Finding your purpose and changing your routine will help.
There are ups and downs in everyone’s life. How can we find joy when we are going through difficult times? At least, how can you survive that hardship? Harvard Health Publishing, a health media run by Harvard Medical School in the United States, introduced the difference between joy and happiness, and how to find joy.
Sometimes difficult things come all at once. It’s normal to feel that you can’t find joy anywhere. Severe stressors and traumas, such as health, loss, separation, and natural disasters, vary. Most people will experience severe trauma and loss several times in their lifetime. Losing joy in these situations is a natural reaction.
Not feeling any joy in life can be a sign of a mental health problem or a normal reaction. For some people, the loss of joy is persistent or sudden. This can occur in mood disorders such as depression. The inability to feel pleasure is also called ‘anhedonia’, which is one of the diagnostic criteria for depression. In the United States, regarding 8% of adults will experience depression at some point in their lives, and regarding 20% will experience it for the rest of their lives.
Loss of joy can also accompany mental illness and other mental disorders, including dementia. Certain medications, such as antidepressants, can cause emotional dullness and loss of joy.
What is the difference between joy and happiness?
Joy and happiness are often used interchangeably. Strictly speaking, happiness refers to ‘a pleasant feeling (emotion) resulting from a certain situation, experience, or object’, whereas joy refers to ‘a state of mind that can be found in sadness or uncertainty’.
We can cultivate joy regardless of our circumstances. For example, winning the lottery can induce (short-term) happiness, and engaging in meaningful activities can bring long-term pleasure. The neurobiology involved in pleasure is complex. Neurotransmitters noted for promoting positive emotions include dopamine, serotonin, oxytocin, and endorphins. The good news is that changes in your life can increase your levels of these neurotransmitters. For example, when you run, you can feel a ‘runner’s high’ (a feeling of euphoria that comes from running). Spending time with your baby releases oxytocin, the ‘hug hormone’.
The effects of neurotransmitters on the body range from relaxing muscles to speeding up the heart rate. This may lead to the final pathway that promotes positive emotions. Whether it’s finding a new purpose or enjoying a supportive relationship, the benefits to the mind and body are far-reaching.
How to increase your joy
In difficult times, it’s important to change your routine so that you can experience joy on your own. Here are a few ways to do this. You have to find what works best for you.
– Do regular aerobic exercise. The effect lasts long following exercise is over. Think of physical activity as a bubble bath of neurotransmitters.
– work for others Activities like volunteering create more joy than focusing on yourself.
– Examine your spiritual side. Meditation is a powerful way to modify brain pathways to increase pleasure.
– discover new things Humans are made to experience joy when experiencing new things. Developing a new purpose can lead you to refocus your energy.
-When you’re feeling down, even if it’s only for a few minutes, try to find joy.
– Pay attention to good things. A happy attitude can be cultivated, but it takes practice. You can develop a habit of thinking positively by writing down 3 good things that happened that day in your notebook every day for at least a week.
– Conversely, reduce negative time. Whether it’s a gossiping colleague or a complaining friend, spending time trapped in a negative mindset directly affects us. It is necessary to limit this.
-Focus your efforts on things that give meaning to your life (and don’t focus on money).
If you are taking antidepressants, etc., consult your doctor if the problem is drug-related.
Amazing Benefits of Joy
Either way, increasing your ability to find joy can provide lasting health benefits. Our immune system can be strengthened by these mental states. Immune cells also have receptors for neurotransmitters. Activities aimed at increasing pleasure can reduce stress hormones, improve pain, and alleviate depression. Above all, the joy we get back can help us live longer.
