#47 Start a happiness jar
I saw a post reminding me about the idea of a happiness jar the other day so I have started a new one for 2022. If you haven’t heard of it, it is a jar to collect your notes of gratitude or positive thoughts. It’s a great way for us to focus on good things to boost our mood and to collect happy memories and thoughts throughout the year. When you spend time at the end of the year reading through all of the notes – it can make you realise that what seemed to be a shitty year actually brought joy.
You can make up your own rules for your own happiness jar:
· There are no constraints about how YOU define happy - it could be big or small:
witnessing a beautiful full rainbow
someone saying something kind
getting through items on your to do list at work
achieving a goal
hearing something funny
quality time with your pet
having a good hair day (rare for me so worth noting!)
acknowledging what you are grateful for (see previous blog Be grateful)
· The notes don’t have to be long or short – sometimes just a few words can conjure up an exact memory and some need sentences or paragraphs (interestingly the language and phrases you use can also act as a reminder of how you were feeling)
· It doesn’t have to be a jar that you collect them in but I quite like being able to see the number of notes building up and I also like to use different coloured post-it notes so it looks pretty ;0)
· It’s up to you how often you add them – maybe some weeks there are more than others
There is never a better time than right now to start a happiness jar.
January is traditionally a challenging month as we adjust back to our routine and the distractions of the fun and indulgence of Christmas start to become a faded memory. The news continues to be a bit gloomy as the impact of Covid drags on and on and on.
But we don’t want to dwell on that do we? We want to start the year with positivity eager to embrace what this year will bring and to appreciate the sprinkles of loveliness in day-to-day life. Having an intention to look out for the things that make you happy is much more productive than setting unachievable resolutions.
The blog photo is of my happiness jar next to my happy lamp! It already has a few notes for 2022 and I am very much looking forward to it overflowing.
I am also going to start a virtual happiness jar to share highlights of positive events or observations at the end of each week with work colleagues. It’s the best way to start the weekend reflecting on the positives – one thing I am grateful for is that I know already that there are so many potential jar entries, it will be hard to limit them!
