Five Easy Ways to Increase the Joy in Your Life

: By Jude Bijou

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woman on a swing, happily swinging through the air. at sunset
Image by Andrew Leinster

Five Easy Ways to Increase the Joy in Your Life

by Jude Bijou.

Did you watch the Olympics? It was inspiring and amazing to see the results of so much hard work -- from the athletes and their teams of support people to the volunteers, from the workers to the city of Paris, and from the media coverage to the organizers.

If you were watching, I'm sure you saw the unbridled joy from the medal winners, and the sadness from the participants whose hard work didn't pay off in the way they had hoped. The winners were filled with unbounded energy, jumping around, hugging teammates and loved ones. It's always wonderful to witness such pure joy.

It's been lovely to witness an event than transcends nations, languages, politics, and skin color. On display was the pursuit of excellence in such a multitude of sports. And most importantly, the Olympics were a reminder of the unity and pride we all share.

The 6 Emotions and Their Triggers

While we can experience tons of different feelings, we only have six emotions, each with their distinct physiology. Each of the six emotions is triggered by specific events.

emotional triggers

The Physiology of Each Emotion

Each emotion feels different in our bodies and is expressed differently. All three pairs of emotions feel the opposite. With sadness, we feel heavy, slow, down, where with joy we feel light and bouncy.

Think about the Olympic athletes jumping for joy and squealing because there are few words to express the emotion of joy upon a victory, whether for a team or an individual. Joy is infectious. Our exuberance radiates out as we jubilantly feel elated.

Watching some express joy leaves no doubt it's an emotion unlike any other. And of course, it's amazing to see genuine joy and laughter in some of our politicians, though some (unenlightened ones) see laughter as liability rather than an asset.

The 6 Emotions and Their Triggers

The Two Paths to Joy

There are two paths to spark the emotion of joy, where we'll jump for joy, double over in uncontrollable laughter, or squeal with delight.

First, we can engage in activities that feel truly fulfilling. We can do some joy-making activities, such as create amazing art, listen or play inspiring music, participate in healthy exercise, or complete a difficult task. Thrills and robust laughter spontaneously arise from watching the innocence of children and animals, becoming absorbed in any kind of creative project, or winning a prize, or meeting a goal. Our partner bringing us our morning coffee or hearing truly good news can evoke joy. Dancing, singing, spotting a beautiful bird, running with a loved one through a summer rain, allows our bodies to hum with pure bliss.

The second way we can produce the emotion of joy is by aligning with the four fundamental attitudes that have to do with seeing ourselves in a purely positive light. We can create these joyful attitudes by using our thoughts, words, and actions, and additionally by following our intuition.

When we experience joy, we naturally possess unshakably high self-esteem. We feel worthy, knowing that in our essence we are perfect, even when we make mistakes or are thought of poorly by others. We hold our head high and ride the tide of changing circumstance, like the champion we know we are. Money, or a lack thereof, doesn't define us. We stay grounded in the knowledge that we are whole and complete, no matter what. We are self-reliant, not needing to hear that we are okay and lovable from others. We appreciate and respect ourselves unconditionally. And we are proactive and take personal responsibility. On top of all of that, we are curious and marvel at the wonders of the planet and of being alive.

Five Easy Ways to Increase Joy

Here are five easy tips that will get you moving, decrease the amount of sadness you feel, and spark joy:

1. Mobilize more.

First and foremost, increase the amount of stimulation you are exposed to. That might sound easier said than done, as there's so much inertia pulling you horizontal. Even though it can feel monumental, seek new experiences.

Select positive and interactive entertainment and activities to contradict the inertia. Reach out to others and do things you enjoy together. Push yourself to get regular aerobic exercise (or any exercise for that matter). Take a class. Go on a trip. Work in a garden. Visit a friend. Volunteer.

Start by taking little steps each day. Stay out of your head and enjoy the moment, whatever activity you are pursuing.

