Unmasking Joy During Times of Uncertainty

A Different Time

If you’ve listened to any news stations recently, you may have heard the phrase “we’re living in unprecedented times.” Everywhere we look, we find uncertainty and questions about what will come next. The world is changing rapidly and many of us have found ourselves pondering a mounting question recently. 

How do we feel joyous when we feel so much uncertainty? 

We each have a different idea of what joy looks like throughout the different seasons. Leading up to a major holiday is often synonymous with preparation for extravagant seudas, planning celebrations, and joining together with our communities.

But this year feels different.

When our family is struggling, it is normal and appropriate to feel complicated and multifaceted emotions. We feel our people’s pain, feel the uncertainty of the present moment, and hope the best for our families and communities. We’re left holding onto many mixed emotions that pull us in different experiential directions.

A More Reflective Joy

Perhaps the answer lies in a different approach. While this year may not feel the same as past ones, we are given the opportunity for, and encouraged to embrace a different style of joy; a more reflective one.

Reflective joy looks inward rather than outwards. While previous holidays may have offered a less complex way to access joy, this year requires greater reflection.

Experiencing uncertainty presents a complicated road to cross. One way we can traverse it is through understanding one of our truest sources of joy: gratitude.

Each of us has much to be grateful for. And countless research studies on the science of gratitude have consistently shown the same thing. Gratitude practices are a fundamental part of living a happy and healthy life.

Taking specific time to reflect on each of our blessings is a valuable tool during uncertain times. We don’t always know what will be outside of us. But we can look inward to our lives to access the joy that is already there, often buried beneath the surface.

Recognizing gratitude can be as small or large as we need it to be. It may be something as simple as reflecting on having had a good night of sleep. Or as expanded as cultivating gratitude for one’s family and loved ones. 

Contemplating and expressing our gratitude, either through speaking, writing it down, or some other method is an important way to access joy during challenging times.

The Joy of Supporting Others

In addition to gratitude, identifying real ways we can support our communities during difficult situations is crucial. One of the most powerful strategies we can use to increase joy internally, is by creating it externally within others. 

Giving can often be a reflective action. When we are able to provide relief and happiness to others, positive emotionality reflects back to us. Lifting up others brings us up with them.

When we give, we receive an opportunity to see how powerful our impact on the world can be. This can be as simple as giving charity or reaching out to friends who you haven’t spoken to in a while. Doubling down and intentionally engaging in these small situations to lift up those around us truly builds up our internal and external worlds.

Approaching Today

While this holiday season may feel different from previous years, we are given a significant opportunity to embrace joy. This joy can be achieved by looking inward. Reflecting on the good that is already present in our lives is one of the more powerful tools we have to increase our sense of happiness and wellbeing.

Moreover, there is an even greater power when we experience this joy together as a community. Identifying small ways to reach out and connect with other fosters connection and unity during uncertain times.

This article is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.