Micro-dosing Joy (A counterbalance when the world feels like a LOT)

I had a few themes in mind to share about here this week. But lots of my coaching clients have been showing up to sessions already reporting the weathering effects of mentally and emotionally coping with what's going on in our country (here in the US) and the world right now.

They're sharing how it's feeling hard to have “normal” conversations within their communities because so many of even their best-intentioned people are emanating such palpable anxiety. They're struggling to find ways to stay sane – much less continue to thrive – in the current global atmosphere. 

Maybe you can relate.

So it feels like a valuable time to pause and highlight ways we can simplify back to basics with our well-being practices.

One morning recently while scanning morning headlines a heaviness sunk into me. Just the oof of so much going on in the world. 

Then I went to volunteer at garden time with my kindergarten daughter's class. And after 40 minutes of dolloping dots of glue onto strips of paper for 5-year-olds to excitedly affix colorful, velvety flower petals to and seeing little friends run up to each other, rain boots clomping through the mud, to delightedly report “We found a worm that's staying in our fairy garden!!!” I left feeling calm, happy and good about the world again. 

If the world at large is feeling for you, like it is for so many of us these days, like an awful lot, these micro-moments and local ecosystems that nourish joy, delight and connection are more potent than ever. 

Yes, scan out to the big collective picture so you're informed about what's going on in the broader world enough to take useful action to support the greater good where you can. The world absolutely needs those wise, heart-centered actions from each of us individually to support the collective good right now. 

But noticing and intentionally nurturing small moments of joy, awe, wonder, delight and connection in your normal daily life is a profound way of contributing to that collective good.

That positive contribution could look like a warm smile toward the cashier at your local market; gifting yourself a few minutes to sit quietly on your sunny porch to watch the hummingbirds with a cup of coffee (one of my personal favorite joy-boosters); taking a walk through the park with a friend; creating something beautiful; enjoying a delicious meal with someone you feel good being around; seeing spirit-lifting live music; savoring the smell of the cherry blossoms popping up around your neighborhood.

Every micro-action you take to nourish your own well-being right now is a positive contribution to collective well-being. 

Every micro-moment of joy, beauty, awe, wonder, connection or delight you consciously tune into initiates a positive ripple effect.

But given the mind's natural negativity bias, we need to balance out our focus on things that feel scary, negative and overwhelmingly huge with lots and lots (and lots and LOTS) of micro-doses of experiences that feel positive, safe, connective and nourishing. 

One powerful practice to counter-balance that negativity bias is to intentionally savor small, pleasant moments in your day. Any time you notice something that feels pleasant in your normal daily experience, pause and soak the feeling into your body. Let it expand; intentionally amplify it; let it ripple through you as you breathe in sync with the expansion. Stay with the pleasant feeling for 5-20 seconds. Do this a few times a day (or as often as you think to). 

The more we do practices like this the more readily accessible uplifting feeling states become. And the more that's true, the more easily we can regulate our nervous systems when external stressors arise.

And you staying as regulated, centered and grounded as possible right now matters. 

You serving as a model of equanimity and thoughtfulness for those around you who are feeling overwhelmed matters. 

The positive reverberations from you spending a joyful shared moment studying a butterfly with a five-year-old matter. 

So when the world feels like too much, tune into: 

How can I contribute to my community in some small but positive way today?

Go small on purpose. For the sake of the “big”, start small.

Lots of Love,

Melissa

PS - If you’re curious about exploring these themes in a sweetly personalized way, be in touch about 1:1 coaching possibilities.