A Quick And Easy Self-Compassion Exercise To Increase Your Daily Joy Intake

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The Self-Compassion Practice Of Joy

Self-Compassion is commonly understood as a methodology for processing difficult experience, and finding the necessary well-being to live through these moments with greater ease.  Self-Compassion is also a useful strategy for developing and celebrating joy.  And, be honest, you deserve it.  How much time do you spend focusing on suffering?  If you are like most people, then suffering occupies a lot of your time.  To balance out all your focus on suffering, why not take some time briefly to increase your joy? This joy practice will not be alchemy, but if you use it often, it will indeed feel magical. 

Simple Joy Practice Steps

All you need for this joy practice is to think of one good moment in the past couple days or week if necessary.  The more recent the event, the easier the practice will be.  After you have found this moment, describe it in detail.  Notice where you feel the sensations that come with this thought in your body.  Expand this feeling, so that it travels upward, then downward.  Pick a friend or family member with whom to share this good moment, and imagine sharing it.  Then, imagine the two of you celebrating this moment together.  I always picture myself and the other person dancing, but feel free to make it your own.  Voila, the practice of joy complete! 

For bonus results, you can check-in with how you feel at the end of this practice (likely optimistic), and turn these feelings towards the challenges that lie ahead of you (you will likely feel greater confidence and ease).

Compassion And Joy

You can use this practice as often as you want.  Word to the wise, it is important to use traditional self-compassion to process a difficult event before engaging in self-compassion joy practice.  We never want to use something to avoid our experience.  That just makes it worse.  Better to deal with the experience first, and then practice joy.  That way you get the best of both worlds: a kind and compassionate heart, and a heart full of joy.

365 Days Of Self-Compassion.  Day 167.  In The Books.