10 Ways to Infuse Joy, Pleasure, and Rest into Your Life - Every Day!

We deserve to experience joy, pleasure and rest every single day. These experiences make life meaningful and fun, while demonstrating appreciation for the preciousness of every moment.

Sometimes we defer joy, pleasure, and rest until we have the time or money, complete a task or project, or get permission from someone else. Other times, we feel guilty when we enjoy joy, pleasure, and rest – particularly when others are relying on us to be productive while others are deterred from these opportunities due to personal or political circumstances.

But without joy, pleasure, and rest, our lives become dull, uninspired, and unnecessarily hard. We may become anxious, weary, or burned out.

There are lots of ways to infuse joy, pleasure, and rest into our lives every day. Here are just a few:

1.     Notice the sunrise or sunset. Pause for a few minutes to really take it in, noticing the shifting swirls of color.

2.     Close your eyes for five minutes. Breathe deeply and listen to the ambient noises that surround you for a refreshing micro-meditation.

3.     Hydrate. Sip a cold or warm beverage and rub nourishing lotion into your body.

4.     Get outside. Notice the breeze and sunshine on your face, the glistening snow or leaves, vibrant flowers, birds chirping, twigs snapping under your feet, and other miracles of nature.

5.     Stretch. Before going to bed, before getting out of bed, and during five minute work breaks, stretch your body to reconnect to your senses and release tension.

6.     Eat slow. Take the time to notice the complex tastes and textures of your food.

7.     Connect with a friend. Send a text or email to let someone know that you were thinking of them and that you care.

8.     Make art. You don’t have to be an artist to make art. It can be as simple as coloring in one page in a coloring book or making a pattern in the dirt or sand.

9.     Read. Be inspired and learn something new by reading a poem, a page or a chapter in a book, or a blog post.

10.  Say no. You aren’t responsible for doing everything you are asked. If saying yes means a denial of your joy, pleasure, and rest – then that’s a no!

What other ways do you infuse joy, pleasure, and rest into your life?