Sustaining Joy

Joy and happiness can feel elusive and temporary. Momentary pleasant feelings that evaporate as quickly as they arose. Leading us to cling to happiness, causing it to evaporate faster, or chase it down. This is a natural and unhelpful approach as the more we seek out certain feelings the more inaccessible they are and the more frustrated we become. Nonetheless, there is a benefit in knowing what excites and energizes us and cultivating these experiences.

Years ago, during my clinical training, one of my supervisors encouraged me to pay attention to times during the training year when I felt a sense of joy and spark. She explained that joy, like all emotions, is a messenger. A signal of interest and my values, and I could use joy to help guide my decision-making. This was helpful advice as it is easy to pay attention to what we don’t like, but may brush over what we do like.

A sense of joy can come from external experiences, and also from tuning into our internal experiences and taking time to meet our own needs. We cultivate joy by doing things that feel joyful, and not waiting for someone else to give us joy. This may sound simple, yet how often do you take time for joy? Maybe you feel joy when watching your favorite TV show, going for a hike, meeting a friend for dinner, or sitting down and doing nothing.

In this article, Dr. Thema Bryant, psychologist, and president of the American Psychological Association, discusses how to sustain happiness and joy. Dr. Bryant explains, “It is important, and not selfish, to make your wholeness and wellness a priority.” It is helpful to commit yourself to routinely engaging in joyful activities. For example, maybe you commit to walking with a friend once a week. Establishing a routine can help you implement the activity and creates a beneficial sense of predictability in perhaps an otherwise busy and irregular schedule.

Additional tips for cultivating joy include:

• Add something new to your daily routine

  • Try a new recipe, tie-dye an old t-shirt, or style your hair in a new way

• Pick up a new hobby

  • Try a hobby that uses your hand like knitting or painting, read a new genre of book, or engage in fun physical movements like hula hooping or jumping rope

• Do something that makes you feel younger

  • Dance, play a videogame, play a favorite boardgame from your childhood, rewatch a favorite TV series or cartoon, or jump on a swing at a park

I encourage you to think about what brings you joy and then go do one of those things!

-Jennifer Caspari, PhD