***** Copied and Pasted from a mentor *****
Stress can lead us to seek pleasure as a distraction, but it's important to understand the difference between pleasure and joy. A wise spiritual mentor taught me this.
Pleasure is passive and can lead to unhealthy behaviours and a dopamine cycle that causes temporary happiness followed by crashes.
Joy, on the other hand, requires effort and active participation in activities that lead to personal growth and long-lasting happiness.
Consider incorporating more active, joyous activities into your life to improve your overall wellbeing. These include things like…
• Reading a book
• Creating a piece of artwork
• Photography
• Horse-riding
• Dancing
• Playing a sport
• Cooking
• Writing a gratitude journal
• Looking after animals
These joyous activities keep us in the present moment, which allows us to relax, reduce anxiety, feel content, and calm.
These types of “active" activities create long-lasting happiness as they enrich our soul and energise us whereas, passive, pleasure-based activities lead to stagnation.
You do not better yourself in any way when you are performing a pleasure-based activity. And you don’t feel good afterwards.
Mindless, inactive pleasure-seeking activities includes things like:
• Scrolling on social media
• Watching reality TV (one of my vices!)
• Eating a lot of a particular unhealthy food
• Drinking alcohol
Have a think about what you do from day to day that is an inactive passive pleasure vs. an active, joyous activity. Consider where you may be able to bring more active, joyous activities into your life. This can help you live in a way that’s more supportive of your overall health and happiness.
