By Stephenie Craig
When do you last remember experiencing such fun and glee that your face hurt from smiling and your body was overwhelmed with joy? Remember being a kid pushed super high on the swing, or getting a delicious, cold popsicle from the ice cream truck, or riding a bike fast with the wind in your face? Little children who have not yet been taught to be measured and self-conscious say, “Weeeeeeee!” when they have deeply joyful experiences. “Weeeeeeee!” is another way to say “I love life,” “This is amazing,” “I was made to live in this moment.”
Somewhere along the way of growing up and adulthood, you can begin to lose both the pursuit and the childlike fascination with joy. You can lose the “Weeeeeee!” in life and days can run into weeks, tending to responsibilities and forgetting that life was also made for joy, regardless of your age. Loss of joy and over-focusing on the hard, uncomfortable experiences in life can leave you feeling emotionally numb, depressed, exhausted, lacking purpose, and generally grumpy. Adult life is best lived in a state of balance between taking care of business and consistent, intentional pursuit of “Weeeeee!” moments.
You might view joy as an extra, something unnecessary, a low priority in life. However, it’s hard to stay motivated and emotionally checked in if life is primarily full of bills, stress, obligations, annoying people, exhausting experiences, and unengaging tasks. Your body was designed to also experience a sense of passion, fun, purpose, creativity, light-heartedness, laughter, connection and feeling lit up from the inside out.
So, you know you need more joy and “Weeeeee!” moments in life, but how can you make it happen?
6 Ways to Chase the “Weeeeeee!” Moments
- Remember and learn from earlier versions of yourself. Think about what used to spark joy and light you up as a kid. Maybe it was singing, dancing, art, reading, bike riding, rides at the fair, catching bugs, fishing, running fast, splashing, rolling in the grass, playing with your pet, building. Remember times of laughing, silliness, and being unself-conscious, and notice what you were doing at the time.
- Notice your bodily sensations. Think about where you felt the joy and the “Weeeeeeee!” in your body in childhood. Maybe your face hurt from laughing, your chest felt warm and full, your limbs felt light and floaty, you felt energetic.
- Connect the past with the present. Try noticing when your body feels the joy sensations now. Maybe being in the ocean, riding in a boat, riding your bike, seeing dolphins, being in nature, creative pursuits or some other current experience gives you a “Weeeeee!” feeling if you pay closer attention.
- Return to past experiences of joy. Try bringing childhood joyful activities into your adult life. Write a story, pick up painting, make a fun cake, read a book you have loved, make a handmade card, roll down a hill with your kids, catch a big fish, watch the squirrels, build Lego, tie-dye a shirt, ride a roller coaster.
- Track your joy. Try keeping a list in your phone notes of “Weeeeeee!” activities. Then try planning intentional time in your calendar each week for those activities. Start with once a week for 15-30 minutes and work your way up to more amounts of time that work into your life.
- Reflect. Over time, reflect on how life feels different as you look for and intentionally incorporate more “Weeeeeeee!” moments into your life. Use reminders in your phone and on post-it notes for a few months to keep you on track with your practice of joy until it becomes a habit.
If you are a person who experienced a difficult childhood, it may be hard to find historical times of joy to guide you. That’s okay. You aren’t alone. You can start noticing now what makes you want to say, “Weeeeeee!” and intentionally pursue those activities while you cultivate a practice of joy for the first time. Have fun as you chase the “Weeeeee!” in your day-to-day life. Connect with us along your journey for coaching and counseling at Journeybravely.com.
