“When you do things from your soul, you feel a river moving in you, a joy.” Rumi

Have you ever had ‘one of those days’ when you just don’t feel yourself? Then you may be in need of a little more joy in your world.

If ever I have one of those days, I quickly remind myself that, ‘I am the source of unlimited joy and happiness.’ It instantly connects me to the fact that joy is already within us, not outside of us. Joy is our true nature – it’s what our souls are made of.

In her book, Desire Map, which talks about connecting with our innermost joy and desires, Danielle La Porte writes, “Joy is the clearest indicator of deep wellness. It’s the result of our core vitality and resilience.”

So how can we open ourselves much wider to joy and experience it on a more frequent basis?

Here are my 6 easy ways to trigger more joy in your life right now:

Be grateful and know why

 What are you grateful for in your life right now? How does it specifically benefit you and enhance your happiness? Examine your reasons. These will connect you more deeply to what you value most in your life, so you can focus more on it. After all, we get more of what we focus on and sometimes just a small shift of focus is all we need to return to a more joyful state.

In Stephen Pressfield’s words, “Put you’re a** where your heart wants to be”

Ask yourself, “If I had a magic wand and could do anything I wanted, what would I do? How would I want to spend that time and with who?” The truth is you are not going to find joy in a career you don’t enjoy, in a relationship with someone you don’t love or in a state of mind that keeps telling you, “I can’t.” Take action and use your heart as your guide.

Trust that the universe has the best intention for you

When you begin to trust that all is well, that you are safe and that the universe has only the highest intention for you – you’ll not only feel happier and more relaxed, you’ll start to notice small miracles occurring in your daily life. The more you trust in life, the more connected you feel and the higher your energy will be to make your dreams happen. Remind yourself that the universe has your back.

Step out of your mind and engage fully in your present

When we get caught up in the mindless chatter of our own minds, we can get stuck in our heads and wind ourselves up into unhelpful states. When this happens, we become disconnected with our natural joyful state. A helpful way to return to this state is to clear our minds with some mindful deep breathing, Yoga or a physical activity to take us out of our minds and back into our bodies where we can engage with our senses and experience more joy in the simple pleasures of life.

Pour your heart and soul into everything you do

When you show up enthusiastic, alive and ready, you will find that anything is possible. By choosing to live like this, you expand yourself and naturally evolve into the best version of yourself. When you live and love freely, with desire and passion and are open to try new things, you discover new sides to yourself, connect with life and others in new and exciting ways and live with no regrets. Now that’s joyful living!

Express Yourself

Remember Madonna’s hit, Express Yourself? (I love that song!) Self-expression is key to our inner joy. When you authentically express yourself, you unlock your energy of expression and creativity. We may feel vulnerable and reluctant at times, to share parts of ourselves so openly but when we hold ourselves back we limit our potential. Does Madonna hold herself back? Not at all! Where would that have got her? Expressing ourselves is a natural release, an integral part of maintaining a balanced and flowing life and how we share our gifts and talents with life.

If you enjoyed reading this, or found any of these tips helpful or insightful please like this article. Or let me know what are your preferred ways to trigger more joy in your life?

I’d love hear what they are. Please share your thoughts with me and other readers either below or on Facebook.