34 Ideas to Cultivate Joy in Your Chronic Life

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It’s one of those things that may slowly but steadily sneak out of your life when you’re chronically ill: joy.

Because let’s face it, it’s hard to experience real pleasure when you’re struggling with chronic pain, constant nausea or muscles spasms. What’s more, you need a healthy balance between positive and negative emotions to feel happy, but chronic illness brings along a lot of stress and health-related problems, like reduced mobility, strained relationships and financial troubles.

Normally the solution to cultivate joy in your life would be easy: do more things you enjoy. But that’s exactly part of the problem: you’re often too sick to do fun activities, whether that’s taking a day trip, going out for dinner and a movie, or simply performing your old hobbies. Even spending time with family and friends – another source of joy – is often limited by fatigue, sensory overload and practical problems.

But that doesn’t mean that you should just give up on trying to infuse moment of happiness into your days. On the contrary: cultivating joy in your chronic life can help you get through the toughest times, as well as support your physical and mental health.

Let’s take a closer look at why joy matters, and what you can do to still experience some fun, pleasure and enjoyment despite your health problems.

Why you should cultivate joy in your chronic life

No matter if you’re feeling excited about a wedding, baby or work promotion, or you’re enjoying the simple pleasures in life, joy prompts your brain to release feel-good neurochemicals like dopamine and serotonin. In turn, these neurotransmitters cause changes in your circulatory system and your autonomic nervous system, from blushing to butterflies in your stomach.

It’s through these mechanisms that joy supports better heart health, lower cholesterol levels and improved immunity, in part by reducing stress and counteracting its negative effects on your body. What’s more, having a positive mood makes you more inclined to stick to a healthy lifestyle, which is why happy people tend to live longer. Finally, research suggests that feeling happy alters your perception of pain, resulting in lower pain ratings in arthritis patients and people recovering from a stroke.

Now obviously, you can’t just put a smile on your face and laugh your problems away – and you don’t have to. But there are things you can do to add more joyful moments to your life, even when you’re sick. Not every suggestion will work for everyone, just take inspiration from these tips to build your own happy list that’s right for your situation.

So boost your wellbeing with these 34 ideas to cultivate joy in your chronic life.

Set the tone

We all know how a positive start can set the tone for the entire day. On top of that, research shows that your surroundings have a big impact on your behavior. So with a few simple tweaks to your living environment, you can effortlessly cultivate more joy in your chronic life.

01. Set good intentions for the day when you wake up in the morning. It can be anything from “I will make time for something that makes me happy today” to “I will pay attention to the things that are going well in my life.” You could also visualize how you’d love your day to go as you snooze five more minutes in bed.

02. Create a playlist packed with uplifting songs to start your day on a positive note. According to Time Out, these are 33 of the most inspirational songs of all time.

03. Catch some early morning daylight. When sunlight enters your eyes, it causes a cascade of neurochemical reactions in your body and brains, including the production of serotonin, which boosts your mood. So have your breakfast by the (open) window or drink your coffee on the patio to release those happy hormones.

04. Surround yourself with triggers of joy, like having motivational quotes as a screen saver, placing a digital picture frame with happy memories on your desk or nightstand, or putting up a joke-a-day calendar.

05. If you plan ahead for the week, also add fun things to your to-do list. Whether there’s a movie you’d love to see, an album you’d like to listen to or a new recipe you want to try, explicitly writing it down helps you to save some energy for joyful activities that matter to you.

06. Dress for ‘success’. Don’t get me wrong, clearly you do not have to look a certain way to be happy. But in my experience, walking around in sweatpants with a messy bun does put you in a different mood than wearing a comfy dress. If you’re up for it, see how some easy styling and pampering – pink lipstick, a beautiful scarf around your neck or a cute hairband – affects how you feel.

07. Get a magnetic poetry kit and leave inspirational or goofy messages on the fridge for your housemates – or yourself!

08. Fill your own cup. Sometimes, the reason why we’re not experiencing real joy is is because we’re just so exhausted. So before you start adding more (fun) activities to your life, make sure you include enough time for self-care, rest and relaxation too.

Beat the boredom

When you’re stuck at home – or worse, in bed – most of your waking hours, watching Netflix and scrolling your phone will help you pass the time, but won’t bring you genuine joy. What can you do to beat the boredom and enjoy yourself again when you’re sick?

09. Spark your creativity with easy crafting that you’re still able to do. With the aid or a cushioned laptop table, you could draw, color, (bullet) journal and try hand lettering while sitting up in bed or on the couch. You may also enjoy folding paper cranes from origami, stringing beads into a bracelet or getting a beautiful sticker book for adults.

