Jot Some Joy
Lately I find myself thinking a lot about Lucy from the Peanuts cartoon, “Stop the world! I want to get off!”
We need to keep on reminding ourselves, that times are different. They are complicated. And despite all the strengths we are bringing to stay positive and keep going, this pandemic is just dragging. It is OK to feel off. It is OK that you are struggling. It is OK that moment to moment you are riding a wave of emotions. Just keep on reminding yourself, I am doing this. I can keep going.
Early on in the pandemic I had the honor to teach about 45 students. While I was leading classes to bring self-care at this time through journal writing, I feel like I’m the one that learned the most. I learned so much about self-care in this moment from them.
Free practice session – try the Joy Jot for yourself.
Download a free copy to try in your own journal!
Our big takeaways included:
- Work at staying present. Take things one step at a time.
- Keep self-care extra simple. It’s OK if you need different tools right now.
To that end, I’m sharing one of the tools I created for myself to help me do those two things — be present and keep it simple. I call it the ‘Joy Jot’.
During the pandemic I found that journal writing, my go-to routine for self-care since I was a teenager, just wasn’t working. I wasn’t writing at all. Still, I knew I needed at least a little writing as an outlet. So in July I started doing a daily ‘jot of joy’. Even a Gratitude Journal (cousin to the Joy Jot) felt too complicated to me right now.
By simply focusing on joy each day I have reminded myself that a bit of joy happens even on the worst joy, it’s important to look for it, and even the tiniest moment of joy can be celebrated and appreciated.
I hope you enjoy the free download and find a way to add a Joy Jot to your daily routine.
‘Joy Jot’ in the news!
Thanks to Leah Hope from ABC 7 news in Chicago for including a conversation about joy in this holiday season. Learn more about holiday self-care and view her segment online.
Joy Jot and Other Tools
The ‘Joy Jot’ is featured in a very sweet and simple journal writing workshop I’m offering right now, specifically related to this pandemic experience. Learn more on the Workshops page (online session; or contact me to book a private session for you and a few friends).
Or, if you prefer to sample first, try a free technique, or let’s schedule a no obligation phone call to chat about how I can support your own change journey.
