Increase your positive emotions and find joy day-to-day

Counterbalancing negative emotions (which are natural and inevitable) with a greater dose of positive emotions can require effort at times, but the payoff is more than worth it ALWAYS!

Be realistic. Aiming for happiness all day, every day, is unobtainable and not even healthy. Try lowering your expectations and seek out joy in small things.

Think small and often. Macro-moments of joy sprinkled throughout your day are more achievable, sustainable, and realistic than waiting for happiness to come from the big stuff (like paying off the mortgage or getting a promotion). While a holiday on a tropical island sounds like bliss, it might not be possible, and you don’t want to miss out on the daily opportunities for joy to fill your cup while you wait for a holiday to come around.

Top up your cup. Remember that old saying you can’t pour from an empty cup? It’s so true, when you find small ways to regularly keep your cup topped up, you have more to give those around you.

Once you tap into recognising, incorporating, and valuing the small moments of joy in your daily life, your happiness and positive emotions should intrinsically increase.

How do you seek out more joy?

Spend a little bit of time thinking about what makes you tick and what bring you happiness – and remember to think small and simple. Then think about how to try and include these things into your day or week on a regular basis. And notice when they occur, so you can feel the feels of joy!

Here are 10 possible ideas:

Connect with a friend or family member – make a call or send a message to check in
Take a walk in nature and look at the light in the trees
Watch the sunrise or sunset – sunrise is a beautiful way to start the day
Hug a pet or a person
Make a healthy meal and savour eating it
Do a short high intensity workout, or a 10 minute stretch routine
Put some up-beat music on – can be a fantastic mood shifter!
Pick some flowers from the garden
Smile. Pay someone a compliment
Reflect on what you are grateful for

Use the links below for more ideas…

Related reading:

The power of gratitude – such a small but significant practice that can help you increase your joy and happiness!

Living in line with your values Values act like a compass and dictate and influence everything we do – from behaviours to decision-making and what we believe is right and wrong.

Want to boost your mood and feel better? Top 3 tips for boosting your mood and fuelling your body with foods that help you feel good.

10 science-backed ways to be happier We have far more control over our happiness than we probably realise!

Celebrate your strengths Whether it be at work or in our home life, when we are able to use our strengths more often we are more likely to feel happier, be able to perform better and have a better overall sense of wellbeing.