The holidays bring mixed emotions...and we can all find time to reconnect to JOY

Whatever you feel this holiday season, can you bring yourself into a space of knowing there is no right or wrong way to feel? A teaspoon of acceptance can open your heart and mind, giving you space to soften. And that itself may allow you to find some peace and joy this holiday season. Sometimes joy is finding purpose and meaning within your suffering (like understanding and accepting things as they are); other times it is celebrating small moments throughout your days (such as a puppy-dog kiss); and sometimes it is the big moments of connection, such as when Santa arrives on Christmas morning.
Joy is an immense feeling of pleasure, directly linked to happiness. Feeling joyless can lead to feelings of unhappiness, sadness, anxiousness, and fear (Embark Beahvioural Health, 2025). The good news is that there is a pathway back to joy and happiness. Whether you want to embark on that on your own or with support, there are many ways to rediscover your joy. The holiday season is a wonderful time to open your mind and heart to rediscovering joy. There are many opportunities to connect with loved ones; people are in giving, sharing moods. You will likely have more time to try new things or rediscover old things you love, and taking time for yourself may feel more accessible.
My joy is not your joy. It's an important concept. What I get joy from, which is many things big and small, will not be the same for you. As an example, a small thing I get joy from every day is waking up to my dogs' cuddle sessions. You may hate dogs, or you may have a cat you enjoy cuddling with more. Another example is that I get so much joy from being around people and connecting with them in person. In reflection, you may realize you derive more joy from activities you do alone, like reading, walking, or taking a yoga class.
For some ways to cultivate your joy, look below.

Ideas for cultivating more joy:

1. Have you ever discovered your core values? If the answer is yes, take some time to revisit them and align them. It is common for core values to become misaligned. This creates feelings of discomfort, frustration, and anxiety. If your answer was no, this is a wonderful time to learn about them. They are your northstar, your inner guide. Need help uncovering them and learning how to use them? Reach out and ask.
2. Try a reflection journal exercise. Ask yourself these prompting questions:
   What does joy mean to me?
   • When I last experienced joy, what was I doing? Who was I with?
   • When I was little, what brought me joy?
   • If I were to choose one thing that makes me smile, what is it?
     Reflect on these questions.
3. Ask yourself what I am grateful for today? Try to keep a gratitude diary for a few weeks. Write down once a day what you are grateful for. Try focusing on things that are not too big, like I am grateful for my coffee or I am grateful for my healthy mind and body today. According to Emmons et al. (2019), gratitude is a part of our emotional human experience and is directly linked to increased happiness and health. So why not give it a try? Further to that, we now know for sure that one dose of gratitude a day provides us with a teaspoon of happiness over time.
4. Last, when we feel joyless and sad, we get stuck in what I call our emotion mind. We get consumed by our negative or difficult emotions, and it feels convincing that this is where we are destined to remain. It becomes overpowering. The reality is it is emotions and our states of mind are within our control. We can navigate ourselves away from emotion and back to a balanced state (for my DBT friends, this is called Wise Mind). Research shows that the most effective way to do this is through mindfulness practices such as meditation, reflection, and non-judgment. If you are looking to understand this better, please reach out.
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Monthly Sharing Section...

SOMETHING NEW and MEANINGFUL for the New Year: In January, I am partnering with my Supervisor, Mary Earls, to launch the pilot of a new group therapy program called Growing Emotional Confidence. We are building a safe therapeutic space to learn and discuss more about emotions and mindfulness together. Check this out to learn more:
​​​Growing Emotional Confidence - Group Therapy.pdf​
If you are interested in joining, reach out. We are booking intake interviews for the first two weeks of January. Please note that you must already be working with a therapist to be eligible to join the group therapy program. The group starts on January 20th.

SOMETHING I have watched and would recommend for you to watch: Brené Brown is one of my favourite speakers to watch. She is engaging, knowledgeable and grounded in facts. Here is her podcast about living into our values: https://brenebrown.com/podcast/living-into-our-values/

SOMETHING else I've watched and connected with: Finding joy in Alzheimer's with Beth Fauth is a wonderful conversation about discovering joy:

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Monthly Mindful Meditation

During the holidays I really like to spend time connecting to joy and hope.

With gratitude,
Jen James
jen@admitone.ca
​https://www.doublejstrategic.com/​

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References

Embark Behavioral Health. (2025, May 12). Joy vs. Happiness: Understanding the Difference. Embark Behavioral Health. https://www.embarkbh.com/treatment/mental-health/joy-vs-happiness/

Emmons, R. A., Froh, J., & Rose, R. (2019). Gratitude. In American Psychological Association eBooks (pp. 317–332). https://doi.org/10.1037/0000138-020