Don’t Postpone Joy

by Shawn Jacqueline Bohen

(Reading time: Less than 3 minutes)

For the past 30 years, I’ve had two (now faded) yellow sticky notes taped to my computer screen.

One says, “Don’t confuse activity with accomplishment.” (The subject for a future newsletter.)

The other says, “Don’t postpone joy.”

Time Is Short. Life is Fragile.

We’ve been socialized to fret about the past and obsess about the future. So we struggle to be in the present – to be tuned into whatever we are actually experiencing in the moment.

During the pandemic, time has been both suspended andextended.

Both of these have made it easier for me to connect to the here and now and focus on the importance of remaining present to the little things that bring me joy: my aching dirty fingers from time spent nurturing the garden; my pup Winnie’s smile as she bounds through the yard.

We have all postponed and lost a lot over the past two years: weddings, memorial services, birthdays, family gatherings, and more. 

Most people I know are struggling. Many are “down,” discouraged, low in energy, and wrestling with new layers of mental health concerns exacerbated by the relentlessness of the pandemic.

That’s why I’m a stand for joy! Not “someday” off in the future, either. Today… proactively and on purpose.

When Was the Last Time You Skipped?

I asked a client last week: “What is one thing you are going to do today to experience joy?”

She was quiet, so I made a suggestion: “I want you to skip.Like when you were little and you did it all the time, for no particular reason.”

Frolicking makes us smile. It makes us joyful. It reminds us what it means to live “below the neck.”

One of my favorite joy-enhancing techniques is the “two-minute dance break.” Turn off your Zoom camera, close the door, turn up the music, and just dance. You’ll be amazed at how quickly you arrive at a totally different place!

Physical activity flips a switch in our emotional selves. You don’t have to wait to be happy in order to skip… you can skip to become a little happier.

Lead With Joy in the Workplace

Today, those who are fortunate to have work are working really hard.

And while Zoom may have lessened the need to commute (and, okay, the need to get fully dressed), it’s also removed many of the daily human connections that we once took for granted: chatting in the hallway on the way to a meeting; shaking hands with a new client; sharing a laugh over coffee.

As a leader, you have the opportunity to help those you work with be more connected to each other and themselves every day.

Listening attentively to others, bringing fun to meetings and group activities, creating a virtual work culture in which it’s okay to bring your authentic self.

All of these things contribute to a more healthy, productive, JOYFUL environment. One that reminds us that life is short, precious, and sweet.

Because if not now, when?