JOY is only one of the emotions – a basic emotion, however somehow it is the emotion, which all of us tend to try to reach. In our approach, joy is not synonymous with happiness. Joy is not a universal emotion, rather it is a more complex virtue. In our approach, joy is not caused by a particular event, but comes from the inside of the individual. Joy means acceptance of the self, flexibility in unexpected situations, self-care, capacity of positive emotions and coping with negative situations and uncomfortable feelings. Joy means that the individual experiences more comfortable emotions (happiness, interest, love, contentment, gratitude, excitement) than uncomfortable (sadness, anger, loneliness, jealousy, fear, rejection, self-criticism) ones in the present and looking back at the past.
Joy is also one of the main characters of the famous Pixar movie, “Inside Out”. A happy, very proactive figure, whose main goal is to keep the human, it’s working for, happy. However, Joy, the character soon learns that emotions are interlinked, and that well-being is often coming from overcoming other feelings, like fears, sadness, anger.
During our research in our Ode to JOY project, we wanted to find out, how we can increase the level of personal happiness and contentment of the individual, which indeed the basic of well-being. As we just found out, many people before us have done the same.
Sonja Lyubomirsky (2008) identified several possible sources of joy. According to her theory, everyone has two or three most important areas that represent a source of joy for them. These are the ones that should be practiced the most to have a joyful life. And the others can be an additional source of joy and worth developing.
These are the followings:
- activities that truly engage
- savouring
- forgiveness
- kindness
- relationships
- optimism
- avoiding over-thinking and social comparison
- coping strategies
- gratitude
- spiritual connections
- goals
- taking care of the body
Seligman (2012) identified five most important elements of well-being: positive emotions, engagement, relationships, meaning, accomplishments. After these areas his theory is called PERMA. What PERMA consists of?
- Positive emotions: Positive emotions are not only simply happiness in somebody’s life. It refers to a general attitude toward savouring and integrating positive emotions into daily life such as hope, interest, love, compassion, and gratitude. It does not mean that negative emotions should be forgotten or suppressed. It means that the emphasis is on positive feelings. It also contains resilience. Positive emotions are supported by spending time with important people, doing engaging activities or practicing gratitude.
- Engagement: The concept of engagement is in line with the flow. It occurs when the challenge and skill level is high and they are balanced. But in Seligman’s work it means also living in the moment, being aware of our own sensations and feelings.
- Relationships: Relationships means positive relationships when the individual feels supported, loved and accepted. Positive relationships are vital to a happy life (, strong social networks cause better physical and mental health. Nurturing existing good relationships strengthens life satisfaction and joy. Sharing joy or success fosters a relationship.
- Meaning: Those people who have a strong meaning or purpose in life are more satisfied with their lives and have a better health condition. It may be found in a profession, a community or spiritual belief. It helps to stick to values, important things and keep the focus when difficulties appear.
- Accomplishment: Fulfilling our internal (intrinsic) motivation, achieving our own goals are much more important, than meeting external expectations. Money, fame or power causes much less well-being than reaching one’s own goals. Self-motivation, perseverance and passion for the goals are included in accomplishment, too. This contributes to wellbeing because individuals can look at their lives with a sense of pride.
Some studies have also shown that positive emotions are correlated with more effective immune system functioning which likely influences our ability to fight off diseases, which can lead to reduced employee absenteeism and sick days. Regardless of exactly why or how positive emotions lead to better health, the association between happiness and health is strong and well documented.
Some work-related benefits of mental well-being:
- less burn-out.
- positive emotions also are closely tied to better interpersonal relationships; positive emotions improve social interactions.
- Employees’ emotional experiences have an impact on interactions with clients, customers, and co-workers.
- Positive emotions have a positive impact on creativity and on the ability to solve problems.
- Another likely benefit of positive emotions is increased creativity and innovation in job performance.
- positive emotions lead to greater job satisfaction.
- correlation with stress management
In JOY project – experiencing all the elements of the PERMA model ourselves – we wanted to understand, how using different approaches in training and counselling can lead to this positive well-being, which is indeed the goal of all coaching. Researchers and practitioners from four countries – Hungary, Austria, Germany and Italy – came together again and again to experience their methods, share their ideas, learn from each other, and to develop something that can be useful for other practitioners. We have already made some steps – we keep reporting our findings.
