Three easy habits to make you more joyful and resilient
Pre-pandemic, pre-lots of things, I surveyed my blog readers about topics on which they would like me to write. One that I’ve never forgotten and still weighs on my soul is this: “learning how to love my actual life.”
Today, even with zippier phones giving us access to a universe of information, resources, and stuff, many Christ-following women in creative leadership feel constantly submerged in dark, murky water under a sheet of ice. We are swimming as best as we can for our families and callings, but we cannot find an opening in the thick layer above to come up for a breath.
Finding an abiding sense of joy, let alone peace, can feel like a rather oppressive task that never gets checked off the list!
It doesn’t have to be this way.
Three easy habits
I want to share three simple habits I’ve adopted over the past decade that have made it possible to love my real life. These are not cures or catch-alls. Even when I’ve struggled with mental or physical health, major stress, or a crisis, these habits have helped me return to practicing joy and resilience. Think of these as breathing air holes that quickly cut through the thick layer of ice above your head.
Even when I’ve struggled with mental or physical health, major stress, or a crisis, these habits have helped me return to practicing joy and resilience.
Think of these as breathing air holes that quickly cut through the thick layer of ice above your head.
Pray affirmation statements. Many of us pray. Some of us may use affirmations too. Have you ever tried squashing them together? Try praying Julian of Norwich’s words (in italics), “God, help me believe All shall be well and all shall be well, and all manner of things shall be well.” I also love the surrender prayer (italics) with this twist, “God, I surrender everyone and everything to you. You’ve got me.” Repeat as many times as needed.
Write down five small delightful things you can do today for delight’s sake. Then set a timer for 5 or 10 minutes and go that thing. Thanks to Julia Cameron and The Artist’s Way books, I find myself writing down joy tasks almost weekly. Simply by writing something down, I’m also more likely to do it!
Quit something non-essential regularly and often. I need more whitespace than for which I budget. But I’m also a recovering overachiever. So I’m learning to look at my calendar and ask, “is this essential?” Another helpful question can be, “Whom will I disappoint if I step back from this?”
Practice habits imperfectly
These may seem small, silly, or even uncomfortable. But I can do these fairly quickly and easily, and I do, almost weekly (notice I didn’t say daily). Habits can start small and do not have to be checked off every day.
Like prayer and listening, joy and resilience are spiritual practices that we can try in a myriad of ways. Did I mention, we may not even do them right the first couple of times?
Most of us cannot stop everything to recraft our lives to be less overwhelming. But we can try something small and quick that allows us to fill up with a brief reprieve of fresh air. That’s what these habits can do.
Guess what? We are actually human beings, not human doings. We are also creatures who need oxygen, physically and figuratively. Even seals and penguins, both well-adapted to swim under the ice, have to come up for air!
We learn to love our actual lives by cutting through the ice holding us down and acknowledging we are human. Try it, and you might just feel yourself breathing like you were made to.
Looking for a place to craft a sustainable creative rhythm? The Creative and Free Collective community membership is for women in creative leadership who want to live their lives with more courage, creativity, and compassion.
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