PSA: Need an immediate dose of joy? Scroll down to find our science-backed, fool-proof, joy-finding techniques.
Life has always had its ups and downs, but the last few years have felt like we're snowballing at full speed toward disaster. The pandemic, the climate crisis, the escalating cost of living crisis and political instability are all contributing to a general sense of doom and gloom, making it hard to maintain anything except a bleak outlook on life.
In fact, a new study by the Prince’s Trust has illustrated just how dire the situation is for young people: happiness and confidence among 16-to-25-year-olds have hit a 13-year low, meaning that the last time things were this bleak was in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis. While those under 40, once thinking about trying to buy a house, start a family or pay off debt, are watching their aspirations, hard work, and planning crumble. We think it's fair to say that the national spirit is at an all-time low, and it's hardly a surprise.
However, today (20 March) is International Day of Happiness and the very first day of spring (seriously, has the wait for a new season ever felt so long?!), and so we're more determined than ever to spread the joy - and it's not just because we fancy it. In fact, during hard times, finding joy is more important than ever. We're not suggesting we stick our heads in the sand and book an extravagant trip to the Maldives, nor are we out-right saying that if cancelling a subscription to a streaming site is going to help you feel calmer about your financial situation, you should stick firm and keep it running, but we are saying that finding a capacity to keep some joy in our lives is not to be undermined.
56% of young women are worse off than last year, a new survey reveals.
Feeling joy during a stressful time actually “undoes” the negative cardiovascular effects of stress on the body.
And you don't just need to take our word for it. Research by psychologist Barbara Fredrickson (among others) suggests that feeling joy during a stressful time actually “undoes” the negative cardiovascular effects of stress on the body and that people who experience positive emotions amid adversity cope better and are more resilient in the face of future problems. In fact, in the words of the Dalai Lama, choosing joy at a time like ours is a revolutionary act.
Finding joy doesn't have to mean spending extra money or neglecting realistic planning. Still, it does require prioritising in a world where we are continually being fed bad news and being gaslit by the government for not working hard enough. And don't get us wrong, we're not saying it's a miracle fix, nor are we trying to undermine the depth of stress and angst that many of us are feeling right now about very real issues; we're just trying to find pockets of relief where we can.
As a plus-size woman, I cried watching Jayde Adams dance around the stage without being covered up by a wrap dress.
So, we've pulled together a list of 8 science-backed ways to find joy when it feels like the world is falling apart, from joining a local library (a la Matilda) to joining a chanting class. Because as my grandma always tells me, “Learning to find joy is a skill that will lighten the load all your life.”
8 ways to find joy when it feels like the world is falling apart
In positive psychology research, gratitude is strongly and consistently associated with greater happiness. According to studies from Harvard Medical School, gratitude helps people feel more positive emotions, relish good experiences, improve their health, deal with adversity, and build strong relationships. Other studies have looked at how being grateful can improve relationships. For example, a study of couples found that individuals who took time to express gratitude for their partner not only felt more positive toward the other person but also felt more comfortable expressing concerns about their relationship.
So, how can you start a gratitude practice? There are myriad ways you can do this, from setting aside time to write a gratitude journal each day, or simply recording things you are grateful for in the notes section of your phone, or creating a WhatsApp group with friends where you can share your own gratitude and revel in your friends too.
It doesn't even have to be that rigid if you struggle with setting daily tasks like this; simply saying three things you're grateful for aloud – or in your head, if you're in public – whenever you remember will bring you joy at that moment.
There are multiple studies from around the world that have sought to measure brain activity during chanting, and nearly all of the studies found that chanting improved mood and reduced stress levels.
Plus, chanting can help you sleep, boost serotonin and generally help you feel more uplifted – in a similar way to belting out your favourite song at the top of your voice. Whether you want to join a group class at your local yoga studio or just find a quiet space in your home, head to YouTube and dip in whenever you please, the calming and joyful effect can be felt during and after just one session.
Cast your mind back to Matilda: she lived a sad, lonely life, then she joined a library, immersed herself in books, and her life changed. We know that the story itself, written by Roald Dahl, is fiction, but the idea that books can bring us joy is a fact. It's a way of escaping, learning, and letting your imagination run wild for a while, and joining a local library means you don't need to shell out hundreds of pounds on buying new books (plus, it's better for your community and the planet).
In fact, Reading has been shown to put our brains into a pleasurable trance-like state, similar to meditation, and it brings the same health benefits of deep relaxation and inner calm. Regular readers sleep better, have lower stress levels, higher self-esteem, and lower rates of depression than non-readers.
Here's to Black British literary babes.
