How to get joy back into your life

My goals seem to be miles away.

AND time is ticking!

I have my head not in the clouds, but in the future constantly thinking about how badly I want to be and get there.

That’s how I felt years ago when feeling suddenly stuck in my career, and unhappy. It was DRAINING.

As a career coach when supporting people in navigating a career transition, I often get similar experiences and emotions. Suddenly the list of tasks feels endless. And often clients no longer know where to start when looking at this list, feeling overwhelmed, lost and tired.

This often leads to no longer being in the present, and suddenly the question comes up: HOW DO I GET JOY BACK INTO MY LIFE? There seems to be no longer joy and playfulness in my life!

Because hey, life is a game!

For me, the best definition of playfulness and joy is my 8-year-old son, Maxime. He is running, jumping, swimming, and playing every day. Full of energy and ready to go without thinking much about what tomorrow will bring or about the past.

So, how do you find your inner child within you and create playfulness and joy in your life when sometimes you feel that the only thing you want is to get out of your current rabbit hole?

And why is it important?

Benefits of being joyful

Some of the benefits of being joyful are:

Health professionals around the world over the last years have found that joyfulness is beneficial for your health:

• It reduces stress, and therefore helps to reduce your blood pressure and sugar levels.
• It strengthens your immune system.
• It supports positive thinking and therefore supports your mental health.

Professionals and leaders I have spoken to often find that joyfulness:

• Helps them to stay motivated and energised, even more, when facing challenges at work or setting up their own start-up.
• It helps them to clear their mind and to FOCUS.
• In summary, it helps them to be more productive.

How to be joyful and playful

Some actions you can take to help you to be joyful and playful in the present:

• Make time for fun: Throw out the thoughts that tell you that there is no longer room for hobbies. Make sure you take the time for things that are enjoyable to you. For some, that might be reading their favourite book, or listening to music, and for others being out in nature.
• Take care of yourself: Make sure you look after yourself; don’t neglect your health. Move away from overworking and sleep deprivation. Make sure you get enough rest, sleep, eat healthily and exercise regularly.
• Be grateful: Think about what in your current life is great. It can be small things, such as enjoying cycling to work every morning. And acknowledge those things day by day. One thing that can help you is to write them down, or to do journaling.
• Be realistic about your timelines: A good question to ask yourself is: Why is time ticking? What has to happen straight away and why? What will and can take more time to build.
• Take baby steps: Break down your goal into little weekly or daily actions (=baby steps).
• Be self-aware: Acknowledge negative emotions and thoughts, and make sure you find relief by talking about them with someone you trust.
• Celebrate the small wins: Make sure you take some time to congratulate yourself for small achievements.
• Surround yourself with positive people, people that are supportive and caring.
• Give back: Helping others can be incredibly rewarding and often inspirational, helping you to move forward in your life.