Comment Section for Want to Feel Happier? Here’s How to Cultivate Positive Emotions. - The New York Times

The webpage is a New York Times article titled "Want to Feel Happier? Here’s How to Cultivate Positive Emotions," written by practicing psychologist and assistant clinical professor of psychiatry, Jenny Taitz. The article discusses the concept of 'reward sensitivity,' a psychological term referring to the ability to seek out positive emotions and enjoy life. Taitz underscores the importance of strengthening this 'happiness muscle' to improve mental health and overall well-being. The article highlights that focusing on enhancing positive emotions can often be more beneficial for individuals than merely reducing negative symptoms. This point is supported by recent studies, including one in 2023 that found adults undergoing psychotherapy to boost positive emotions reported better improvement than those whose therapy focused on reducing negative emotions. Another study conducted in 2024 indicated that regular prompts to plan pleasurable activities and savor positive moments using smartphones helped improve feelings of optimism among students. Taitz outlines several practical strategies to increase reward sensitivity, such as planning one enjoyable activity per day, savoring positive moments by dwelling on the details, and implementing some subtle changes like expanding one's joy vocabulary, sharing positive experiences, finding silver linings, and forecasting future wins. The article also acknowledges the challenge of letting oneself feel happiness, especially for those dealing with depression and anxiety, and emphasizes the importance of giving oneself permission to feel good.