon, to anxiety-driven mind, is "the monkey mind. " The "monkey mind" can be tamed & feel free to name it too! I have called my monkey mind Derek. This is a critical skill to have towards a healthy mindset.
Joy & creativity reduce stress levels:
I have noticed a reduction in my stress levels when introducing joy into my life. As you know, prolonged & chronic stress is harmful to your health. Chronic stress can lead to chronic diseases like diabetes & high blood pressure. Stress in small doses is healthy to motivate you. It all depends on how you view stress and which lens. I choose to see stress from a challenging task to be an opportunity for growth & learning.
If you would like to assess your life, I have a free tool you can download. The circle of life tool will give you a bigger picture of your well-being. This is a guide to move towards balance! If you would like to explore it, click here.
Reach out to me if you need any support or have any questions. You can book a free health history consultation through this link.
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