Joy & Play

Joy, play, pleasure, humor - what use are they in the midst of crisis? Life continues to happen even amid distress, crisis and physical lockdowns. While it's easy to identify our problems, learning how to keep things light allows us to experience our inner world, face adventures and focus on our energy. By using your mind and imagination we have the freedom and power to live and see things in whichever way you choose.

Joy and play are survival tools that can reenergize your resilience, keep you young and energized whilst allowing your mind to recover from life’s difficulties. These states allow your mind and body to disconnect from the fear of the unknown and naturally bring your mind to think, organize and plan. Sometimes individuals rely too strongly on grit and tenacity to get us through difficult moments and forget to make space for these positive emotions that boost overall happiness. Joy is the balance of pleasure, productivity and passion that provides something new to look forward to. Play can be considered purposeless, pleasurable and fun.

Shifting your perspective away from “things have been taking away from us” to you have everything you need if you sit down imagine and create it. Lift the veil off the fear and jump into joy, play, humor and pleasure. Close your eyes and transport yourself on a walk at your favorite beach, hiking, swimming, laughing and dancing all surrounded by your favorite people or having a magical experience with yourself. Forget how small or silly it may seem or feel and allow yourself to dive deep into imagination and curiosity. Think about what you did as a child that brought you joy and excitement. Release yourself from confinement and release your imagination- allow for laugher, giggles, tickles, games, goofing around, taking pictures and being spontaneous.

The severity of this crisis should not be ignored or disregarded but we don’t have to let it destroy your joy.