Top 10 Ways to Feel Joyful

The stress can creep in. You don’t know it is happening sometimes. Your attitude changes and before you know it, grumpiness can take over. But there are so many simple things you can do to feed JOY. We reached out to all of our Soul Flower Buds to create this list of things you can do to bring Joy to your soul. When we asked “what simple things do you do to be Joyful every day?” we received a surprising overlap of advice. So we thought it best to share it so you can see how most of us keep those positive vibes flowing. Here it is (in no particular order) as a place to turn to if ever you need a little boost of Joy. Be Joyful buds, it really is contagious!

TOP 10 WAYS TO FEEL JOYFUL EVERY DAY

1 – ENJOY NATURE
Take a few moments each day outside, breathing in the air, get centered. A few minutes of respect to mother earth and all she offers can help cheer up anyone!

Each season has a smell, take a deep breath & center yourself. ~Joe

I try to appreciate a little bit of nature before I get in my car to  go to work. Take a few deep breaths of the morning air. Watch some birds at my feeder. :)~ Ryan

Be in nature every day. ~Tracy

Swimming with my dog in the ocean is something that OVER JOYS me! she gets so excited and I feel invigorated!! ~Hannah

2 – HUG SOMEONE (SOME DOG, SOME CAT, SOME BABY)
How many hugs to you get & give each day? A simple hug can do so much for you. It is rumored that we need four hugs a day for survival - we need eight hugs a day for maintenance - we need twelve hugs a day for growth. Our buds definitely follow this philosophy!

Baby snuggles ~Chad. Hug my son ~Erin. Doggy Suggles ~Maddie. Hug my family and friends, great big random hugs. ~Mandy.  Hug my dogs (or look at their cute little pictures on my desk)~Sarah. Hug my family ~Peggy. Snuggle my kitty Bella. ~Rachel

3 – PRACTICE. SOMETHING!
Take time to grow yourself each day with some sort of practice that helps to make you a better person. Feed your brain with knowledge, your body with exercise, and your soul with spirituality.

I would say yoga for any amount of time I can…even if it’s only 5 minutes! Just grounding myself in the morning before I begin my day helps a lot! ~Jenn
Finding articles and tips online to help me be more efficient at my job so I have more time in my day for me and the ones I love. ~Peggy
Paint every day. ~Rachel

4 – BE CREATIVE.
Take some time to express yourself every day & bring something beautiful from your soul into your world. Our buds are creative with their photography, art, writing, even cooking!

Take photos, doodle -make art! ~Rachel

I go to pinterest and look at how creative people are! It is inspiring. ~Sarah
I love to find a new recipe & cooking it while listening to music. ~Peggy

5- LISTEN TO MUSIC (and dance)
No doubt our buds love their music - listening to a little Bob Marley can make every little thing feel alright and with the Dead there is nothing left to do but Smile, Smile, Smile. Reggae, rock, bluegrass, hip-hop, whatever music speaks to you, it can definitely bring a smile to your face and make even the gloomiest days bright & beautiful.

-Listen by myself or with fiends, dancing to music always makes me joyful! ~Rachel

-Listen to music that makes me remember happy times or special people ~Sarah.

-Lately I've been listening to playlists of christmas music to feel joyful... but music always seems to bring joy so it's no surprise!  ~Leiah

6 – EAT HEALTHY AND YUMMY

Cook yummy food ~Rachel

I always feel good when I eat good food. Fresh, healthy, soul feeding food! Oh, and dark chocolate! That's good for you too right? ~Cindy

Eat yummy, healthy food and drink purified water... I'm so very grateful and joyful ~Raven.

Making something special for dinner ~Leiah

7 – APPRECIATE THE LITTLE THINGS
It’s the little pleasures we can so easily overlook. All of our buds had simple things that would bring a smile to their face and joy to their heart. So take a minute to notice the little things and acknowledge that lots of little but awesome things make a big happy heart.

Here are just a few of the little things that cheer up our buds--

… warm cup of coffee on a cold day, a smile from a friend, a text from my mom, the sounds of nature, a fresh snowfall, watch birds at my bird feeder, a cup of warm tea, a familiar tv show, a piece of chocolate, lighting a candle, incense, essential oils, a clean house, a hug, mala beads, fresh air.

8 – SMILE
Turn that frown upside down. The act of smiling automatically changes your body and your spirit – it makes sense because when you smile, you are happy inside. But did you know that when you smile, you send a message to your brain that you're happy. And when you're happy, your body pumps out all kinds of feel-good endorphins.

Smile! At myself, at people I love, at strangers, and just because. It's so simple, yet it transforms me every time I do it! ~Andria
Be nice to random people that you don’t know (gas station guy, coffee lady, thrift store clerk) smiles are contagious ~Rachel

9 – SLOW DOWN and BREATHE
That “always busy” attitude is everywhere - trying to get to the next thing, check it off the list, finish one thing to move onto the next. Instead, try to spend more time in the moment and know you will get to it eventually. Take a deep breath & slow down!

Taking a deep breath to center myself. ~Joe

Let the Rushers pass you by. When cars are tailgating me on the highway-I switch lanes so that they can pass me. They must be in a hurry to get somewhere and I usually have time. Tailgaters stress me out-so it's a win-win really...~Tracy

10- FIND YOUR FAMILY
Happiness is being with the ones you love. Whether you are related to one another or have created your own family of friends & like minded people, these are the ones you choose to spend time with.

But second to none of course are my children. Nothing else would mean anything without them to share it all with. ~Erin
I just think about my kids and it brings a smile to my face. ~Peggy
My daughter climbs into bed with me about 6:30 every morning whispering excitedly trying not to wake up her baby sister. I can’t think of a better way to wake up ~Chad
Quality time joking with my husband. ~Leiah

There you have it buds, a few simple things you can do to bring Joy to your lives every day. EnJOY!