7. Staying Healthy - Making Space for Joy

Making Space for Joy: Simple Self-Care Tools

"Self-care is never a selfish act - it is simply good stewardship of the only gift I have, the gift I was put on earth to offer...We do it not only for ourselves, but for the many others whose lives we touch." -Parker Palmer

Recovery is work, but that doesn't mean it can't be fun. Follow these steps to give yourself some love and add a little fun into your life. Laughter is good medicine

Spend some time outside
Nature is a joyful place to be. "Spending time outdoors, especially in green spaces, is one of the fastest ways to improve your health and happiness," says Time Magazine health writer Jaime Ducharme. Go for a walk on a hiking trail or around your neighborhood, climb a tree, lay down in the grass, or just sit on your front step and soak up the sunshine. Most of us have a park or green space not too far away from our homes. Make the most of it.

Be thankful
Practicing gratitude is vital to making room for joy in your life. "Gratitude helps people feel more positive emotions, relish good experiences, improve their health, deal with adversity, and build strong relationships," write the experts at Harvard Health Medical School. Ways to be grateful include: journaling, counting your blessings, prayers of thanks, writing thank-you notes to others, or just making a mental note of things you are thankful for. There just might be more than you think!

Check-in with yourself
Taking care of yourself is much easier if you listen to what you need. Try to stop what you're doing at least once a day to notice if you're hungry or thirsty and what emotions you might be feeling. Mentally scan over your body for areas of tightness or pain. Twice a day, I ask myself: "What's wrong, what's right or good or bad or unsettling or uncomfortable?" author and family substance abuse counselor Carole Benett writes in Psychology Today.

Cut back on social media
Scrolling through your feed isn't just a time sink, it can make you less happy. "Exposure to the carefully curated images from others' lives leads to negative self-comparison, and the sheer quantity of social media interaction may detract from more meaningful real-life experiences," say researchers Holly B. Shakya and Nicholas A. Christakis in the Harvard Business Review. To keep social media from siphoning off your joy, try downloading an app that measures screen time and setting a goal to cut back. Connect with friends and family in person whenever you can – there's no substitute for face-to-face interactions.

Write in a Journal
Write about whatever is happening in your life, and then come back to it later for a mood boost. "Researchers from Harvard University Business School found that writing down small, insignificant facts – even some that seem boring – about your life at a given moment can have a powerful impact later," writes psychotherapist F. Diane Barth. Plus, a journal is a great place to practice gratitude.

Snuggle with someone you love
Cuddles aren't just for kids. Cozy up with a partner, a family member, friends, or even a pet. "Cuddling releases oxytocin, a feel-good hormone, that also helps with reducing stress," marriage and family therapist Lynsie Seely told HuffPost. Furry bundles of joy make great stress relievers. If you don't have a pet of your own, you can volunteer to pet kitties or puppies at a local humane society to get snuggles and do a good deed.

Shift your mental gears when work or school is done
Another big step towards happiness is learning to set down the stress of work or school during your break times. It might help to create a transition routine such as changing out of your work clothes, or going for a walk after homework is done. Dr. Jon Betlinski, a psychiatrist at Oregon Health & Science University and one of our authors, suggests spending the drive home focusing your mind on positive memories and getting ready for your new goals. Some questions you might ask yourself to get in a positive mindset include: What did I do well today? What did I learn that I can use in the future? And what was the best part of my day? Then, once you're feeling positive and relaxed, get ready for the at-home portion of your day by asking: Who Am I going to be when I get home? A parent? A brother or sister? A friend? And how am I going to be the best version of that role when I arrive?