Healing is…creating time to do what brings you joy

Living and working in the wellness industry, it can sometimes seem like the main ways to heal yourself have to be arduous tasks. It could be something like getting a deep tissue massage, which I do enjoy but costs money and can be painful, or it could be going to the gym five times a week and lifting your heaviest set. I have some friends who have done the 75 Hard, a name that itself implies difficulty. While it does have some credence in creating good habits, it again leans toward the difficulty and enduring nature of healing.

What I’ve learned this year is that creating joy in your life can be very healing. This is a different approach from what I’ve previously tried, which was to endure and be proud of the hardships I’ve faced to get to where I am. The surprising thing is, it’s much simpler than that. By creating joy in the simple activities you do, you send a message of gratitude and appreciation to many aspects of your life. For me, that came in the form of picking up piano again in my 30s.

As a kid learning and playing the piano, I do remember enjoying it, but I also remember it being a chore. Picking it up over a decade later, I’ve discovered a true love for the instrument—the complexity of reading music and the beauty of getting lost in the act of playing. I get excited when I’m learning a new piece of music and how the simplest form of joy is enjoying sitting down and playing an instrument that has been around for ages. I’ve found healing in being patient with myself, in learning something new, in rediscovering an art that I didn’t think I had time for, and in creating time to play.

What are some things that bring you joy? That may be the answer to begin your healing journey.