How to Feel More Joy

The Hourglass Painting by Addie Hirschten

I was listening to a podcast recently on how to bring more joy into our lives. Part of the discussion was that if a person feels disconnected from the feeling of joy, it is because they have unprocessed grief, anger, or sadness that they have not allowed themselves to feel. It reminded me of what I have heard Brene Brown speak of regarding joy: that our ability to feel joy is equal to our ability to feel our painful emotions and that joy is our most vulnerable emotion. In addition to her wisdom, I would also suggest that feeling stressed and overwhelmed prevents us from feeling joy. Most people I know are stressed and overwhelmed and have feelings or painful experiences they have not yet processed. Myself included.

I know, mentally, how beautiful my life is and how much I have to be grateful for, and yet, there is a difference between knowing it and feeling it. One of the clues that I needed to process some harder things in my life is that some external things that would have brought me joy in the past were not providing that same feeling of joy to me. It indicated that my inner state of being was heavy with emotional energy and was interfering with my ability to feel a sense of happiness. I knew I needed to release it. I did this by talking about it with a trusted friend. Once I talked about how I was feeling, some of the heaviness was lifted, and I felt lighter. I now feel closer to the internal experience conducive to feeling joy from a more relaxed, grounded, and centered place.

Are there some things you carry as burdens that need to be released? Do you need to lighten your load? Remember, letting go leads to joy. It's a powerful act of self-care and empowerment to release the emotional weight we carry, which most of us have way too much. Find a way to let go. You’ll feel so much better when you do.