Joy Exercise 9: Connect, Active , Notice, Learn, Give

I like this, thanks Jennifer for letting me know about it.

Research by The Foresight Project outlines five ways you can support your own wellbeing and that of the world around you, including your family, friends, colleagues and the wider community.

• CONNECT Develop your relationships with friends, family, colleagues, and neighbours as these connections support you and enrich your life.
• BE ACTIVE Physical activity helps you to feel good so find something that you enjoy and suits your ability.
• TAKE NOTICE Be aware of the world around you and see the beauty in everyday and unusual things - reflecting on them helps you appreciate what matters to you.
• LEARN Try something new or rediscover an old interest, or take on a new responsibility or challenge - learning makes you more confident and can be fun.
• GIVE Do something for a friend or stranger and see yourself and your happiness as linked to the wider community.

Joy Exercise 8: Think 5

My goal is to come up with 365 simple practical exercises anybody can do to increase the level of joy in their life.

Happy people are thoughtful and other focused people. Now the reality is most of the time we are focused on ourselves, our feelings, our needs, our wants. If you don't believe me take notice of your thoughts throughout the day, how often is it self-focused?

Make a habit of once a day, maybe as part of your daily walk/exercise/work commute, to bring to mind 5 different people and think a positive thought about them and/or pray for them.

It might go like this: 'Thank you for Sally because ...' or 'Dear God, I pray for Bob, I ask that you help him with ...'

Joy Exercise 7: The $5 exercise

My goal is to come up with 365 simple practical exercises anybody can do to increase the level of joy in their life.

Decide that you're going to give away x dollars per week. Then as part of that make it a habit to collect some $5 notes in your wallet, then whenever anyone asks you for some change give then the $5. It's easy to give away what you've already decided to give away, and you'll feel better for having done it.

Even better, if a street person asks you for change for food, take them into the nearest fast-food place and buy them a generous meal, the time it takes is as important as the money it costs because you're valuing them as a person and you're be more confident the money has been used well.

Joy Exercise 6: Community

My goal is to come up with 365 simple practical exercises anybody can do to increase the level of joy in their life.

Whether you are an introvert or an extrovert, I am contrary to most peoples opinion actually on the introvert side, we all need to feel like we are part of a community.
Evidence suggests that in Australia most people are happiest in groupings of up to around 7 people, that is in a group of around 7 we get the right mixture of attention and privacy.

So join a club, church, community group of some kind where on a weekly basis you get to hang out in a groups of about 3-9 people. To be honest, a church with good small group opportunites is one of the best places to find the kind of people who will accept, love and encourage you for who you are.

Joy Exercise 5: Know thyself

My goal is to come up with 365 simple practical exercises anybody can do to increase the level of joy in their life.

Self understanding can be a great way of increasing the joy in your life by discovering who you were made to be. The reality is that there are some things we can change about ourselves, and there are some things we need to accept and work with.

I've found the following useful to discovering more about who I am and how I operate, and am learning to design my life in such a way as to maximise the time I'm able to be who I've been made to be versus having to operate in ways that are contrary to my 'natural' way of working.

• Myers-Brigg: Some people love this, not really my thing, but if you get the opportunity to do a Myers-Briggs assessment it should give you some self-understanding and help you understand why other people operate the way they do.
• Strenths Finder (strengthsfinder.com): I reckon this is one of the best self understanding concepts out there, well worth buying the book and doing the assessement.
• Kolbe A (kolbe.com): This is my absolute favourite, I reckon its simple but very powerful, has really changed the way I understand myself and how I do things.
• DISC: Not really my thing but some people find it helpful