A Moment of Joy

Close your eyes and picture one moment when you felt absolute joy. Breathe deeply and remember exactly where you were, if you were with people, what was immediately around you, the smells, sounds, tastes, how every detail looks, and exactly, EXACTLY how it felt to be in that moment.

The longer you can keep your eyes closed and be in that moment, the better.

Research has shown that when your mind pictures an object or an event, and you imagine your senses being stimulated or feel some emotions from what you have visualized, your mind records it as a real experience, as if you were actually there. It is not a watered-down replicate of an experience. You tap into the same emotions and have the same levels of brain activity as if it were really happening.

The next time you realize that it's been awhile since you've been truly happy, or if you're in the middle of chaos or at the end of a bad day, and you just need a place to escape, close your eyes and give yourself a moment of joy. You deserve it.