10. Up for a mental challenge while your body rests? Do word search or logic puzzles, have a go at smart games, or learn a few phrases in another language. Completing clear-cut tasks triggers the release of dopamine, making you feel happy and satisfied. You could also study up on interesting topics by reading non-fiction, watching TED-talks or listening to podcasts on the subject.

11. Pamper yourself. Start feeling better in your own skin with some easy self-care. Take a long nap, upgrade your usual bath ritual, give yourself a gentle foot rub, or treat yourself to a DIY face mask or sparkly nail polish.

12. Go arm-chair traveling. Even if you struggle to head outside, you can bring the world to your doorstep by reading travel memoirs and browsing coffee table books like ‘Destinations of a Lifetime‘. Other fun ways of exploration from the comfort of home are watching documentaries about nature and epic journeys, trying out exotic cuisines, and going on virtual museum tours.

Infuse the mundane with magical moments

When you’re struggling to make it through the day, unable to go out and have fun, the repetitiveness and lack of excitement can drain your zest for life. But you can still cultivate joy in your chronic life by infusing the mundane with magical moments.

13. Bring back a little wonder in your life. Being in awe can boost your mood and increase your satisfaction with life, so make time to watch the sunset or look up at the starry sky at night. You could also train your mind’s eye to notice the beauty around you by taking one photo a day of something pretty, or really listening to your favorite song without distraction.

14. Savor simple pleasures like eating a bowl of food and noticing the different textures, flavors and aromas. Instead of going through the motions, literally stop and smell the roses. Feel the sunshine on your skin, enjoy the comfort of your cup of tea and hug your loved ones with warm intentions.

15. Let’s be honest, it sucks when you have to spend your limited energy on doing chores. So combine ticking off your to-do list with some fun by listening to interesting podcasts while you’re folding laundry, sing along to old-school songs when you’re doing the dishes or bust out some dance moves as you’re moping the floors.

16. Do something that’s out of the ordinary for you. It doesn’t have to be a big bold change; simply experimenting with a new look, eating a dish you haven’t tried before, or watching a different genre movies than you usually do will shake things up a bit to cultivate joy.

17. Interested in the mystique? Add a touch magic to your life with a full moon ritual, by creating a small altar at home or using an affirmation card deck.

18. Make your daily walk a little more exciting by playing ‘nature bingo’, spotting street art or strolling past tiny libraries in your neighborhood. By distracting yourself, you might even get more steps in!

19. Bored with your usual dinner routine? Have an impromptu picnic on the floor, make a healthy snack board to enjoy all evening long or change the scenery by enjoying your meal on the balcony or porch.

20. Experiment how you can make medical challenges more bearable. For example, choose a captivating audiobook that you’ll only listen during hospital stays or when commuting to therapy. Reward yourself with a hot chocolate from the coffee machine when you need (another) full blood panel or MRI scan done. Whatever helps you to find glimmers of joy on dreadful days.

Celebrate the seasons

Every season comes with its own sensations and simple pleasures, from feeling the crispy autumn leaves under your boots to dipping your toes into the cool water on a hot summer’s day. Even if you live in a climate that doesn’t change that much throughout the year, different seasons have different rhythms of life, with their own special occasions and celebrations.

Here are some ideas how you can cultivate joy by engaging your senses to celebrate the seasons:

21. Have more “voorpret”. In Dutch, we have a word called “voorpret”, which translates as anticipatory pleasure. It means you intentionally build up excitement by enjoying the (mental) preparations leading up to a fun event. I know, that may be tricky to do if you often have to cancel your plans at the last moment due to chronic illness. But experiment if you can lengthen your joy by making a list with seasonal activities you’d love to do over the next months. Not only does that give you something to look forward to, but it also increases your chances of actually being able to go apple picking, sledding or open water swimming when you plan ahead to pace your energy.

22. Explore doable ways you can enjoy the winter holiday season despite your limitations. Maybe you can’t host a big Thanksgiving gathering, but you can watch the parade on TV and practice genuine gratitude. Perhaps you’re not well enough to go out and get a Christmas tree with the family, but you do love to belt out ‘All I want for Christmas’ and have a seasonal movie marathon. You can find more inspiration in these 34 Ways to Have a Happy Holiday Season at Home.

23. Plan a summer ‘vacation’ for yourself, even you can’t travel anywhere. Just because you can’t go on a holiday, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t make time for seasonal fun. So grab your sunglasses, flip-flops and some homemade iced tea, and start checking out these 55 ideas for an amazing summer, even if you’re stuck at home with chronic illness.

