During this uncertain time we’re living in I see a lot of people becoming increasingly depressed and, unfortunately, I’ve seen more stories of people committing suicide than normal. Sometimes having to stay home is a great thing but other times it’s the exact opposite.

The truth is we all have different feelings about what’s going on in our lives and that’s ok. If you’re having negative thoughts about being “stuck” at home that’s ok but the most important thing to remember is that you can’t live in those feelings. I recently attended a virtual event and one of the speakers talked about having negative thoughts. She gave us a great tool to use. When you’re thinking about something negative that’s going on within you or around you the first step to moving on is to recognize the thought, then tell yourself that the thought is not serving you, and finally replace it with a positive thought. This has become a tool I use almost everyday and it works. I would never suggest suppressing your feelings but I will say that living in your negative thoughts is unhealthy.

Unfortunately, right now is a time most people are having to fight to find joy. It’s not an easy thing to do but each of us, myself included, have to do this in order to stay in a healthy state of mind. I am currently enrolled in a 90 day challenge by The Hollis Company (you can sign up here and it’s 100% free https://thehollisco.com/pages/next90 ) where each week they teach on something different. Week 2 was joy week and there were some amazing things I learned that week! One of the things I learned had to do with finding joy in all this chaos. Rachel Hollis challenged us to write a list and today I am extending that challenge to you. Your “joy list” needs to be AT LEAST 15 items (but it can be as long as you want) and it’s exactly what it sounds like, a list of things that bring you joy. Make sure there are things on your list you can do during this time in life. Here’s a few things on my list to see as an example:

• A warm cup of coffee while looking outside
• Snuggles with our daughter
• Going to the beach
• Taking a nap
• Reading a book/blog

I strongly suggest putting this list on your phone and/or a place you see a lot during the day (refrigerator door or bathroom mirror for instance). It’s important to have it close so when you need a moment of joy you can pick one quickly. Another list you can make is a “joyful memory list”, which is a list of great moments (big and small) that make you happy when you look back on them.

Maybe you’re the type of person who just needs an immediate action to put yourself into a better head space. Something quick that doesn’t require making a list. Here’s a short list of immediate actions that I’ve found work really well for getting more joyful:

• Sing! Pick a fun song and sing it loudly. Even if it’s off key or off tempo, you just do you.
• Smile. Did you know it takes less muscles to smile than it does to frown? A simple smile can lift your mood higher than you think.
• Call your happy buddy. You know, that person who always finds the silver lining. If you don’t have a person like that in your life I strongly suggest you get one.
• Ladies, go do your hair and make up. When you feel cute it’s really hard to stay upset. If I do this it usually leads to taking pictures or FaceTiming my husband haha!
• Dance party! Put some music on high volume and dance! Jump around, head bang, salsa, any way you want to dance just dance. It’s pretty much impossible to be upset while you’re dancing like a crazy person.

I hope something here helps you fight for joy when the negative is starting to creep in. If you have any other suggestions for fighting for joy leave a comment and let us know what you do!