Ways to Boost Happiness During Your Fertility Journey
Oftentimes, we tie happiness to an end result, the achievement of a goal. “I will be so happy if/when….” If we cling to this mentality during our fertility journey, however, we may find ourselves in long stretches of time where we don’t experience any joy. Instead, our feelings of sadness, frustration, and despair begin to accumulate, weigh us down and cover up the inner joy that we once were able to access. What if instead of waiting for that end result in order to be happy, we try to experience moments of joy in our everyday lives and rekindle our connection to the happiness we once had?
Ways to Boost Happiness During Your Fertility Journey
It may seem difficult to choose the path of happiness and positivity when things aren’t going your way. Like anything, choosing to see happiness starts out as something that needs to be practiced in order to embed it in your way of life. The more you practice the easier it will become to think of things that make you happy and focus on the good things in life instead of all the bad. Plus, when we practice seeing the good in one part of life, it will eventually trickle down to the other parts of your life, even the toughest parts of your existence.
How do you begin this path to joy? Below are some weekly prompts to help you move towards a path of happiness and positivity so that you begin to tap into your inner joy and boost your mood. By doing these journaling exercises, you will start to train your brain to look at life in abundance versus lack. Thus, when you encounter bumps along the road of creating your family, you will find yourself better equipped to handle these challenges in a more positive and mindful way.
To form a habit, it can take about two months of consistent work. Here’s how to set yourself up for success in your quest to connect to happiness:
Pick one day out of the week where you will do the weekly prompt consistently over the next two months. If you tie it to an existing ritual, you have already established, you will achieve more success. For example, do it right before bed as you wind down or do the journaling between waking up and brushing your teeth.
On the first day, list as many things as you can and don’t hold back to save it for the other days of the week. The goal of adding one more thing each day of the week is to challenge yourself to dig deeper.
For the six days following, during that same time frame that you chose, re-read your initial list and add one newer thing to the list. Re-read the list and add one new thing each day of that week to really embed the feelings of positivity and joy into your mind. Plus, reading the list each day will boost your mood as you will be reminded of all the good things in your life.
Two Months (8 Weekly) Prompts to Boost Your Happiness
List the people in your life who make you happy or who are always on the sidelines of your life cheering you on.
List all of the things that happened last week that brought you joy. For each day of that week, reflect back on the day before to list your happy moment.
List all of the things in life that you are good at doing.
List the best experiences that you have had this year.
List all of the things that you are passionate about and excite you.
List the things you do to take care of yourself, activities that nourish you mentally, emotionally, physically.
List nice things that people have done for you throughout your life.
List all the amazing qualities about yourself
Medical Disclaimer:
The information provided in this blog is intended for general informational purposes only and should not be considered as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your healthcare provider or qualified medical professional with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read in this blog.
Josephine Atluri is an expert in meditation and in overcoming adversity to find joy. She is also the creator and host of the podcast, "Responding to Life: Living Reflectively Through a Journey of Health, Fertility, and Parenthood."
