Family. Food. Travel. Mental health. Design. Home. Cooking. Home cooking. Empowerment. Growth. The big picture. The little things. Life in general. Just as there are seasons to a year, there are seasons to life. Joy in the Meantime is meant to be a trusted resource sharing what’s meaningful and delightful for whatever season you’re in. You are welcome here.
I’m Karin (Ka-Rin).
I’m the creator behind Joy in the Meantime. My meantimes have included becoming a partner and parent, working in clinical social work, traveling as much as possible and creating a place my family can call home.
Finding Joy in Creating a Family and Home
My husband Roger and I are parents to three adventurous boys – Bram, Emerson and Soren – and we are in the midst of renovating our (hopefully!) forever home outside of Chicago. This isn’t our first reno rodeo, and I’ve learned so much about what it takes to celebrate the small projects and tackle the larger ones all while enjoying our everyday lives in the midst of it.
Our family has empathy, hard work and humor at the center of our lives and it centers my work and informs my passions. From weekly family meetings to raucous backyard play, date nights to the late nights that come with parenting, I use this space to document our lives and hopefully share insights and ideas on parenting, partnership and self.
Finding Joy in Seeking Adventure
Whether flying to visit my family in Bergen, Norway (where I was born!) to exploring our town, a sense of constant wanderlust infuses my life and this blog. I want to see the world. I want my family to see the world!
We hope to explore every nook and cranny and expose my children to different people, places, tastes and adventures. We might be jumping in puddles in the backyard or boarding a very long flight. I share the ups and downs – and hard-earned tips and tricks – of planning nearby excursions and traveling afar with family.
Finding Joy in Being A Lifelong Learner and Lifelong Teacher
Everything I create – from a family tradition to a morning ritual to a course I offer – is informed by my background in clinical social work. I served in private practice as a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW), primarily with children, individuals, and families and focusing on a variety of mental health issues.
For over 13 years, I have been teaching and educating recruit correctional officers during the mental health component of their academy training, looking at mental health holistically from the people correctional officers serve to their own wellness in high-stress jobs. I’ve also partnered with schools, educators, and families on topics such as bullying prevention, teen dating violence, empathy skill building and bystander empowerment.
Teaching is one my most favorite things! I love to empower people, and that love led me to develop my podcast and courses to share practical tips to find our joy in our everyday lives. I’d also love to connect with you through my Office Hours Name TBD where we can focus on what’s most important to you right now.
Finding Joy in the Meantime
I started Joy in the Meantime as a way to intentionally pursue joy and purpose in the small, seemingly everyday in-between moments. I wanted to create a space to be present and live in the now moments.
More than anything, I love creating conversations and soft places for people to land. Opportunities for personal exploration and growth. Moments of magic and beauty. Here’s to supporting and being supported. Cheers to being inspired!
Follow @joyinthemeantime on Instagram
Healthy Boundaries 🌱|| When we fail to have boundaries, we risk losing ourselves in others.
Healthy boundaries ensure our needs are met, we feel more confident, and that our opinions matter. Boundaries can also lead to a happier relationship because we are not taking responsibility for others’ actions, emotions, or expecting someone to be a mind reader.
It is our responsibility to care for ourselves, ask for what we want and create our own emotional safety.
We’ve got this, friends 🫶🏼
#mentalhealthadvocacy #mindfulpractice #affirmationoftheday #benicetoyourself #affirmationoftheday #selfhealers #mentalhealthisimportant #selfcareisntselfish #selfcompassion #lcsw #selfacceptance #doingmybest #mentalhealthjourney #bigfeelings
Journal Prompt 🌱|| Journaling can be helpful to know ourselves better. It can also be a safe place to unpack some of the thought patterns that hold us back. Reflecting on self-sabotaging behavior can give us insight into the belief changes needed to increase self-confidence.
Self-sabotaging behavior can be our brain’s way of trying to protect us from some kind of emotional pain. When we tell ourselves these stories, we act in a way that fulfills the expectation, so what we tell ourselves matters. If we can identify these specific beliefs, we can change the stories we tell ourselves.
We all deserve to feel confident, proud, and happy with who we are.
