December: Spark Joy

Hello.

The concept of joy sounds familiar to most of us; it’s an emotion similar to happiness, an explosive and temporary kind of happy. Some of us might be familiar with the viral phrase coined by author Marie Kondo, “Does it spark joy?”

To feel that spark of joy is to feel a sudden burst of energy, to feel that desire to laugh your heart out, to jump out of your chair and shout to the skies. It’s about the small and simple moments that we choose to deny ourselves of as we get older, disparaging enthusiasm and vibrancy for the seemingly childish things that used to bring us joy. 

An inward emotion of oh god, that was a good joke or I can’t believe this pizza’s actually the best I ever had? Or it could’ve been a later realisation that you’d felt joy, the thought of I haven’t laughed this hard in ages or Wait – what was I stressing over again?

Author Ingrid Fetell-Lee encourages us to actively introduce and design joy-inflicting things and actions to our daily lives; she advocates that it builds towards a healthier and happier way that positively influences our well-being. By incorporating joy into our lives, Ingrid greatly believes lives are made better both physically and emotionally. 

So, how do you spark joy?

First, you have to know what sparks joy. If you’re a little lost like we were, here are some of what The Mindful Company team believes bring them joy, 

“The smell of candles sparks joy! Especially festive ones from Yankee Candle – having one lit to have the air around me smell like peppermint candy and evergreen really brings joy when I’m working through a long day.”

“When I look at photographs of a celebrity I really like! They give me strength throughout the day and it’s just a fuzzy feeling when I see their face.”

“I love cute hamsters, oh my god. Having little figurines of them on my desk really makes me smile, even to myself.”

After you’ve found what brings you joy, leave traces of them in your day-to-day routine. Belle keeps her desk lined with cute figurines, Cindy decorates hers with photographs, and Daphne has hers organised down to the number of pens in her stationary holder.

To have to work to bring joy could sound trivial and tedious, but Ingrid believes, “It is far easier to create more moments of joy, and design joy into our lives, than it is to go about thinking about how to make ourselves happier.”

Take a moment to think – when was the last time you truly felt joyful?

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