Sometimes our daily lives lack joy. It lacks pep. In fact, we get bored and we don’t like it. So what can we do to put a smile back on our faces? What can we do? Where to start? Here are 10 exercises to cultivate your joie de vivre, starting now!

1 – Practice gratitude to put a smile on your face

If you want to rediscover the joy of living, right now, then take out a sheet of paper and list at least 30 reasons you have to smile.

Yes, 30 reasons.

I know, it’s a lot, but you’ll realize that the more things you list, the more others will come to mind. So trust yourself!

This is a powerful exercise in cultivating joy, because all too often we forget that our daily lives are already filled with small and big moments of joy.

So go back to this week’s good news, then the week before, and so on.

See how much joy is already in your life. Because that’s the secret to putting a smile back on your face.

2 – A time for anything to cultivate your joie de vivre

In fact, we’re far too serious about our lives. And we don’t even realize it.

And yet, when we take a closer look, we realize just how much we lock ourselves into habits and behaviors, and how little by little we leave no room for joy.

Because joy doesn’t come from automatic gestures. Joy is there when our heart is alive and well, when it beats strongly in our chest.

The problem is that our daily habits only put our hearts to sleep a little more each day.

That’s why it’s time to do anything!

In fact, to cultivate joy, it’s powerful to allow ourselves 5 minutes during which we do anything at all.

In practical terms, it’s very simple: set a timer for 5 minutes and then do anything.

You can turn up the music (for 5 minutes, the neighbors won’t mind, laughs) and dance like crazy.

You can jump on the sofa, on the bed.

In fact, you can do anything you like. You can even bring your loved ones with you. Your kids are even better, because they know what it’s like to do anything. (laughs)

And it feels really good!

3 – Add a touch of joy to the key moments of your day

So, as I was saying, we’re far too serious on a daily basis and we do things far too seriously.

How about adding a little joy to our day?

What if we added a little chocolate cake to our morning coffee? We could also wear our best sweater to work, and put on some good music on the way.

We could also say hello with a smile, maybe even a song.

We could sing at the top of our voices in the shower and put candles on the table at dinnertime?

Yes, we could do all that. So why not do it?

Because life is a party! So let’s stop waiting for special occasions to celebrate it.

That’s the secret to cultivating joie de vivre! What do you think?

4 – Act like a child to cultivate joy

Children are our masters when it comes to the emotion of joy. Yes, they know how to express it and cultivate it.

It’s what drives them every day.

So, to cultivate joy, it’s time to act like children. What do you think?

So, in concrete terms, this means stopping thinking about “obligations”, “deadlines” and “problems” for a few moments and thinking only about “joy” and “laughter”.

To start with, act like a child for 5 minutes. Then have fun increasing the time.

Because you’re not here on Earth to live your life as if it were a burden. You’re here to live it as if it were a gift.

And the key is to allow yourself to act a little more like a child and a little less like an adult carrying all the world’s problems on your shoulders (laughs).

So, what do you think?

5 – Having a passion when you’re bored

We spend our lives saying, “I don’t have time for a passion. I’ve got other things to do, problems to solve, a life to lead.”

But life isn’t all problems, it’s not all “serious” things to do.

In fact, life isn’t all that serious, and it’s pretty simple too.

Unfortunately, we complicate our lives with all kinds of obligations, deadlines, goals, wants, desires…

And then we wonder why our lives lack joy. That’s because we’ve lost sight of what’s essential: our passions.

Yes, our passions are essential to our lives. We need them, and we need to cultivate them, to feel the joy of living.

And our joy is our driving force in this life. It’s because we feel joy that we want to get up every morning.

That’s why I wholeheartedly invite you to cultivate your passions.

Because to cultivate your passions is to cultivate your joy.

So take some time to list at least 5 or 10 ideas for passions. Enjoy yourself. Don’t limit yourself.

6 – Nature walks to cultivate your joie de vivre

Sometimes we just need a change of scenery to reconnect with something bigger than ourselves.

Indeed, we don’t always realize it, but in cities we suffocate and, above all, we forget that we’re human beings.

In fact, in cities, we become machines for doing, desiring and consuming. And we lose our joie de vivre, because we’re not made for this way of living and being.

That’s why, to cultivate joy, it’s time to take a walk in nature and make it a healthy habit.

In fact, don’t wait until the last moment before going out into nature. To do this, I invite you to establish a good habit.

Maybe it’s going for a walk every week or every fortnight, depending on your level of joy and access to nature.

Don’t underestimate the calming and joyful power of nature.

7 – Call your friends more often

We don’t always realize it, but time passes and we give priority to work, problems and obligations.

And little by little, we space out meetings and discussions with our friends and family.

We tell ourselves we’ll see them later and enjoy them, but time flies.

And we’re surprised that our joie de vivre has deserted us. Yet don’t you prioritize the things that don’t really nourish you, and put off doing the things that do?

Then it’s time for you to give priority to the things that really bring you joy in life. What do you think?

8 – Organize a party to cultivate joy

Your daily life lacks joie de vivre, so why not organize a party or an outing with the people you love?

Don’t get too carried away, just do something simple. Pick a theme, have a meal or a party (laughs).

Or find out what’s going on in your area and ask your friends and family to go together. What do you think?

Because, often, our joie de vivre just needs a bit of rolling up of the sleeves. Will you do it?

9 – Turn off the TV and stay off social networks

Our joie de vivre has a sworn enemy: toxic discussions.

Yet what do we do all day long? We listen to the news on TV and lose ourselves in social network feeds that are really not joyful.

So, to cultivate joy, the solution is simple: turn off the sound and images of negative things.

In fact, it’s time you used your time to do things and surround yourself with things and conversation that make you feel good.

In fact, stop believing that you’ll find happiness and joy in the midst of toxic things.

Get out there. What do you think?

10 – Repainting a room in the house to restore joie de vivre

When you want to rediscover your joie de vivre, sometimes you need to sort out the house, clean it up and make a few changes.

After all, joie loves change and novelty. It thrives on it.

So why not take the opportunity to repaint a room in the house, add a decorative object and/or sort things out?

Because taking care of your home is taking care of yourself. And putting more joy inside your home means putting more joy inside yourself. What do you think?

Find out more:

I invite you to read these 2 complementary articles:

Discover How to have a good day: 50 quotes to put a smile on your face
Discover Cultivating gratitude: 30 days to put a smile on your face

I recommend this inspiring book:

French Women Don’t Get Fat: The Secret of Eating for Pleasure by Mireille Guiliano

The book invites us to adopt the French approach to food and life, focusing on the pleasure of eating and savoring every moment. By adopting conscious and joyful eating habits, the book encourages the cultivation of “joie de vivre”, a celebration of life’s simple pleasures. By adopting a lifestyle that values culinary and everyday pleasures, we can improve their overall well-being and infuse their lives with a sense of vibrant joy and appreciation.

This book is a great way to understand how French women stay so slim and trim! Freshness, variety, balance, luxury and a slim waist are all within your reach if you follow the principles!

Thank you very much for reading this article.

If you liked it, let me know in the comments.

Take care of yourself