Headspace_logo_svg
Try for freeTry for free
MeditationFinding Time for Joy

Finding Time for Joy

When we’re weighed down by obligations, we can forget to invite laughter into our day. Practice using your beginner’s mind to find joy all around you.

Try 14 days free

Better mental health starts with Headspace. Unrivaled expertise to make life feel a little easier, using guided meditations, mindfulness tips, focus tools, sleep support, and dedicated programs.

Try 14 days free
Better mental health starts with Headspace

Hello, it's Eve here. Thank you so much for joining me in this guided exercise that is intended to remind us to make time for joy and for play. And to help get us started, I invite you to get into a comfortable seated position, and we're going to do a quick reflection together. See it as a bit of a warmup. So, I'd like you to think back to a time when you found something really funny, it made you laugh a lot. Maybe you even cried with laughter. And it's okay if you have to go back quite some time, there are no judgments. And if it helps you can close the eyes. So, just taking 20 or 30 seconds here for this little reflection. How did that feel? Are you smiling now? It's okay if you're not, and it's okay if nothing arose. Don't give yourself a hard time. In this exercise, we are inviting space for joy and play to naturally arise. We're not trying to force anything. And life can feel very serious sometimes. And we can forget what it feels like to see joy, even in the simplest of things. We forget what it feels like to give ourselves permission to smile, to allow ourselves to be playful and curious. And this can especially be the case when we are experiencing a lot of stress or we're going through a very difficult time. We operate in doing mode so much of the time, juggling a multitude of responsibilities. And for many of us, we are in a care-taking role, whether that is taking care of children, partners, or family members. And it can be very easy to get caught up in the mundane aspects of life; the chores, the responsibilities, the things that feel challenging. But all of this doing can distract us from the moments in life that are joyful; a shared smile, a beautiful sunset, the smell of fresh cut grass. So, with this exercise, we are going to practice cultivating our beginner's mind. This sense of seeing or experiencing something for the first time. There is a natural playfulness to it. We are curious and interested and open to new experiences. There are no preconceived ideas about what it is. And we all have this quality. It is especially present in children, but as we get older, it's almost as if it gets turned down or dulled down. So, today, we're going to tune into it and turn it up. So, just inviting you to adjust your posture if you need, making sure that you're comfortable. And as you settle into this exercise, just taking in the space around you. And actually going from one side of the room to the other. Now, this is not an invitation to make a list of things to do. Instead, it is an invitation as if you are seeing the space for the first time. Even if you have been in this space 1,000...

Details

TypeMeditation
Duration12 min

About your teachers

  • A former Buddhist monk, Andy has guided people in meditation and mindfulness for 20 years. In his mission to make these practices accessible to all, he co-created the Headspace app in 2010.

    More about Andy
  • Eve is a mindfulness teacher, overseeing Headspace’s meditation curriculum. She is passionate about sharing meditation to help others feel less stressed and experience more compassion in their lives.

    More about Eve
  • As a meditation teacher, Dora encourages others to live, breathe, and be with the fullness of their experiences. She loves meditation’s power to create community and bring clarity to people’s minds.

    More about Dora
  • Kessonga has been an acupuncturists, therapist, and meditation teacher, working to bring mindfulness to the diverse populations of the world.

    More about Kessonga
  • Rosie Acosta has studied yoga and mindfulness for more than 20 years and taught for over a decade. Rosie’s mission is to help others overcome adversity and experience radical love.

    More about Rosie
Your lifelong guide to better mental health

Your lifelong guide to better mental health

Stress, sleep, and all the challenging emotions — care for your mind with the everyday mental health app that's shown to make a difference.

Try 14 days free
Look After Your Mind

Look after your mind

Proven guided meditations and programs to help you stress less, sleep more soundly, and better navigate life’s challenges

Science Backed

Science-backed

Studies show that using Headspace for 30 days can reduce stress, increase resilience, and improve overall well-being

Explore Content

Explore 1000+ 
expert-led exercises

Access our library of meditations, breathing exercises, and guidance videos for stress, sleep, focus, everyday anxiety , parenting, and more.

Member reviews

Hear from some of our members

Your app brings so much peace and tolerance to our home.

Rachel

UK

Member-Icon-01

Changing my thoughts has allowed me to change my life.

Davide

London

Member-Icon-04

The stress and loneliness courses … taught me how to comfort myself.

Alicia

Canada

Member-Icon-03

Headspace provides me with … a connection to myself, and a disconnection from negative thoughts, feelings, and sensations.

Keri

UK

Member-Icon-02

Related to 'Finding Time For'

Finding Joy

Podcast4 min

Mindfulness helps us feel connected to the world, so we can share joy with the people around us.

More to explore

Beginning Meditation

Explore-More-Icon-02

Reframe Stress and Relax

Explore-More-Icon-01

New and Popular

Explore-More-Icon-03

Becoming a Mindful Parent

Explore-More-Icon-04
    • Terms & conditions
    • Privacy policy
    • Consumer Health Data
    • Your privacy choices
      Privacy Choices Icon
    • CA Privacy Notice
  • © 2024 Headspace Inc.
  • Terms & conditions
  • Privacy policy
  • Consumer Health Data
  • Your privacy choices
    Privacy Choices Icon
  • CA Privacy Notice