Moments of Joy for Every Month of the Year – Part I

If one of your New Year’s Resolutions is to create more fun and joy into your routine, the following tips can help you create moments to look forward to as you are easing back into the swing of school, work and life:

·         Develop a “fun list”- Write down a list of things that you are interested in doing to carve out some fun in your day such as reading a chapter of a novel, playing a crossword puzzle, chatting with a friend(s) or watching an old movie that made you laugh or cry tears of happiness.

·         February provides a great opportunity to celebrate history.  Many historical holidays and events are popular during this month such as Martin Luther King Jr’s Birthday, President’s Day; check out local museums and art exhibits to enlighten yourself on the significance of these moments in history.

·         March is National Nutrition Month which is a great time to think about preparing some new and creative recipes with friends and family.  Plan a potluck celebration and if you are feeling super creative, implement a theme such as Mediterranean Monday or Salad Sunday!   If you have competitive participants, award a 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd place prize for the most creative and tasty dishes.

·         April is Assault Awareness Month; this is a great opportunity to sign up for some self defense or kickboxing classes and reinforce your goals of staying fit for the new year!

·         For May, Celebrate National Bike month by checking out bikeriding meetups (www.meetup.com)  or getting a group of friends and neighbors together to go on a group ride.  Even if you don’t own a bike, you can get them pretty cheap at local consignment shops. 

·         Plan a beach trip for June; it is a great time for soaking up some rays while reading a good book under your beach umbrella or walking your dog on the sand when the sun rises or sets.  Savor your relaxation time as you breathe in the sound of the waves and watch the sun glisten on the ocean.

·         July is Dance Appreciation month so what better time to get out there and take a dance class?  Identify a type of dance that you are interested in, be it ballroom, hip hop or salsa just to name a few.  Once again, you will be contributing to your fitness goals in the process.

·         With the summer well underway and only a few weeks left before school starts again, in the month of August, take a moment to spend some extra time with your pet, significant other, best friend or close family member.  Take your dog for an extra walk or take your best friend out to lunch.  Reinforce the close connections that you have while the days are still long and the weather still sunny.

The above suggestions will help you approach the year ahead with zest as you consider the plethora of fun things to do in the midst of our hectic lifestyles.  Stay tuned for Part II of this article; there’s lots more fun to be had in the ensuing months.  For more information on this topic, visit the following link.