Mindfulness and Joy
An Expansive Perspective
When we think about “healing” (and the many definitions that this word can take for many different people) our attention often turns towards pain. The wounds that we have carried, the challenges we’ve endured, and the conflicts that test our patience and capacity.
Honoring this reality is essential as trauma work asks of us to give space to what hurts. But healing is not a monolith, it is not just about tending to suffering. This process is also about gently expanding our awareness to what feels good, the fleeting moments of joy that remind us that life is more than just pain.
Today, we focus on the impact of joy as a balancing act. Not as a replacement for the pain, but as a companion to it.
Returning to Our Nervous System
From a trauma informed perspective, the nervous system is wired for survival. When we have lived through adversity, it becomes easier to notice threat as opposed to safety. This is protective, and it can also narrow our experience of life. Reflection on joy in life matters because:
Positive emotions expand capacity
Research (🔗) shows us that joy (alongside other positive emotions like interest, contentment, and love) help us think creatively, connect socially, and navigate conflict with more flexibility
Joy strengthens capacity
By practicing mindful attention to small pleasures, we can retrain the brain to hold both difficulty and ease — without automatic preference for one or the other.
Philosophical Integration
In many Eastern philosophies, joy is not the opposite of suffering but a companion to it — softening its edges and revealing the fuller spectrum of being human. I share this because it resonates with my own journey of weaving mindfulness into daily life; if these don’t align with you, I invite you to notice the philosophies or influences that do and reflect from that space.
Buddhist View
In Buddhist teachings, suffering is an inevitable part of life. Yet mindfulness invites us to notice not just that pain but also the fleeing moments of beauty and peace that arise within it. In this way, joy becomes necessary balance. A reminder that pain is real, but not the entirely of our existence.
Non-Duality
Many traditions emphasize that opposites are not separate, but interdependent. Without suffering, we would not fully recognize joy. By mindfully noticing both, we cultivate greater wisdom and compassion as we navigate life.
Off The Page: Actioning The Insights
Noticing where joy exists in your daily life
Micro-Practices for Your Week
Building new habits can feel daunting, especially when life is already full of responsibilities, emotions, and unexpected challenges.
These practices are not meant to be rigid rules or standards of success, but gentle invitations to notice what is already present in your everyday life.
Approach them with openness rather than expectation, allowing yourself to discover what shows up for you in the moment. Some days joy may feel subtle, other days it may arrive more vividly — both are valid. The goal is not perfection, but the gradual recognition that joy can coexist with everything else you carry.
Morning Check in ⚡
Before reaching for your phone, pause to notice a pleasant sensation, no matter how small. The warmth of your blanket, the first sip of water, the quiet of the early morning. Allow your body and mind to reflect on the peacefulness that exists in these first waking moments.
Joy Journal 🌞
At the end of each day, write down three moments of joy you experienced. Keep it simple and notate the small things: a smile from a stranger, the calm rhythm of your breath, a song that made you feel uplifted. Get creative and recognize how the day brought you small fleeting delights.
Thank You
Thank you for joining me this week! I’m excited to keep sharing insights from my work, research, and personal journey with you.
Did something resonate with you? Curious about applying these strategies in your life? Or know someone who might benefit?
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