Feeling burnt out and tired all the time? We all know the feeling too well. Burnout seems to be the condition of our time, with people more stressed and exhausted than ever before. When we hit the breaking point, we tend to do what our bodies must to conserve energy: shut down. We forget our friends and our hobbies, don’t enjoy the weekends or see the beauty in daily life. 

This makes us live life on the small scale. And remember, we aren’t here to play small! When we are burned out, we retreat into ourselves and unintentionally make our world very dark and grey. 

I’d like to introduce you to a concept we can call the joy paradox. The joy paradox is the idea that when we are feeling depleted and burned out, the only thing that can really break us out of our rut in jumping back into life with zest and happiness, even if all we want to do is nothing at all. 

Joy is the best catalyst for changing the course of a downward spiral, and turning it into an upward spiral. Research shows that choosing to be happy actually will make us happier, less stressed, and full of energy. Doesn’t that sound dreamy? It’s all possible too! Just as spiralling downwards can put us in a permeant cycle of misery, choosing to see and create joy in our lives can perpetuate an upward spiral, making life so much more brilliant and bright. 

Feel joy and love in life. Relish the cherished moments you share with friends and family, take time to indulge in your passions and life’s little luxuries, and develop the mindset that the only person who can control your thoughts and emotions is you – and you chose happiness, every day. 

So the next time you find yourself heading into negative thought territory and staying there, or if you’re in a downward spiral, try to reframe your life in your mind. Mindset and the way we perceive the world around us is everything! So as you’re reading this, I want you to smile. Smile just because. Because you’re alive, breathing in air and right now,  you are letting a moment of joy radiate throughout your body and mind. And just like that, you’ve taken your first step to jumpstarting your upward spiral.