Make Room for Joy

Stress Awareness Month: Penultimate Post

Stress has a way of taking over everything—your thoughts, your energy, your sleep, your appetite, your patience, and even your decision-making. When stress levels stay high for too long, your body remains in a constant state of alert, which affects your health, increases inflammation, impacts hormones, and makes it harder to think clearly or respond well to everyday life.

That is why, especially during stressful seasons, it is important to intentionally do things that bring you joy—things that make you smile, laugh, breathe easier, and feel lighter.

Let me tell you a quick story.

Yesterday evening, I went somewhere. As people entered there was one guy who was clearly as excited as I was. He had his hands full of snacks. And how I knew he was excited was because he did this sound that a certain group of people will recognise instantly. He remarked "hii hii".

I was at the cinema ready to watch the Michael Jackson movie Michael. As a huge Michael Jackson fan, this was a big deal for me. One of my friends who knows how huge of a fan I am, had messaged me the week before saying she saw the movie and instantly thought of me—which was good because I had completely forgotten it was out even though I had been timing it. The moment she reminded me, I organised myself to go.

I chose to go on a Monday because I wanted to start my week on a positive note and have something to look forward to. That alone changed how I approached my day. Knowing I was going to the cinema that evening made work feel lighter. I had excitement. I had anticipation. I had joy waiting for me.

And that’s the point—joy matters. Joy that makes you "hii hii" even in public with no care of what others may say, like the guy had. In times of stress such sources of joy are very important.

It doesn’t have to be expensive. It could be listening to your favourite album, taking a walk, calling a friend, reading a good book, sitting quietly with a cup of lemon grass tea, or watching a film you’ve been waiting for. The goal is simple: at the end of it, you feel better.

When your spirits are lifted, your body responds too. You think more clearly. Your decisions improve. Your resilience to stress becomes stronger. Your mood improves. Your body gets a break from the constant “fight or flight” mode.

Waiting three months for a holiday is not enough. Your body does not wait three months to feel the effects of stress. It needs support now, because the effects begin the moment you are stressed.

These joyful moments should not be rare—they should be regular. The more we build them into our lives, the better we manage stress before it overwhelms us.

What surprised me most was that I thought I was just going to watch a movie. But I left with more than entertainment—I left inspired.

There were lessons in that film that spoke directly to where I am in life right now. It reminded me to keep going, speak life into my life and situation, stay committed, and to keep growing, literally don't stop till I get enough :) I told you i'm a huge fan, that just came naturally. I left happy, motivated. In fact I was the last to leave the cinema, waiting for any deleted scenes, not to mention the music was beautiful, I mean its Michael! As I left i danced a little and yes… when I got home, I was still buzzing and ended up staying up late listening to Michael Jackson music because my spirits were lifted.

That is the power of joy.

So as we nearly close this Stress Awareness Month series, I encourage you: find what lifts your spirits. Big or small, free or paid—choose what works for you. Just make sure it is healthy and truly helps you, not something that creates more problems later.

You deserve peace. You deserve joy. You deserve moments that make you smile.

Make room for them.

Look out for the final Stress awareness post of the series on 30th April for the ultimate stress reliever. To get notified when the blog is out click here and get your gift of how to do a relaxing and refreshing One day reset.