Emotion Thesaurus Entry: Happiness/Joy

We're placing these two emotions together as they share many reactions, but the 'range' of feeling can be more intense with pure joy, depending on the level being experienced.

• Noticing the small things around them (smelling the roses, so to speak)
• showing affection—hugging, touching, etc
• rapping the fingers lightly (as if to internal music) on a leg or other surface
• swinging/tapping a foot to an easy beat
• showing patience
• bouncing on one's toes
• rapid speaking
• a feeling of breathlessness
• tingling hands
• a need to share the intense feeling with others
• lightness in the limbs
• an energetic walk, quick movements, no hesitation
• a desire to be with loved ones or friends
• fearlessness
• risk taking

Good news! This sample has been expanded and streamlined into book form! The full list of physical, internal, and mental cues for this and 74 other emotions can be found in The Emotion Thesaurus: A Writer’s Guide to Character Expression, available for purchase at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iTunes, and Smashwords. The PDF is also downloadable via the Paypal button in the sidebar.