How to Welcome Positive Emotions This Spring (Even If It Doesn’t Come Naturally)
There’s something about spring that stirs hope, especially as our tired souls emerge from winter. The first birdsong. The slant of softer light. A few stubborn daffodils daring to bloom. It’s easy to think, ooh, maybe I could feel a little better, too.
But — this might feel counterintuitive — sometimes welcoming in positive emotions is hard for us, feeling better isn’t automatic. Joy doesn’t arrive just because the sun does. Sometimes it’s harder to welcome good feelings than it is to stay wrapped in the familiar (dis)comfort of stress, self-protection, or just getting through the day.
Maybe you’ve learned to keep your emotions tightly in check. Maybe you’ve absorbed the message that happiness is indulgent, or that you need to earn rest and softness before they’re allowed. Maybe joy feels fluffy. Or unreachable. Or for other people.
If that’s you, you’re not doing life wrong. You’re simply human.
And still, spring can be an invitation.
Not for a complete overhaul. Not for a shiny new self. But for a quiet kind of reawakening — a practice of letting in a little more light.
What Makes It Hard to Feel Good?
There are real reasons why positive emotions don’t always land easily.
We’re often taught from early on to downplay joy, contain excitement, or push pleasure aside. Maybe you grew up in a household where emotions were inconvenient. Or maybe you’ve spent years in survival mode, managing responsibilities, caring for others, being strong.
So, when softness or lightness shows up, it can feel… alien. Or unsafe. Or suspicious.
And yet, what the research tells us is this: positive emotions aren’t fluffy. They’re foundational.
They help us build psychological flexibility, reduce stress, foster connection, and expand our ability to navigate life’s messier seasons.
Even small moments of joy — a good conversation, a warm cup of tea, sunlight on your face — can change your internal weather over time.
Three Gentle Practices to Let More Lightness In
This spring, what if you didn’t try to overhaul your emotional life, but simply tended to it? Like a garden. Slowly. Kindly. With no pressure for perfection.
Here are three small ways to begin:
1. Name the Good
Just like we’re encouraged to name the hard feelings, we can also start naming the good ones. Contentment. Ease. Gratitude. Curiosity. Hope.
At the end of each day, ask yourself: Was there a moment of something good today? Try to label it. Let your body register it.
It’s not about toxic positivity. It’s about acknowledging that good feelings do show up — even in the middle of hard (though slightly more beautiful) seasons.
2. Let Joy Feel Small
Positive emotions don’t need to be fireworks. They can be tiny. Let yourself feel gladness in the mundane — a laugh that surprised you, the way your dog greets you, the smell of clean sheets.
The researcher Barbara Fredrickson calls these “micro-moments of positivity.” They’re enough. They matter. They build emotional muscle.
3. Create a Ritual of Softness
If you struggle to feel, try creating a practice that gives your emotions somewhere to land.
This could be:
A five-minute morning check-in: What do I need today?
A short walk where you notice something beautiful.
A weekly journaling ritual: What am I learning about how I feel?
Let Spring Be Permission, Not Pressure
There’s no emotional finish line here. You don’t have to be happy because it’s spring. But what if you gently allowed a little more space for the emotions that support your well-being, without guilt, without judgment?
You’re allowed to feel joy without explanation.
You’re allowed to feel lightness, even if others are struggling.
You’re allowed to feel good, simply because you are alive.
That might take practice. That’s okay.
Let it be a soft reset, not a transformation. A return to something tender and true in yourself. Something that might just be beginning to bloom.
Want help making sense of your emotions?
If this post resonated, you might love our Emotions newsletter. It offers more ways to help you notice, name, and navigate your emotional landscape in a way that feels kind and doable.
Sign up here to receive it straight to your inbox.
Let’s make emotional well-being feel more accessible, one feeling at a time.
