The Science of Joy

Let's talk about pure joy.

If you've been a part of our Uncovering You group this week, you will have heard this info, but it's so, so good!

I investigated a little into the science of joy and was fascinated by my findings. Here's a little joy-knowledge for ya!

The Miriam-Webster definition of joy is "a source of cause of delight."

Joy is something that we cannot force- it happens naturally. We can create containers for joy, but the actual joy has to happen on it's own. When we are in a state of unhappiness, we can still feel joy, but sometimes this is when we try to force it into being.

There are 19 different types of smiles that a person can have! Only 1 is a "genuine" smile that we cannot control, also called a Duchenne smile. Think about a photo of you or someone else in which they are shining unadultered joy. You see it all the way through their eyes! (To age myself, Tyra Banks used to call it "sm-eyes" in America's Next Top Model).

Think of the things that truly delight you! We can experience joy in the midst of chaos and we can also work towards what brings us joy.

Some easy ways to call this into your mind: What brought you joy as a kid? What makes you gasp with delight? What makes you lose track of time?

To the joy-est joy there is!

Laura