5 Minute Clinic: The #1 Way to Experience More Joy RIGHT NOW

In this episode, I’m sharing my favorite strategy to experience more joy, right away! This is not clickbait. I’ve been using this strategy for a while and I can definitively say that it works! All it takes is a few simple materials and a little bit of intention.

At the start of the new year, I decided that I wanted to create an intention to personally connect with more people. I feel like we see people on social media, and we comment or DM, but we rarely take the time to really let someone know how much we care about them beyond what’s convenient.

While I was at Walmart a few months ago, I stumbled into some really cute miniature cards that were about half the size of the traditional 3 x 5 index cards. At that point, I had actually been thinking about the lost art of letter writing and while I knew I wouldn’t be able to commit to that long term, I thought: How can I create more joy for myself and others by intentionally connecting with folks beyond convenience? With these miniature cards in hand, it struck me and I decided that I would begin writing personalized notes to people in my office when they display kindness, are helpful, or just to brighten their day.

I took the packet of cards to work and placed them on my desk so that when someone did something that stood out to me, I could write a kind note right away. What I’ve found is that I am more joyful immediately just from writing the note. Knowing that I’m doing something with the intention to make someone else smile makes me happy too! In every note, I make sure to use the person’s name and to specifically reference the character trait or action that I wanted to celebrate. Then, I give a personal reference about how that trait enriches our office or somehow makes my day better. Once I give the note to the person I’ve written it for, there’s another wave of joy that washes over me once they’ve read it and expressed their gratitude. While I’m not in it for recognition, it makes me feel so fulfilled when someone feels seen, valued and intentionally celebrated. It really is a small kindness with a big payoff.

So, if you want to experience more joy right now, here’s what you can do:

1. Gather your resources. You don’t need miniature cards or anything fancy. You can use index cards or Post-it notes if you want. It just needs to be something small enough that you can carry around with you in a pocket, wallet, or purse. Whatever medium you choose, it should be something that is easy to carry and use. Accessibility is key to your ability and follow through with this strategy.

2. Think about how you can intentionally celebrate and connect with people in your local sphere whether, it’s your office, a social group, or a place of worship.

3. Set a goal. I decided on 2-4 cards per month for colleagues in my office. I also decided that I’d try the same strategy but with less frequency for my social circle here on Instagram. When I see that someone could use encouragement or deserves to be celebrated, I write a personalized card that I send in the mail to let them know! The premise here is the same…I’m adding sunshine to someone else’s life and opening myself up to the possibility of inviting sunshine into my life as well.

My goal for you has always ultimately been the pursuit of more joy because I believe we all deserve to live lives that we’re in love with, and that starts with dedicating our time to more of what matters most, and for me, it’s filling my time with more of what brings joy.

I hope this episode motivates you to pursue joy more passionately and seek more intentional connections with the community around you. I promise you won’t regret it.

Until next time, be kind.

If you are enjoying the podcast, please do me a HUGE favor and rate, share, and subscribe to this podcast. My hope is that the experiences and gems shared on this show will inspire teachers to become better versions of themselves as they redefine what it means to teach well and prioritize themselves.