It's one of the worst-kept secrets (luckily) that dancing makes you feel good. When you dance, your body releases endorphins, the chemical that triggers an increased feeling of well-being and, miraculously, reduces our perception of pain.
And you needn't worry if your rhythm is off, because simply shaking your body around is also known to help regulate your nervous system and calm the body when it's overstimulated. And, amazingly, some experts believe that you can actually help to heal trauma this way too. In Dr Peter Levine's book Waking the Tiger: Healing Trauma, he notes that animals can be observed shaking to release tension and stress, and there's a suggestion that it can do the same for humans too. The shaking or vibrating helps to release muscular tension, burn excess adrenaline, and calm the nervous system to its neutral state and, last but not least, it's pretty freeing to do.
We know that getting outside during the winter months can feel wholly uninviting - thanks to baltic temperatures and early sunsets - but now that spring is officially here, it's about time we all stepped away from our desks and got outside for some sunlight. In fact, even just stepping onto your balcony or outside your front door and taking deep, refreshing breathes can spark joy almost immediately.
Being among nature has lots of mood-boosting benefits; in fact, research into ecotherapy (a type of formal treatment which involves doing activities outside in nature) has shown it can help with mild to moderate depression. Being outside in natural light can also be helpful if you experience seasonal affective disorder (SAD), a type of depression that affects people during particular seasons or times of the year, and studies show that getting sunlight directly into your eyes for just 15 minutes helps to boost serotonin production (the happy chemical), improves sleep, reduces stress and strengthens your immune system. Plus, it's free. Put a podcast in and pound the pavements near where you live, organise a weekly work with friends or reach out to ask people to join you via neighbourhood groups - making new friends always brings joy too.
From food banks to homeless charities, charities and organisations across the country have never been in more need of support. Of course, donating money is admirable, but so too is giving up your time - and you'll reap the benefits from it too. According to research, volunteering reduces stress and increases positive, relaxed feelings by releasing dopamine. By spending time in service to others, volunteers report feeling a sense of meaning and appreciation, both given and received, which can have a stress-reducing effect.
We spoke to Tali Calnan, who has spent several Christmas days volunteering for Crisis, one of the UK's biggest homeless charities, helping to serve Christmas lunches, make beds and generally talk to those coming to use the shelter over the festive period.
“Those moments of connection, where you can see how much you're being there means to someone, will stay with me forever,” she says. “Though obviously the homeless crisis is extremely troubling, and not solved by me serving potatoes to those coming to the shelter, being able to give little moments of joy and respite to people is hugely rewarding and uplifting for everyone involved.”
It's the new yoga.
You might remember that Billie Eilish led a packed field of fans in a stress-relieving breathing exercise when she performed at Glastonbury back in June 2022. In fact, the Bad Guy singer repeated the wellness practice on stage throughout her tour, and for good reason. Breathwork is rooted in Eastern practices such as meditation in Buddhism and yoga, where breathing while striking different poses is key, and the stress-relieving practice that involves deep, intentional breathing. While shallow breathing sends a message to the brain that you are under threat and releases the stress hormone cortisol, allowing the lungs to expand, relaxing the body and calming the mind.
“Breathwork is a really effective way to spark joy in your life. It can instantly reduce anxiety and stress, which can lead to a much calmer mind so there is a lot more space for joy (and gratitude),” says Sophie Belle, a breathwork facilitator and founder of the online breathwork studio Mind You Club. “Breathwork can also help to rewire your neural pathways, so not only can you reduce your stress responses, but you can actually evoke happiness and joyful states of being. You can take it a step further by participating in Holotropic Breathwork (or Conscious Connected Breathwork)
“Sessions where you use the breath to alter your state of consciousness and through guidance can access feelings of elation and happiness, resulting in a purely joyful experience,” she adds.
There has often been discussions from experts around the health benefits of owning, and tending to, an allotment. The problem is, not everyone has one local, or the money to tend to such a large piece of land and, even if you do, there are often waiting lists of up to 100 years to get a look in. However, you can reap all the benefits from growing plants, vegetables or fruits in your garden, on your balcony or on your window sill.
The cost of living crisis has meant many of us have had our longer term goals snatched to us, but evidence around creating smaller, more achievable goals, has proven that taking on things like growing plants can give us a boost in serotonin, a feeling of purpose and achievement, and it's a nice piece of escapism to find some wholesome joy in your day.
Not only have studies proven that indoor plants can boost your mood, but the action of achieving something – like successfully growing a tomato plant – can give us a good dopamine dose. And, to top it all off, inhaling M. vaccae, a healthy bacteria that live in soil, can increase levels of serotonin and reduce anxiety.
