Seven Proven Ways To Feel More Joy

Most people think joy is just something that will happen to them.

One day, things will come together. One day, you’ll be happy.

The thing is, as with most things in life, joy is a skill. One you can train. One you can improve.

Before you get too excited though, I have to preface this: the pursuit of joy in itself will actually take you further from the goal.

If you’re doing the seven habits I list below just to get to “joy” — whatever that means to you — you’ll miss it entirely.

You have to let go of joy as a goal before it can show up.

I know it’s paradoxical, but you’ll start to understand.

Okay, onto the habits.

Habit #1: Train your brain to notice micro-moments

If you actually start paying attention, you’ll see they’re everywhere: the way sunlight hits the wall in your kitchen, the smell of coffee before you take a sip, the little smirk your friend gives when you both notice something ridiculous.

Your brain has a filter called the Reticular Activating System. It notices what you tell it to notice. If you constantly talk about stress, it’ll show you more of it. But if you start catching those little moments, your brain will get the hint: “Oh, this stuff matters.”

Try this: at the end of the day, write down three things you appreciated that were under 10 seconds long. It rewires your brain surprisingly fast.

Habit #2: Move your body in joyful ways

Not exercise for “health.” Not grinding out miles because you “should.”

I’m talking about movement that makes you smile mid-motion.

For me, that’s climbing. Sometimes it’s running. Sometimes it’s dancing terribly in the kitchen while I’m making eggs.

The point isn’t performance — it’s pleasure. And when your body moves in a way it enjoys, it sends chemical fireworks into your brain: dopamine, endorphins, serotonin. You literally become more capable of feeling joy.

Habit #3: Savor like a scientist

The longer you hold a positive emotion in your mind, the more your brain treats it like it’s worth saving for later.

Think of it like letting a piece of chocolate melt instead of chewing it.

When you’re enjoying a song, keep listening even after you’ve felt the “high point.” When someone says something kind, sit with it for a beat longer instead of brushing it off.

That extra 10–20 seconds tells your nervous system, this is important — more of this, please.

Habit #4: Do something kind (anonymously)

Here’s the twist — don’t let the person know it was you.

Buy someone’s coffee and disappear before they can say thanks. Leave a note on a stranger’s windshield saying, “You’re doing great.” Drop a book you love into a Little Free Library with no name inside.

Kindness without credit is a pure form of joy because it removes ego from the equation. The reward is just the act itself.

Habit #5: Create more than you consume

We live in a buffet of content. But here’s the thing — the brain gets a deeper, longer-lasting joy from making something than it does from watching something.

You don’t have to be “good” at it. Draw, write, cook, build, record a podcast episode, sing into your phone.

Every time you create, you shift from being a passive observer to an active participant in your own life.

Habit #6: Connect deeply (even briefly)

One of the most underrated skills in the world is asking one more question.

That extra “What made you say that?” or “How did that feel?” can turn a two-minute chat into a memory that sticks with you all week.

It’s not about the length of connection — it’s about the depth. Even a 30-second genuine exchange with the person making your coffee can light you up.

Habit #7: Practice joy on a delay

Weird truth: your brain often gets more dopamine from anticipating something than from the thing itself.

So give yourself more to look forward to. Plan a mid-week coffee with a friend. Set aside a Friday night for that movie you’ve been saving. Even silly stuff works — like leaving your favorite snack in the fridge and thinking about it during the day.

Joy isn’t just what happens in the moment — it’s what builds before it.

Final thought:

You can’t force joy, but you can build the conditions where it has no choice but to show up.

It’s like planting a garden — you can’t make the flowers bloom, but you can make sure the soil, sunlight, and water are all there.

So try one of these this week. Not to chase joy, but to live fully. Joy will find its way in.

🎙 The Grateful Podcast

I host a podcast where I sit down with incredible thinkers, creators, and change-makers to explore how to live with more gratitude, purpose, and ambition.

• Monday → A solo episode where I share the raw lessons I’m learning in real-time.

• Wednesday → Conversations with guests who are chasing meaningful lives and doing what they love.

Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube.

🌱 1-on-1 Gratitude Coaching

If you’re chasing a dream and feel stuck, burnt out, or unsure of your next move—this is for you.

I work with two different client profiles:

1. I guide ambitious young people to help them find clarity, take action, and live with more gratitude along the way.

2. I help burnt out, established CEOs, founders, and entrepreneurs ground in presence so can start optimizing for a life that feels good on the inside and doesn’t just look good from afar.

It’s not therapy. It’s not life coaching.

It’s a real conversation about who you want to become—grounded in purpose and built on action.

🔗 Book a free 15-minute call

Email me at [email protected] to get scheduled.

Thank you for reading.

Keep showing up. Keep dreaming big.

I’ll see you next week.

With gratitude,

Jack