Strive for excellence in what you do. Don't get down on yourself when you don't meet your expectations. Just persist and your hard work will pay off. Celebrate your victories.

2. Interrupt that constant mental chatter that tells you how terrible, small, unworthy, inadequate, or unlovable you are. Instead, remind yourself what you know when you're centered and clear.

Many times a day repeat whichever of the following phrases most contradicts your old thinking or make one up along these lines:

"I'm whole and complete. My job is to take care of myself. Life is for learning. We all make mistakes. I am responsible for what I feel, think, say, and do. I love myself. I love me. I can do it."

3. Allow yourself to cry when you feel sad, but while doing so, refrain from trashing yourself or feeling sorry for yourself.

If you already allow yourself to cry, that's great. If you don't, give yourself permission to do so. Crying is good. It's natural. It's healthy, especially as a reaction to hurts and losses.

I suggest you ignore external pressures that tell you to hold it in, and then just go ahead and cry. However, while you do, it's imperative you don't indulge your "poor me... I'm no good" thinking. Just allow yourself to cry while telling yourself, "I feel sad. It's okay. I just need to cry."

4. Speak up more often about what is true for you.

Instead of focusing on what you think others want, need, or believe, ask yourself: "What's true for me?" After you listen within and discover your truth, speak it out while talking about yourself, and translate what you know into action. It can feel foreign at first to consult yourself for guidance (much less speak up), but as you do, you'll find that you feel more energetic, confident, and powerful.

5. In terms of lifestyle choices, stay warm and dry especially on damp, rainy, and cold days.

Don't overeat - or at least try to minimize large heavy meals, especially in the evening. Avoid oily foods, such as fried foods, reduce dairy products, and strive to go easy on sweets.

Final thoughts

If you implement some of these simple suggestions, just a tiny bit each day, much to your amazement, you'll find yourself experiencing more joy.

Book by this Author: Attitude Reconstruction

Attitude Reconstruction: A Blueprint for Building a Better Life
by Jude Bijou, M.A., M.F.T.

With practical tools and real-life examples, this book can help you stop settling for sadness, anger, and fear, and infuse your life with joy, love, and peace. Jude Bijou's comprehensive blueprint will teach you to: ? cope with family members' unsolicited advice, cure indecision with your intuition, deal with fear by expressing it physically, create closeness by truly talking and listening, improve your social life, increase staff morale in just five minutes a day, handle sarcasm by visualizing it flying by, carve out more time for yourself by clarifying your priorities, ask for a raise and get it, stop fighting via two easy steps, cure kids' tantrums constructively. You can integrate Attitude Reconstruction into your daily routine, regardless of your spiritual path, cultural background, age, or education.

For more info and/or to order this book, click here. Also available as a Kindle edition.

About the Author

photo of: Jude Bijou is a licensed marriage and family therapist (MFT)

Jude Bijou is a licensed marriage and family therapist (MFT), an educator in Santa Barbara, California and the author of Attitude Reconstruction: A Blueprint for Building a Better Life.

In 1982, Jude launched a private psychotherapy practice and started working with individuals, couples, and groups. She also began teaching communication courses through Santa Barbara City College Adult Education.

Visit her website at AttitudeReconstruction.com/

Article Recap:

This article presents five easy ways to increase joy in your life. From engaging in activities that feel fulfilling to reframing negative thoughts and making simple lifestyle changes, these tips help spark more happiness and positivity. The article highlights the importance of mobilizing more, interrupting negative mental chatter, allowing yourself to cry when needed, speaking your truth, and making healthy choices. By implementing these strategies, you can boost your emotional well-being and experience more joy daily.

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Thanks for visiting InnerSelf.com, where there are 20,000+ life-altering articles promoting "New Attitudes and New Possibilities." All articles are translated into 30+ languages. Subscribe to InnerSelf Magazine, published weekly, and Marie T Russell's Daily Inspiration. InnerSelf Magazine has been published since 1985.