isolation creation: happiness jar
Does anyone know about the happiness jar idea?
It could be called a mindfulness jar, or a joy jar.
It is normally started on new years day, which wrote a blog about a couple of years ago.
I have decided to re write this as I think it is an excellent way to try keep you and your household ok in these challenging times.
We are having to create a new way of living.
What makes you happy is personal to you. But basically it is something that made you smile, laugh or excited. It could be a kind act that you see in life around you or online, a kind word you said to someone, something beautiful… something wonderful… these are all things that make me happy.
What would your list be like?
So, here is what you do in 5 easy steps…
- Take a jar, could be an empty clean jam jar to start with, before you are allowed to go out and buy a bigger one! Keep the lid. Put a label on it called “The happiness jar” or “joy jar”. Stick on with sellotape.
- Cut up or tear up little bits of blank paper, recycled from envelopes etc if possible. These should be about 2 or 3cm square, or just a random small size. You may have a lot of time on your hands so if you want to cut up 2 or 3cm squares perfectly go for it!!
- Put the pieces in the jar, along with a small pen or pencil if you can find one small enough to put in the jar.
- Keep the jar on your table so that when it comes to mealtime you can remember it, or somewhere you can see it like next to the TV, on the mantlepiece, next to the TV, next to the kettle. Write down two (or more) things that made you happy that day. For example, when my little girl was dressed for world book day as Hermione Granger with her cape, I asked her to do a spell Hermione would do and she said “asparagus”… and it made me laugh all day long, I wrote it down and put it in the jar. Or having a bath and listening the birds in the garden. Or Chris Martin doing a Facebook live from his house when in isolation! It really can be that simple. You will find that you have to force yourself to do this at times, on days when happiness is hard to see but it is still there, it is just your mind that has stopped seeing it.
- Date the memory with the month and year. Put in the jar. put the lid back on.
The jar is normally opened on or just before New Years eve. I really look forward to it. But you could open it when isolation is over. Remember how some really subtle but precious things happened, a new way of living for some.
I keep the little paper memories and put them all in a sealed envelope marked with the year. Or if you journal stick them in your journal. It is like planting happiness seeds to grow new better ways of living and being.
I made a collection of jars with the labels on and paper and pen in outside my house, with a sign saying free happiness and a set of instructions on what to do. it is such a beautiful idea to share around.
Please let me know what you think in the comments and if you have given it a go. Add your pictures of your little pieces of paper. We are all in this together. you will find that your happiness is in the smallest of things.
Stay well x jen
ps: i have not written a blog for nearly two years. this is mainly cause someone left a hideous anonymous comment on my last post and it really destroyed me for a while. i think we have come a long way in accepting mental health disability now but to that person… what else did you do for fun back then? Wait around disabled parking places and tell whoever parks there that they are only doing it for the parking? My next blog is probably about what makes a troll troll. though i am hoping with sad events like the death of caroline flack people are actually learning to be more kind.
