3-Minute Deep Joy Practice

Time needed: 3 minutes (60 seconds each)

Setting: Any moment when joy feels possible

Purpose: Cultivating rich, sustained joy beyond fleeting happiness

Joy Archaeology (60 seconds)

What: Uncover deeper sources of joy:

- Think of a moment when you felt truly alive and yourself

- Recall when time seemed to stop because you were so engaged

- Remember feeling deeply grateful to be exactly where you were

- Notice what was happening - not just the event, but your internal state

- Feel that quality of joy again, not just the memory

Notice: What creates lasting versus fleeting joy, how deep joy feels different from excitement, where authentic joy lives in your body

Why: Real joy comes from alignment with values and authentic self, creates sustainable positive emotions

Joy Expansion (60 seconds)

What: Let joy fill more space:

- Take the joy feeling and breathe into it

- Let it spread from your chest to your whole body

- Imagine sharing this joy with someone you love

- Feel how joy naturally wants to overflow and connect

- Allow joy to exist without needing to capture or preserve it

Notice: How joy expands when given space, the generous nature of true joy, how joy connects rather than isolates

Why: Deep joy is expansive and connecting, grows when shared rather than hoarded

Joy Creation (60 seconds)

What: Plant seeds for future joy:

- Think of one activity that consistently brings you alive

- Plan one small way to engage with that this week

- Consider what environments or people support your joy

- Commit to protecting space for things that truly matter to you

- Trust that joy is your birthright, not a luxury

Notice: What consistently creates joy versus what you think should, how protecting joy feels, your relationship with deserving happiness

Why: Joy requires intentional cultivation, grows when we honor what truly matters to us