Joy Vs. Happiness (Source: Psychologies Magazine)

When striving for the ultimate goal of life-long happiness, it can be confusing as to how we define the term 'happy'. It's different for every one of us - to some, studying and being in education makes us happy - we are getting smarter and enjoy learning - to others, this is the dullest thing in the world. In the Psychologies Magazine (info sourced from the online version) it is debated whether experiencing joy is relevant to being happy.

It is stated in the article that whilst joy and happiness are wonderful emotions to experience, they are completely different in nature. They advise that joy is a more consistent feeling, as in created within oneself. Happiness is something triggered when we experience something - may this be through seeing friends, visiting places, developing certain thoughts or witnessing events.

Joy
- More consistent and constant
- Can be self-created and maintained
- Made when being at peace with yourself
- Not linked with external factors

Happiness
- Triggered by external stimuli (people, places, things and thoughts)
- Not based on being comfortable with oneself

Many of us have lost touch with ourselves and therefore the feeling of joy - it is a hard goal to reach and takes effort and commitment. Instead of striving for joy, the writer states that we have become lazy and fill this emotional void with harmful behaviours, such as drinking, taking drugs and eating addictive foods. Fleeting moments of happiness can be found in every day experiences, such as watching a favourite TV show. This is helpful to our psyche but does not have the same benefits as experiencing 'true happiness', which takes time to cultivate.

To increase the joy you experience, try the following:

1. Meditate to quieten your mind
2. Reduce time spent on social media
3. Keep a gratitude journal

1. Meditation can remind us to listen to our hearts and not just our brains.  Intuiting is just as important as logical thinking. Slowing down your thoughts allows more control over your brain and allows you to realise what brings you true joy.
2. It's easy to get carried away with what we are told to wear, eat, think and do. Limiting the time spent looking at social media allows you to stop basing you ideals on what the media tells you, or what your friends think.
3. Write down anything which you are grateful for. This will help you grow as a person and become stronger within yourself. Try to write down 10 things each day, and include anything you like. After a few days of this, you might be able to notice a running theme - take note of this and work things into your day which bring you joy. This practice helps us become more appreciative, more trusting and develops higher self esteem.

The last few words of advice are to enjoy the little things in life - we are always in a rush and don't take the time to appreciate what makes us happy or joyful. Stop taking things for granted! Being Mindful is another great thing to practice - it means being aware physically, mentally, and emotionally of the present moment. 

After practicing all the above, joy should become a more constant state of mind instead of a briefly touched-upon moment. This can be produced internally and won't rely so heavily on external factors.

Source
https://www.psychologies.co.uk/joy-vs-happiness