Joy List

Sometimes I forget to take care of myself. I get so concerned about whether or not other people are happy that I easily forget to check on me. When I realize that I’m run down and stressed out I am so far beyond where I should be. I feel twinges of guilt as I try to rein in it and take care of myself because that time could be spent helping someone else. My friend told me, “Mikayla it’s not selfish, it’s self care. You can’t take care of other people when your batteries are drained. You need to recharge your batteries!”

I recharge my batteries by doing the things that make my heart beat happy. This is part of my Joy List, a list of things that bring me joy. When I’m feeling down and I need an infusion of joy I look at this list and pick one thing that I can do in that moment to give myself a boost. If I made a list of absolutely everything that brings me joy, there would never be a moment when I couldn’t stop what I was doing and do one of the things on my list.

My Joy List

Snuggling with my dog in the morning
Thinking about The Bus
Watching the sunrise
Painting
Whistling the introduction to Disney’s animated Robin Hood
Skiing
Kayaking
Playing with my niece and nephew (soon to be plural: nephews!)
Gardening
Random Acts of Kindness
A hot cup of tea and a good book on a rainy day
Hiking
Flatbreads on Thursdays with people I love
Watching funny cat videos 
Dancing
Heart Hugs <3
Driving by myself with the music turned way up and singing dramatically
Goats
Looking at funny pictures (like this one!)

What will you do today to recharge? What makes your heart beat happy?