They provide relief from stress, allowing our bodies and minds a moment to recover. Positive emotions play an important role in resilience. When you’re stranded at an airport or your living room is underwater, it’s easy to think: What use is joy in tough times like these? If the suffering of others is the cause of your distress - whether those close to you, or those you are reading about in the many upsetting headlines recently in the news - it can also make you feel guilty to be joyful, as if it’s inappropriate to laugh or find pleasure while others are unable to do so.īut joy doesn’t need to stop in tough moments, and in fact, we’re usually better off if we allow a little joy into our struggle. We rely on grit and tenacity to help us push through the difficulty and get to the other side. Often, when a crisis hits, we are tempted to forgo joy and focus our attention only on dealing with the problem at hand. The contrast offered a stark reminder of life’s up-and-down nature, and reminded me of the importance of making space for joy even in the midst of disaster. A day later, a pipe burst in our house, and I found myself driving a rental car across Ohio, trying to make it home to deal with the situation before the so-called “bomb cyclone” snowstorm hit the Northeast. When the new year began I was on the island of Maui, floating carefree on a pool float shaped like a unicorn.
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