Joy as a Radical Act: Why Choosing Joy Is Good for Your Mental Health
I don’t need to enumerate the ways in which the world feels dark these days. I’ve written before about the challenges of coping during uncertain and chaotic times, about the benefit of radical acceptance, about focusing on what you can control, about limiting your news consumption. All these strategies are helpful and necessary, but they are very much centered on limiting the negative and letting go of control. What if I told you there was a radical act you could engage in every day, that just may make the world feel a little lighter.
In a world filled with stress, uncertainty, and constant demands, joy can feel hard to access, and for some, can feel like a luxury. In this blog post, we’ll explore why choosing joy is a radical and essential act of self-care, good for your mental health, and how joy can act as a form of political resistance and expression. Will also discuss and simple ways to intentionally welcome more joy into your daily life.
What Does It Mean to Choose Joy?
Choosing joy doesn’t mean ignoring pain or pretending everything is fine. Instead, it means allowing space for beauty, pleasure, and connection, even (and especially) in the face of hardship or pain. It means intentionally cultivating and creating joyful moments, recognizing and celebrating small victories, being willing to feel hope and connection even when it feels vulnerable to do so.
Joy as Resistance: A Radical Act of Mental Wellness
Much has been written about joy as a radical act of resistance and rebellion. Movements of liberation, including the Civil Rights Movement in the US, understood and harnessed the propulsive power of joy. To choose joy in the face of injustice or trauma allows us to reclaim a sense of agency and choice and to center connection with others. When we choose joy, we reclaim our right to happiness and hope. In the words of the great poet and activist Audre Lorde,
“Caring for myself is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation, and that is an act of political warfare.”
The Mental Health Benefits of Joy
Numerous studies have shown that positive emotions like joy:
Lower levels of stress and cortisol
Improve immune system functioning
Support nervous system regulation
Strengthen interpersonal relationships
Buffer against depression and anxiety
Remembering, cultivating joy isn’t about always feeling happy or ignoring difficult experiences, it’s about permission to celebrate and create moments of lightness and fun that help us feel grounded, hopeful, and connected.
How to Choose Joy: Simple Strategies That Support Mental Health
Here are a few ways to bring more joy into your daily life, even when things feel hard:
1. Savor Small Pleasures
Notice the little things: a warm drink, fresh air, a funny text from a friend. Practicing mindfulness helps you recognize and appreciate these micro-moments of joy, or as I like to call them, micro-joys.
2. Connect with Play
Play isn’t just for kids. Engaging in something creative, spontaneous, or just plain fun is a powerful way to tap into joy and release stress.
3. Set Boundaries
Protecting your energy is essential. Saying “no” to what drains you creates more space for what brings joy.
4. Engage Your Senses
Listen to music that you enjoy, dance in your kitchen, light a favorite candle, eat something delicious. Sensory experiences are a direct line to joy.
5. Practice Gratitude
Even in difficult times, taking a moment to recognize what’s good can shift your mindset and open you up to more joyful experiences.
6. Celebrate Small Victories
If you’ve worked with me in therapy, you know that I’m a big believer in taking the time to celebrate all wins, big or small. They all count, and it feels great to acknowledge them.
7. Give Yourself Permission
You don’t have to earn joy. You are allowed to feel good, even (and especially) when the things are hard.
Final Thoughts: Joy Is a Practice
Joy is not a permanent state—it’s a practice. Some days it may come easily; other days, it may be more difficult to access. But remember that choosing to find and feel joy, again and again, is a radical and healing act.