We live in unsettling times. Maybe people always have. Perhaps they always will.

In recent years, we’ve seen an economic crash, devastating school shootings, horrifying bombings in public spaces, and so much more.

Many people in their 60s and beyond have had their retirement dreams shattered and struggle now to find desperately needed jobs.

All that in addition to the usual challenges and losses that come with aging!

It’s no wonder many of us are feeling uncertain, afraid, confused, stressed, overwhelmed, or depressed.

Sometimes it does seem as though the sky is falling, Chicken Little!

In this midst of all this, it wouldn’t be surprising if you are focusing more and more on the negative stuff, which unfortunately generates more negativity and leads to additional fear, stress, and overwhelm.

Plus when you become so frightened about the future, it’s natural to either freeze and not take action at all or to panic and take foolish action.

So how can you stop this downward spiral?

Choose joy!

“Choose joy?” you may be sputtering, “How the heck can I choose joy with all the awful stuff that’s going on?”

Well, the stock market goes up and it goes down. Some people do very bad things. The seasons of life include winter as well as spring.

And life is still sweet. Being alive is still a gift and a miracle.    Plus, as a Chinese proverb states, “One joy scatters a hundred griefs.”

In the midst of these trying times, isn’t it all the more important to choose joy?

An article in the Seattle Times put it this way, “One hour of joy can erase many hours of stress.”

Yes, it would be nice if the world behaved just as we wanted it to. And it would be lovely not to have stress at all.

But if the world isn’t behaving as you’d like — and when does it? — and if you do have stress — and who doesn’t? — joy is an amazing antidote.

Joy lifts you up in the moment and its effects linger.

I had a reminder of this a while ago when I spent an evening playing, laughing, and cuddling with my great-nephew, Lucas. At the time he was about 20 months old and completely adorable. I love toddlers so this was a dose of pure joy for me.

Days later just thinking of this time with Lucas made me smile. Those few hours of joy provided great medicine for my heart, spirit, and immune system.

In Your Life

If you’ve had enough of feeling afraid, unhappy, overwhelmed, and stressed by personal, national and world events, let joy scatter your grief and erase your stress.

What brings you joy? What connects you with your love for life? Spend more time doing that. Take at least an hour a week (more time is even better!) to do something for no other reason than the sheer joy of it.

Joy will nourish and nurture you. You’ll feel better and you’ll then be able to see and think more clearly, make better choices for yourself, and take action that serves your best interests.

You may be surprised by how much difference a little joy can make!

Enjoy!

What About You?

What brings you joy? How do you erase your stress? Tell us in Comments below.

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