What gives you joy?

Last week was a less than stellar week for me. You know the type of week – a few crummy things happen and it continues to snowball until you are in a total funk.

It doesn’t matter what the circumstances were that led to my funky state. What does matter is that it totally affected my work, my relationships and my overall attitude.

Anyone who knows me can attest that I’m a pretty positive, happy person most of the time. That’s why it was so darn obvious when things were askew.

Then Saturday came along.

That was the day my week turned around because I took time to do some things that really restored my joy.

I went for a 3-mile run with my half marathon training group. I had breakfast with a friend and colleague who energizes me (and we plotted world domination in the process, but that’s another story.)

I went on an awesome date with my husband. And, because we live in Nashville, we were able to attend a fantastic benefit concert featuring some amazing singer/songwriters.

So, what’s the point to all of this?

The point is that sometimes we need to take a break from it all. Sometimes, we need to do some things we really enjoy to put things into perspective.

Running a business is hard work and it can be mentally and emotionally exhausting. I would be lying if I said that wasn’t true for me as well. That’s why it’s critically important to carve out some time to take care of ourselves and our spirit.

Earlier this month, I talked about my three guiding principles for the year – one of which is striving to find balance between work, family, friends and all of the other demands on my time. I think a lot of business owners can relate to this.

I certainly haven’t perfected balance, and I probably never will. But, my hope is that by focusing on balance this year, I will get better at it.

You can too.

So, the next time you’ve had a rough day or week, I encourage you to stop. Take a break. Smell the roses. Make time to do the things that give you joy.

I promise you’ll feel happier and more energized as a result.

What do you do when you get in a funk? What are the things that give you joy?

Image credit: Hillary Kladke