24. Engage your senses. The easiest way to celebrate the seasons and add joy to your life is by getting into the habit of paying attention to all that you see, hear, smell, taste and sense – and how those sensations change throughout the year. Notice the daffodils and smell of fresh grass in spring, feel the sun on your skin in summer, savor your pumpkin spice latte in the fall and listen to the crackling fireplace in winter.

25. Mark memorable moments. When you spend the majority of your waking hours at home with chronic illness, the days can become a blur of pain and fatigue. Marking memorable moments – from personal celebrations like anniversaries to big events like the Olympics or the Eurovision Song Contest – can change up that dreadful feeling of “just another day”. Don’t worry if you don’t have enough energy to go all out – simply putting on a t-shirt, hat or funky glasses in your country’s colors or printing a Eurovision score sheet already sets the tone.

Adopt a playful attitude

A playful mindset can make any ordinary situation instantly more entertaining. Let’s see how you can develop that light-hearted, high-spirited attitude despite your health problems.

26. Bring back laughter in your life. Living with chronic illness is no joke, but ironically, having a sense of humor can help you to manage chronic pain and support your heart health. So when life gets serious, don’t forget to cultivate some joy by watching comedy shows, reading funny books, playing hilarious games and spending time with that friend who always makes you laugh.

27. Unleash your inner kid. Channel your inner Pippi Longstocking and dare to be silly. Jump in puddles, sing karaoke, play frisbee, or build blanket forts to rest in. You could also explore your play personality and pick up your childhood hobbies with crafting, playing instruments or building LEGO sets for adults. 

28. Turn boring moments into a game. Don’t take everything seriously and use your imagination to make life a little more interesting. For example, move closer towards meaningful goals by creating fun challenges with a point system – and a reward at the end! Race through dull chores within the timeframe of 3 songs or make your daily walks more exciting by pretending you’re on a quest to Mordor.

29. Flirt with life. Have a twinkle in your eye, adopt a more carefree spirit and find something special in each day. Of course flirting with a cute guy, girl or your own partner can boost your mood, but you could also add some joie de vivre to your life by buying yourself flowers, dancing like nobody’s watching, getting creative or celebrating tiny victories with a sweet treat.

Grow a deeper sense of contentment

Sometimes, your most profound sense of joy doesn’t come from fun activities and simple pleasures, but from the deep contentment you feel when you connect with something that’s bigger than yourself. Not just God or the Universe, but also your ancestors and all those who’ve lived before you, the vastness of nature and space, and meaningful rituals. What moves your soul will be different for everyone, but here’s some inspiration to get you started:

30. Read one inspirational page a day over breakfast. Depending on your beliefs, you can choose a religious passage to muse on, devote each day of the week to one of Deepak Chopra’s 7 spiritual laws of success or study the biography of someone you admire.

31. Add meaningful rituals to your week. Rituals are a set series of actions that put your values into practice – and they can have a profound impact on your wellbeing. You could light a candle before dinner each (winter) night, wake your body up with sun salutations in the morning or enjoy screen-free Sundays.

32. Spend time in nature. Study after study shows that being in green surroundings increases our happiness, positive affect and sense of meaning in life. So even if you’re sick at home, try to connect with the outdoors by sitting by the open window, adorning your living room with plants or looking up at the stars at night. You can find more doable ideas to head outside with chronic illness in this article on nature therapy.

33. Connect with others. There’s nothing like laughing with friends, playing with kids or even having a vulnerable conversation with loved ones to bring us joy and contentment. Sadly, it can be challenging to meet up with family and friends when you’re chronically ill. Try to beat loneliness and isolation by keeping in touch, communicating your limitations kindly but clearly and finding new ways to enjoy each other’s company.

34. Be kind and do good. In all its subtlety, kindness can still be powerful – for others and for your own wellness. Thankfully, you don’t have to make grand gestures to spread the love – simply providing a listening ear or shoulder to cry on can brighten up someone’s day. You could check out these 44 acts of kindness that anyone can do to practice compassion in illness-proof ways.

It’s much more challenging to feel happy when you’re in pain, unable to spend time with loved ones or do the things that used to bring you joy. But hopefully these 34 ideas above have shown you that you can still create the conditions needed to cultivate joy – and most of all, that you deserve to have fun, pleasure and enjoyment in your chronic life too.

How do you cultivate joy despite your chronic illness? 

Get even more motivation from these 15 Joy Quotes That’ll Put a Smile on Your Face, create your own happy list with simple pleasures and learn how you can flourish in the face of adversity.