I’m sitting on my office floor. Pregnant. In the middle of a construction zone. And in all the chaos, what I really want to talk about today is JOY. 

Any college athlete can tell you that sometimes the team just needs a break. Maybe you’re all burnt out after a long tournament, maybe you’re in the middle of a losing streak, maybe you’re about to go into finals week. 

When my team needed a break the most, you know what my coach would do? He wouldn’t cancel practice. He wouldn’t give us an easy practice. He would have us play indoor soccer (and he’d play it with us). 

Let me remind you that this was my BASKETBALL coach. 

And you know what? The simple act of doing an activity that we were all pretty bad at changed EVERYTHING. These indoor soccer practices were so much fun. The room would be filled with laughter, we would be playful, joyful, and totally lose track of time. We would let go of our egos and try to bounce the ball off our coaches head.  

And guess what? The next day at practice would be so much lighter. 

Which brings me to my big question today: How are you carving out space for joy in your life? 

As competitive athletes, we are hard workers. It’s second nature to us to put in the time, put our heads down, and grind. But this type of mindset can have diminishing returns. Sometimes, the answer isn’t to work harder. Sometimes the answer is to invite joy, fun, and playfulness back into your life.

Today’s extended episode will give you real-life, actionable tips to help you pursue joy. Listen to the full episode for:

• How to train your brain to attract joy in your life