Happy May — and Happy Mental Health Awareness Month.

There’s something we don’t talk about nearly enough in mental health conversations: Joy. Not as an afterthought, but as a practice. A framework. A strategy.

For many of us—especially those navigating complex emotions, grief, burnout, or trauma—joy is not a distraction from mental health; it’s a part of the work.

And the science agrees:

🧠 Joy supports brain function.
Moments of joy activate the brain’s default mode network, which supports emotional regulation and self-reflection—core components of healing.
– Kringelbach et al., 2021, Nature Reviews Neuroscience

💛 Joy strengthens emotional resilience.
Recent studies show joy can help buffer daily stress and reduce symptoms of emotional exhaustion.
– Ong, Phinney, & Pigeon, 2022, Journal of Affective Disorders

🌍 Joy is culturally grounded and collective.
From Black joy to queer joy to Indigenous joy, community-rooted practices are powerful responses to structural and intergenerational trauma.
– Stringfield, 2022; Figueroa & Hernández, 2023

So this month, if you're working with a provider, try asking:

Where is joy missing from my life?
What small practices bring me joy—and how often do I engage them?
How can I use joy alongside therapy, medication, or healing work?

Because cultivating joy isn't just about feeling good—it's about reclaiming our humanity.