By Meimei Fox

Joy is what makes life beautiful. It’s what gets us through challenges and allows light in to illuminate the shadows. Joy heals our wounds, inspires us to greatness, and fills our souls with goodness. Here are 40 simple ways I’ve come up with for accessing joy on a daily basis!

1. Play with kids.
2. Play like a kid.
3. Learn something new (play a new sport or game, learn how to cook a new dish).
4. Get out in nature.
5. Count your blessings.
6. Spend time with your pet.
7. Travel.
8. Connect authentically with friends and family, sharing your vulnerabilities.
9. Dress up in costume for no reason.
10. Lose yourself in a great book.
11. Laugh and smile, no matter how you’re feeling.
12. Sing out loud.
13. Dance. If you can’t dance, just skip.
14. Pay a compliment to a total stranger.
15. Listen to uplifting music.
16. Serve others. Volunteer.
17. Exercise.
18. Set a goal, then reach it (run that marathon, pass that test, lose those five pounds).
19. Get messy (go barefoot, play in the mud).
20. Prepare and slowly eat a healthy meal.
21. Offer to teach someone a new skill.
22. Write a thank you letter or Facebook post to someone for no particular reason other than just to say “I appreciate you.”
23. Memorize a poem.
24. Turn your errands into an adventure (by making a game out of finding certain items at the store or spotting yellow cars while driving there).
25. Take a nap.
26. Nurture romance (spend time just kissing your partner, buy a surprise gift, write a love letter).
27. Ask someone for help (and express appreciation for their guidance).
28. Watch a favorite old movie for the hundredth time.
29. Discover a new smell (in the form of a candle, flower, or massage oil).
30. Help someone in a small way (by carrying their groceries or paying their toll on the highway).
31. Snuggle.
32. Get rid of stuff. (Take it to a homeless shelter. Lighten your load and make someone else’s life better at the same time.)
33. Watch a sunrise or sunset.
34. Make a commitment to change a bad habit, then do it.
35. Create something.
36. Eat a cupcake.
37. Spend an evening by candlelight.
38. Meditate and enjoy the silence.
39. Take a walk in the rain.
40. Surrender.

“40 Easy and Effective Tips to Find Joy Every Day” by Meimei Fox was originally published on Fulfillment Daily. To view the original article, click here.