Even while navigating challenges, adversity, and trauma, embracing joy plays a vital role in offering insight, resilience, and a way to move forward.
There are many reasons and circumstances that may lead us to mentally hunker down in order to prepare, endure, or recover from life’s complications, struggles, and hardships. Anything that tests our physical or emotional limits can sometimes instigate this kind of coping mechanism—a withdrawal from what is perceived as extraneous emotional experiences, including moments of joy, in an effort to manage or adapt to overwhelming challenges.
It’s natural to seek out or create a sense of security and comfort in life. In times of uncertainty or difficulty, this may occasionally mean keeping our heads down or shutting off parts of ourselves to try and cope with what has come our way.
A temporary emotional shutdown helps divert mental energy and provides time to process what we are going through. It can act like a buffer against experiencing continued upset, pain or trauma and may even clear our minds enough to discover a path forward, encouraging stamina and focus. However, while it can be a necessary way to support ourselves; mentally closing off or withdrawing too much from our everyday lives could mean we begin to perceive our existence as solely revolving around our troubles and woes.
This is not a healthy state of mind to be in, as it will negatively colour how we see our value or progress; attaching an excess weight to what is already being carried.
If we stay too long within a mindset of retreat; forgoing things we used to do or enjoy, each passing day becomes an exercise in missing out on the things that fill us with contentment, purpose, and meaning. We stop living an authentic life, one that collects small moments of pleasure that build strength, vitality, and fortitude. None of us should feel guilty or negatively about withstanding our hardships in this way; we are all doing the best we can—but we should not let too much of what radiates joy pass us by.
Welcoming moments of delight into each day may not be easy when experiencing emotional turmoil. There is no magic wand to wave that makes all our worries disappear, but even if it’s just one joyous thing we do for ourselves; we are reinforcing our well-being each time. Even though it may go unnoticed at first, its positive impact continues expanding. The more we engage with something that uplifts us, the more open we become to finding an antidote to what weighs us down.
Whether small or significant, pursuing things that provide fulfilment enhances mental and emotional resilience, allowing us to savour the present. Intentionally seeking out joy contributes to more balanced, determined, and flourishing happiness.
What brings joy into your life? How to you look after your health and wellness during challenging times?
Further Info:
NAMI Helpline – a free, nationwide U.S. resource that offers experienced peer-support guidance and advice
FindAHelpline – global (by country) resources for free, confidential mental health support
Safe In Our World – a list of global (by country) LGBTQ+ mental health resources and support
This is part of my M.T.N Poetry Collection: If you wish to share my poetry on Instagram, Pinterest or X (Twitter), please tag my corresponding accounts and link to my website; do not edit my work or remove/crop out my name or site address from being clearly visible within the post. For all other purposes, please contact me for permission so that information regarding terms of usage can be provided. Thank you.
transatlantic | notes 
Lovely poem, Molly. I try to find joy in the simple everyday things…an outdoor walk, sipping tea in the morning quiet, watching bunnies play in the back garden. I wish you a wonderful Wednesday!
I find joy in very similar ways too, it’s so nice to have little things we can easily access or do that make our days full of joy.
Being with my family brings me such joy. That is why I am making time to spend with them. Thank you for sharing your poem and post.
Being with family is a wonderful way to build, grow and experience joy in life; 100%!
Lovely poem
Thank you!
Lovely poem. Being present is important. And happiness is the most important thing in life.
It is so important to remain present, even during difficult times. We need to keep finding what helps us.
Very interesting, love this poem. My brother writes poems and would find this interesting as well. We need to learn how to recover from life complications and struggles.
That is so great your brother writes poetry too! And yes, we definitely need to find a way through our struggles.
I absolutely love this poem Molly! It resonates a lot with me, especially now as I make transitions in my life and being more present. I’ve found that the past year I’ve lost who I am and indeed became a bystander in my own life just watching time tick away as I festered in the shadows. Hoping that 2024 means better things and I can finally be more present in my own life.
This is so important to recognize in our lives, the fact that sometimes we just watch things pass us by as we lose a bit of ourselves. I hope 2024 is a year where you reclaim yourself (for yourself) and get to welcome all the joy!
Beautiful message and exploration of the experience of “shutting down”. I think you really tapped into it with your writing and at the same time you pushed us to find ways to let the light shine. It’s important to see it as a coping mechanism but also that it is not a desirable, permanent solution. Thank you for the reminder.
This is exactly what i hoped people would take away from this! Shutting down is a coping mechanism that we have to use sometimes, but we cannot exist too long in this way—we must find our way through it into something more healthy.
I can relate to this article, the past few years have been hard. My pet hamster bring me joy. Thanks for this post 🙂
I’m sorry to hear the last few years have been a challenge (I have experienced the same), but it’s so good to have something that does bring you joy in life. I used to love my hamster (Fudge), so I know how wonderful they can be!