
A Practice for Naming and Cultivating Joy
We can cultivate joy and support our emotional well-being by becoming more fluent in describing positive emotions. Building our vocabulary can expand our emotional range and deepen self-understanding. This practice can be done using an emotions wheel—a visual tool that offers a broader range of emotional vocabulary beyond “happy” or “fine.”
First, pause to acknowledge a positive experience, then identify the word that best describes it. As we begin to anchor emotions in memory and meaning, using words like amused, grounded, proud, valued, or delighted, we add nuance and clarity to our emotional knowledge, helping strengthen our ability to access positive feelings again. This promotes greater emotional awareness and attunement. It is especially helpful when dealing with symptoms of depression, anxiety, or overwhelm.
Naming joy teaches the nervous system that connection, ease, and pleasure are safe and accessible.
Avoiding joy can unintentionally reinforce the idea that only difficulty is valid. Over time, this can lead to emotional rigidity or burnout. Recognizing what feels good—no matter how small—restores balance.
Here’s another exercise you can try:
- Pause during the day and ask: What’s feeling good right now?
- Choose a word from an emotions wheel that best describes it.
- Write it down, say it aloud, or share it with someone you trust.
Practicing joy doesn’t require perfection. It just requires presence.
And with practice, noticing joy becomes easier, more natural, and more lasting.
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