STRESS KILLS. JOY Heals. Reducing stress is one thing we all strive for, but what really is JOY?

According to vocabulary.com, Joy is the emotion of pleasure and happiness. Joy can also be the very thing that delights you. It’s that feeling that comes over you when you know life is good and you can't help but smile. It's the opposite of sadness. Joy is a sense of well-being or contentment. When you are successful, or feel safe, or lucky, you feel JOY. If you are doing something that instills joy and happiness, you tend to want more of it, and you do this by doing more.

What do you mean by “doing more” you might ask?

Below are 3 simple ways to do more to instill joy by just doing good:

1. Write A Thank You Note to Anyone You Can Think Of

Give thanks! It’s amazing how great you’ll feel by simply sending a THANK YOU note to someone. You don’t have to thank someone for doing anything in particular. You can choose to thank them for being in your life or by causing you to feel any joy. And a handwritten note is better than an electronic one. Think how you’d feel receiving one in the mail!

2. Take Some Time To Breathe and Reconnect With Yourself

Thanking an individual in your life can lead to JOY. But take the next step and reflect in that moment by simply breathing and being. This is a way to bask in the glory of you! Use five minutes to practice some thoughtfulness by doing “Conscious Loving Breathing” and reconnecting with yourself.

3. Contact A Friend or Colleague That You Have Not Spoken To In Awhile

There’s no greater feeling than reconnecting with someone you care about. Reach out to an old friend or colleague that you have not spoken to in a while and let them know that you are thinking of them. Be specific in recalling and relishing fond memories of them from time to time.

This not only shows them that they are important, which will cause them to feel joy and happiness, but it also reminds you that you have experienced happiness with this individual in the past. You are bringing those feelings forward to the present.

How simple it is to feel JOY and reduce STRESS. How wonderful to spread this love and sense of well-being to all those that surround you!

Wishing you all the joy, happiness, peace and love!

Author's Bio: 

Barry Shore is the Ambassador of Joy. His Mission is to transform the world through JOY. His forthcoming book: “STRESS KILLS……JOY Heals” reveals 11 Strategies for LIVING in JOY, daily. The Free What COLOR is Your STRESS Test is used by thousands. Both of these are available for FREE at www.barryshore.com

He is also a successful serial entrepreneur with 2 exits and 3 issued patents.

In September 2004 Barry became a quadriplegic overnight from a rare disease. His journey to regain mobility pushed him to Go MAD (Make A Difference). He set out to build a platform to teach people to LIVE in JOY, daily. No matter the situation. To that end The JOY of LIVING Institute ™ was born.

Further he attracted the talent to build a system that enables people to GIVE money to their favorite Cause and Oprah wrote about this in her Magazine. See www.barryshore.com/giving. The Mission is Making Everyday Giving Effortless and meaningful.

He also Founded the KEEP SMILING Movement which has distributed MILLIONS of KEEP SMILING Cards for free.

His nationally syndicated radio show and podcast, The JOY of LIVING, is heard worldwide by hundreds of thousands and has almost Two Million Downloads in 16 months.

In the process of recovering from full paralysis Barry has become an avid swimmer and now swims 2 miles/day 6X/week and has accumulated more than 7,603 miles over 12 years.