Joy Challenge #1

Welcome to our Joy Challenge! This 4 week series is designed to be a back to basics programs featuring simple and quick but effective positivity tools. Give each one a try for the week and see if it works for you! Our hope is that by the end of the challenge you’ll have found at least 1-2 tools that are effective for you and that you can draw on during challenging times.

We know life can get busy and sometimes it’s easier to just push through tough situations rather than deal with them, but we’ve found that the “thing” never really goes away, it just keeps manifesting itself in different ways. Taking the time to care for yourself by nurturing your joy and positive mindset isn’t just a frivolous pursuit, it’s an act of self care. We hope this challenge shows you how easy that can be!

Challenge #1 – Gratitude 

Have you ever heard the saying, the more grateful you are the more you have to be grateful for? It’s not just a cliche saying, it really works!

Focusing on gratitude is a great way to train your brain to look for the good, rather than to be focusing on the bad all the time. When you take a mindful approach to taking inventory of all that you have to be thankful for, over time, your brain will naturally start to see those opportunities around you without you having to think about it so much. Also, thinking about good things and positive things facilitates the production of dopamine in your body, which helps you feel happier! 

Several studies have shown that gratitude reduces stress and can also play a major role in overcoming trauma. A 2006 study published in Behavior Research and Therapy found that Vietnam War veterans with higher levels of gratitude experienced lower rates of PTSD! How cool is that?

Try it for yourself:

Every morning write down three things you’re grateful for in general in your life.
Every night write down three things you’re grateful for specifically about that day.

Try to make them different every day. It’s okay if it’s small things! Studies have actually shown that the more detailed and specific you are the better! For example, I’m healthy is general vs. My body allows me to walk to work is specific. 

Adapt during challenging times:

During challenging times, use your gratitude practice to finds things to be grateful for specifically about the challenging situation itself. 

We hope you enjoy this week’s challenge! I’d love it if you responded to let me know how it goes for you!

xoxo, Lena & Bassam