Permission to Feel Joy EP 330

Permission to Feel Joy EP 330

From Your Daily Dose of Hope by Phyllis Nichols,, SoundAdvice Strategies

May 1, 2026 · 3 min · Season 2 · Episode 330

About this episode

Phyllis Nichols discusses the importance of allowing oneself to feel joy without guilt or fear of disappointment.

Hello, beautiful human. I want to give you permission for something today. Permission to feel joy. I know that sounds almost too simple. But I've noticed that so many of us have this quiet, guilty feeling when things are going well. Like we should hold back, not celebrate too much, not let ourselves get too happy because surely something will go wrong. That's called "foreboding joy," and researcher Brené Brown writes about it beautifully. The first time I heard her talk about it, I recognized it right away. It’s downplaying a big accomplishment because we don’t want to worry what might happen next or if we can follow up with something as impressive. It’s not celebrating and instead, deal-making with ourselves instead. If I don’t share my good news or get too excited, then I’m somehow keeping something bad from coming. It’s not rational, but it’s how we’ve often learned to cope. We preemptively dim our own light to protect ourselves from potential disappointment. And in doing so, we rob ourselves of the very moments we've been working toward. Here's how I’m learning to push back to that habit: joy is not naive. Feeling joyful isn’t selfish, it’s courageous. Letting yourself feel…

People in this episode

Host: Phyllis Nichols

Topics covered

  • joy
  • mental health
  • emotional well-being
  • self-acceptance
  • celebration

Keywords

  • joy
  • foreboding joy
  • Brené Brown
  • emotional health
  • self-acceptance
  • celebration
  • mental wellness

More episodes of Your Daily Dose of Hope

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Your Daily Dose of Hope podcast page.