What if joy isn't something you have to wait for, but something you can choose?
Based on the latest research and insights from psychology and neuroscience, The Joy Instinct is a step-by-step guide on how to expand our capacity for joy. Readers will discover their signature joys-the most effective ways to find their ideal balance of exhilaration, renewal, and connection. They'll develop the ability to help others experience more joy. And they'll learn how to put joy in service of what matters most-as a resource in hard times, and as fuel for pursuing their most meaningful goals.
You can choose how you respond to life's challenges, and you can harness the best in human nature. Joy is a fundamental human strength, and it is possible to experience joy even when life is difficult. The Joy Instinct is more than a book about happiness. It is a revolutionary reminder that joy is within reach, and a detailed, usable roadmap to the joy we all seek.
Bestselling author and renowned psychologist Kelly McGonigal offers a ground-breaking look at joy and how we can embrace it
In this paradigm-shifting book psychologist Kelly McGonigal reveals that joy gives life meaning, sustains hope, and helps us feel close to others. It is the emotion that tells us: life is worth living, good things are possible, and you are not alone.
And yet, many people find it difficult to allow themselves to feel, show, or even seek joy. Instead, we worry: Is it selfish to want joy? Is joy even possible when life is hard?
Weaving together personal storytelling with insights from psychology, neuroscience, and research conducted around the world, McGonigal offers tangible ways to experience this powerful emotion in everyday life. You'll discover:
- How joy works in the brain and body to provide relief
- How to create moments of meaning, connection, and celebration, in challenging times
- Why joy is a form of social support, and how to bring joy to others
- Strategies to counteract joy dampening that keeps us from enjoying good moments
- Tools to navigate common obstacles to joy, such as envy, guilt, anxiety, and grief
- 20 "joy experiments" you can begin implementing today
Motivating and uplifting, Joy Is a Risk Worth Taking shows that seeking and sharing joy is an act of courage and compassion-and one you can take even when life is difficult.
