Most Wonderful Time of the Year
For many of us, Thanksgiving is the beginning of a special time of the year. Colors seem brighter, our steps are lighter, and smiling happens spontaneously. We even experience changes in our thinking and attention, which open us up to creativity and the ability to solve complex problems. In other words, it is a season of joy. We have a playful orientation to the world, even in our work. We think we can do anything. This is what joy feels like.
Joy Involves Being with Others
In a 2012 study, researchers asked middle-aged Americans to reflect on a recent joyful experience. They found that joy was most often experienced with loved ones, concluding that joy is most often experienced socially. This finding is consistent with other studies that show being in the company of loved ones creates an environment of emotional safety, enabling feelings of freedom and playfulness. This finding was also seen during the pandemic when older adults reported that family and friends were the most frequently reported sources of joy.
What Elicits Joy
Most research on joy concludes that the object of joy is always personally meaningful and essential to the individual. In other words, the experience of joy relies significantly upon the subjective individual interpretation. Furthermore, studies show that feelings of joy are sometimes short-lived, such as seeing your favorite performer or spending time with friends. Other experiences of joy were long-lasting, such as changing careers or giving birth. When the object of joy was short-lived, people described joy as an intense and consuming feeling of positivity. In those moments of joy, any unpleasantness or worry disappeared. Similarly, when the object of joy was long-lived, people described an intense feeling of positivity. Still, these experiences differed in that joy was directed toward hopefulness for the future instead of solely focusing on the positive emotions of the moment.
What Does Joy Look Like
Most studies show that experiences of joy also heighten feelings of fulfillment and are often accompanied by spontaneous, playful movements such as laughing, dancing, and clapping. Even if people aren’t jumping, clapping, or tapping a foot, they feel animated and lively. People also describe experiencing an all-encompassing feeling of positivity and goodness, with a profound sense of freedom. When joy was long-lasting, people described a willful loss of control, often as a sense of going with the flow and trusting what happens in their lives. In these cases, the desire to move freely was about letting go of worries and allowing themselves to be open to opportunities.
As December progresses, consider these three questions:
Were there times during the month that I felt time seemed to fly by? Can you link this feeling to the experience of joy
What was the object of your joy or happiness?
Did something happen that made me feel like celebrating?
Did my life go well this month? If so, why?
As you consider these questions, please accept that there is no one correct answer. Our lives are constantly changing. These questions will help you understand the joy that fills our everyday lives.
