Your 'Bliss List'
Have you ever made your own ‘bliss list’? Despite – or maybe because of – the pandemic-related restrictions on our everyday activities, there is so much value in knowing clearly for ourselves what activities, people, places, things we find enjoyable. What do you really like to do? What brings you joy? What do you just love thinking about? From the mundane to the extravagant, there can be joy anywhere we look – if we are looking for it.
So here is part 1 of our challenge to you: Make a list of 50 things that bring joy to you. Know that this can be harder than it sounds, so it may take a few days to come up with 50, and that’s ok. Just keep going, as the more you push yourself to think broadly, the more unique ideas you will likely identify. And then part 2 of the challenge: See if you can incorporate at least one thing from your list each day.
Of course, some activities may need to be modified – for example, you may love France, but you likely aren’t going to travel to France anytime soon. However, you can still connect with what is meaningful to you about this joy, for example, by going to a French bakery, savouring a favourite French wine, watching a French movie, etc. Consider what on your list is in fact within your control and can be intentionally reproduced by you. And finally, remember that you don’t need to have something unique for each day – consider again what you don’t mind repeating over and over!
To help you get started, feel free to download and print out our ‘Bliss List’ handout. Let us know what you try!