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May 10, 2021 · Joy makes us want to play, expand our curiosity, and connect with others. Joy lessens the time spent in negative mood states and helps us physiologically recover from negative states more...
- Hilary Jacobs Hendel LCSW
- Undertake a challenging activity with a commitment to mastering it. Think of a project you've wanted to accomplish, whether it's creating a small flower garden in your yard, learning how to give your car a tuneup, or mastering the tango.
- Actively seek joy through inspiration. Another way to get more joy into our lives is to find it through activities that stretch our perceptions and take us out of ordinary day-to-day life.
- Engage in an activity that's pleasurable and feels like play. Do an uplifting and enjoyable activity that's not goal-oriented, but just plain fun. A few examples include throwing a Frisbee with your dog, dancing, hiking, looking at beautiful art, enjoying a concert, or making love.
- Deal with the sadness that blocks joy. When we feel sad, joy it isn't possible to also feel bubbly and exhilarated. In a place that feels safe and private, constructively express your sadness by allowing yourself to cry.
- Go on a joy quest. A joy quest is, essentially, a self-assessment in purpose and priorities. "Joy is tied to purpose," says Lasan. "People miss this. They think joy is a 'nice idea' or some state of bliss that they can never really achieve, but it's what happens when you are committing to things that are in line with your purpose and what naturally inspires you."
- Create a vision board. Once you've crafted a good idea of what your joy and purpose are, the next step is to create a physical and visual manifestation of this: Time to create a vision board.
- Find yourself an accountability crew. The final actionable step is accountability—essentially, how do you hold on to this vision of joy you've created for yourself?
- Make Happiness Your Goal
- Know What Makes You Happy
- Prioritize It
- Savor The Small Things
- Ration Your Time
- Think Happy Thoughts
- Buy Some Happy
- Play Around in Love
- Have A Backup Plan
- Find Purpose in Pleasure
Although increasing happiness levels shouldn’t feel like work, having a can-do mind-set really comes in handy. People who were told to listen to music and attempt to feel happier had a greater boost in happiness over a two-week period than those instructed only to relax as they listened to the same upbeat tunes, found a study published in The Journ...
When was the last time you mulled over what truly brings you pleasure? “A key to steering your own happiness is reflecting on the things that make you come alive,” Fredrickson says. Perhaps it’s been so long since you’ve done some of them that they’ve fallen off your radar. Make a list, if it helps. “Think back to what gave you joy in your younger ...
Sigh if this sounds familiar: you make a major effort to avoid future stress—say, staying up late to finish laundry so tomorrow will be a better day—only to suck your evening dry of all fun. Happiness researcher Robert Biswas-Diener, the founder and managing director of the consulting firm Positive Acorn in Milwaukie, Ore., knows this treadmill eff...
The act of savoring—mining pleasant moments for their joy—is proven to increase happiness. In one study published in The Journal of Positive Psychology, 101 men and women kept diaries for a month, recording positive activities they participated in and how much they did or didn’t savor them. Those who tended to enjoy a good thing—and share their del...
Gold, natural gas and your attention: they’re all scarce resources. Allocate wisely so you can max out time for pleasure, recommends Paul Dolan in his book Happiness by Design. “Every tweet, text or email distracts us from the good experiences and people in our lives,” he says. Some research shows that heavy social-media users are less merry than o...
On those days when you barely have time to breathe, recall something that made you happy. In one study from Michigan State University, bus drivers who smiled as a result of thinking about a positive event, such as a child’s recital, were in more upbeat moods than workers who fake-smiled. Science suggests that a full, genuine grin—one that involves ...
As anyone who has ever bought a trendy, overpriced piece of clothing knows, the kick we get out of purchases wears off fast. Spending on experiences, however, such as tickets to a play (or to Rome), rather than things, creates lasting contentment, with one new caveat. A study co-authored by Ryan T. Howell of San Francisco State University found tha...
If the words Honey, take out the trash!are your idea of foreplay, you know that domestic life sometimes saps the fun out of relationships. “Playfulness energizes both of you and gets your brains in sync,” says Vagdevi Meunier, a relationship therapist certified by the Gottman Institute in Seattle and founder of the Center for Relationships in Austi...
You have backup in case your electricity goes out, even if it’s just a stockpile of flashlights. Time to come up with one in case your mood fails. Michele Phillips, a performance coach in Piermont, N.Y., and the author of Happiness Is a Habit, has a group of friends who have dubbed themselves the Village. “I can call them anytime my day is going ba...
For total happiness, you need a mix of activities that give you joy and a sense of meaning—what Dolan calls the pleasure-purpose principle. “If happiness were only about pleasure, what would be the point of having kids or helping others?” he says. “To be truly happy, we need feelings of purpose, too.” Think of volunteer work or taking a cooking cla...
- Ellen Seidman
Here are the best expert-approved strategies for how to find more joy—in your work and your job, in your home, and in your ordinary life—starting today. Strike up a conversation with friends, family members, even strangers.
- Melissa Goldberg
- 3 min
Jun 20, 2023 · We’ve explored a list of 37 diverse and meaningful ways to invite more happiness into our lives – from the power of gratitude, laughter, and mindfulness, to the joy of creativity, fostering relationships, and self-care.
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Mar 1, 2023 · Joy is good for your body and your mind – three ways to feel it more often. There are many things you can do every day to get a bit more joy in your life.