We’ve got this, friends 🫶🏼
#mentalhealthadvocacy #mindfulpractice #affirmationoftheday #benicetoyourself #affirmationoftheday #selfhealers #mentalhealthisimportant #selfcareisntselfish #selfcompassion #lcsw #selfacceptance #doingmybest #mentalhealthjourney #bigfeelings
Encouragement 🌱|| Just a little reminder. 🫶🏼
#mentalhealthadvocacy #mindfulpractice #affirmationoftheday #benicetoyourself #affirmationoftheday #selfhealers #mentalhealthisimportant #selfcareisntselfish #selfcompassion #lcsw #selfacceptance #doingmybest #mentalhealthjourney #bigfeelings
Inner Work 🌱|| Growth and healing come when we’re willing to address challenges, difficulties, and the things that make us uncomfortable.
Inner work helps to create resiliency for challenging seasons and connects us to our purpose. When we face head-on the experiences that have caused us pain, we develop the strength to heal, forgive and not allow our past to determine our future.
We’ve got this friends 🫶🏼
Encouragement 🌱|| Showing up for our friends during times of difficulty is essential for a meaningful and lasting friendship. And while we want to support our friends, it’s not always easy to know what to say, so we often say nothing.
Here are a few ways to let them know you care. Remember, no one expects magical words to cure their pain, but rather, words that let them know they are seen, heard, and valued.
We’ve got this, friends ❤️
Self-Honesty 🌱|| The benefits of self-honesty include better decision-making skills, healthier relationships, less guilt or regrets, awareness of our potential, increased self-confidence, and more profound happiness. Sign me up, right?!
When we embrace all facets of who we are, we can more fully grow.
We’ve got this, friends 🫶🏼
333 Rule 🌱|| This grounding exercise is meant to get us out of our heads and manage distressing thoughts by focusing on the present and being more mindful.
This technique can help prevent anxious thoughts from spiraling and even panic attacks.
While not a cure-all for anxiety, the 333 Rule can help calm and be done anywhere at any time.
We’ve got this, friends 🫶🏼
Cultivating Resilience 🌱|| Resilience is the ability to bounce back after stressful or difficult situations. It’s a skill that takes time, strength, and support from those around you. It’s an understanding that challenges will happen, but you are strong enough to weather them.
We’ve got this, friends 🫶🏼
Encouragement 🌱|| Meaningful and safe connection is something we all need. We’ve got this, friends 🫶🏼
“Self-compassion is the ability to notice our own suffering and to be moved by it, making us want to actively do something to alleviate our own suffering.” - Kristen Neff
Practicing self-compassion leads to increased self-esteem, improved mental and emotional well-being, increased immune health, a better growth mindset, and even finding our purpose.
We`ve got this, friends 🫶🏼
Mental Health Continuum 🌱|| It can be helpful to understand our mental health ebbs and flows based on the seasons of life we’re in. There are seasons when we feel strong and capable and other seasons when we need to rely on our resilience. While there are extremes, most of us operate somewhere in the middle. Seeing that mental health is fluid can help us be forgiving of ourselves and others.
We’ve got this, friends 🫶🏼
Loss 🌱|| If you’ve ever lost a pet, you know how hard it can be. Pets are like our family and, for some, even more so. Like other kinds of grief, there are no perfect words, and just allowing yourself to be present and listen goes a long way. As does offering a meal or creating a meaningful way to remember one’s pet.
I lost my St. Bernard this winter due to a neurological condition, and grieving her was heartbreaking. It was unexpected (she was only 18 months), and it still stings. Simple thinking of you texts from friends meant a lot. ❤️
Have you ever lost a pet? What do you miss most about them?
We’ve got this, friends 🫶🏼
#mentalhealthadvocacy #mindfulpractice #affirmationoftheday #benicetoyourself #affirmationoftheday #selfhealers #mentalhealthisimportant #selfcareisntselfish #selfcompassion #lcsw #selfacceptance #doingmybest #mentalhealthjourney #bigfeelings
On the Podcast
Join me – my best friend Jen – as we dish about finding joy in the meantime.
Courses
Join me – my best friend Jen – as we dish about finding joy in the meantime.
