the simplicity and joy of happiness.
Many of my clients come into therapy wanting to “feel happy.” On my initial consultation call, I ask, “If you were to enter into therapy with me how do you want your life to look different in 3 months, 6 months, 9-months?” Essentially asking what are their goals are. This is when I hear, “I want to feel happy or I want to be happy.” As a therapist, it is my hope to educate clients on emotions and teach clients that happiness is an emotion that moves through us and ebbs and flows. I often say, “I can help you find contentment but happiness, like all the emotions, move through us.” Let’s dig in and see what happiness is all about!
Happiness has been studied at great length by social scientists and philosophers.
They have studied what social inequality, work environments, community connection, and economic impacts have on happiness and “achieving happiness.” These are all great things to know and read. However, I am going to break things down and just specifically talk about happiness and how it shows up. This is a time to be curious and notice your own experience as you read through this.
We feel happiness when good things happen to us.
Usually, when something positive, happy, or joyful happens to us we can feel this in our bodies. It can show up as a big smile, the feeling of having a ton of energy, or wanting to move in a way of jumping up and down. A squeal of a sound might come out of your mouth or a loud scream of excitement.
At 17 years old, I got my first job. I was hired by Little Caesars. I could not believe someone would hire me and I remember calling my friends, who also worked at Little Caesars, screaming into the phone and jumping up and down. I had so much joy coming through. I still get a smile on my face thinking about my first job making $5.00 an hour. Moments of joy can stay with us and be remembered in our bodies.
Some things just might make you feel happy.
For me having fun with friends and family, planning a backpacking trip, having my favorite homemade dinner, yummy chocolate cake, or a walk-in nature just simply make me feel happy.
My partner and I tend to go on morning walks. There is nothing special about the route we take because it is the same loop every time, but the simplicity, smell of fresh air, and sun coming down just make me feel happy.
What can it look like when you feel joy?
When you are able to feel joy, your lived experience might look a bit different than mine or someone else’s. I encourage you to take a moment and be curious about what it looks like when you feel joy. This can look like different body sensations, movements, actions, or thoughts. You can even journal about your experience.
Here are just a few ways it can look:
· Laughing out loud
· Sharing your happiness with others
· Deep belly laughs
· Tears coming from your eyes
· Feeling safe to socially engage
· Finding contentment in the small things
· Feeling joy watching the sunset
· Wanting to call your best friend just to say hi.
For some individuals, happiness can be a difficult emotion to feel, stay in, and experience. It can be fleeting. As we continue in this blog series, I will discuss ways to increase emotional joy.
To sum it up -
Happiness is a feeling you can share. Happiness can have a different meaning for all of us. We can feel joy when good things happen to us and some things just might simply make us happy.
If you are ready to take the step into feeling more joy and understanding how emotions and past traumas impact your body and brain reach out today.
As a therapist in Ogden Utah, I specialize in trauma therapy and PTSD treatment, high-functioning depression, and anxiety and stress relief.
As one of the counselors in Ogden Utah, I can help you feel your way to better feeling through body-brain modalities. To find out more about Brainspotting therapy or EMDR therapy read here and head on over to the contact page to get in touch.
