All posts tagged: Joy

Survey reveals three quarters of fans oppose use of VAR – as majority believe it has killed joy of Premier League | UK News

Survey reveals three quarters of fans oppose use of VAR – as majority believe it has killed joy of Premier League | UK News

Published by Sam Flores

The use of VAR is opposed by 75% of Premier League fans, a survey has revealed. The poll of nearly 8,000 supporters, just over half of whom attend more than 15 home games a season, found that more than 97% disagreed that VAR makes watching football more enjoyable. Over 90% opposed the statement that it had made the match-going experience better, while 75.71% said they did not support its use, and more than 70% disagreed that it has improved the accuracy of refereeing decisions. A big source of frustration was the length of the wait for a verdict, with fewer than 3% of those asked agreeing that decisions happened within a reasonable timeframe. Image: Referee Paul Tierney consults the pitchside VAR before overturning a penalty decision to Aston Villa last week. Pic: PA Despite efforts to speed the process up, an overwhelming majority do not feel decisions are now being made more quickly. More than 90% feel the technology has also removed the spontaneous joy of goal celebrations. The Football Supporters’ Association (FSA), which conducted …

Grief, Loss, Abundance, Joy: Finding Refuge in Harsh Times

Grief, Loss, Abundance, Joy: Finding Refuge in Harsh Times

Published by Jenni Sidey

These days, when our world is deluged by stories of grief and loss, I’m reminded of a famous Buddhist teaching story: One day, a woman who cannot accept the sudden death of her child brings her son’s body to the Buddha. She asks the Enlightened One to revive her son. The Buddha understands the mother’s predicament. He tells her he can do this, but first she must bring him a mustard seed from a home in which no one has lost a loved one. Desperate to restore her child, the mother went knocking door to door, inquiring. At the first house, an elder had died; at the second, a child. After many doors, the bereaved woman realized the dead outnumber the living; no one escapes loss. This realization became the first stage of her awakening and her acceptance of mortality. As humans, we love and suffer when those we love die. How do we embrace these two profound realities and maintain our emotional balance? How do we keep the embers of faith in the future …

2 Ways to Increase Your Capacity for Joy

2 Ways to Increase Your Capacity for Joy

Published by Jenni Sidey

Joy is culturally portrayed as a high-vibe state that you are supposed to reach and then, somehow, maintain indefinitely. Just one scroll through any social platform is enough to reveal how modern society has framed joy as something you “perform.” The issue with this understanding of joy is that it sends the wrong message: if you are not feeling good, you must not be trying hard enough. Joy is supposed to be an automatic nervous system response for when you feel safe, resourced, and connected. And like any other biological capacity, it can be strengthened, but not through pressure, denial, or relentless positivity. Think of joy the way you would a muscle tissue. You do not grow muscle by simply wanting it to be bigger or stronger. You grow it by providing the right conditions, like enough load to stimulate growth, enough rest to recover, and enough nourishment to sustain the system. Joy works much the same way. It’s not an attitude you adopt alone but a response your mind and body generate when the …

Francesca And Michaela’s Bridgerton Season 5 Storyline Will Celebrate ‘Queer Joy’

Francesca And Michaela’s Bridgerton Season 5 Storyline Will Celebrate ‘Queer Joy’

Published by Sam Flores

Bridgerton boss Jess Brownell has lifted the lid on what fans should expect from the show’s upcoming fifth season. On Tuesday, Netflix announced that the next season of the hit period drama would focus on the romance between Francesca Bridgerton and Michaela Stirling, marking the first time the show has had a same-sex love story at its centre. Speaking to the Netflix outlet Tudum following the announcement, Jess said: “What is most exciting about season five is that it is going to be a season about queer joy. It is not going to be a season about queer trauma. “There are going to be difficulties for the characters and conflict in the same way there is for every Bridgerton character. But we are still always grounding our love stories in the fact that this series is about joy. It’s about humour.” “If there’s anything really specific about this season, it is the yearning,” she added. “It’s big-time yearning. “Those of us who know what it’s like to be in a sapphic relationship or have a …

‘Children bring more hardship than joy’: Readers on why the birth rate is falling

‘Children bring more hardship than joy’: Readers on why the birth rate is falling

Published by Daniella Wilson

Join the Independent Women newsletter with Victoria Richards for a thoughtful take on the week’s headlines Join the Independent Women newsletter  Join the Independent Women newsletter  Charlotte Cripps’ exploration of falling birth rates and “unplanned” childlessness has sparked a strong response from Independent readers, revealing the complex interplay between men’s readiness and economic pressures. Many emphasised that men’s immaturity is only part of the picture. While some men are eager and committed to fatherhood, financial realities – soaring housing costs, childcare expenses, and the need for dual incomes – heavily shape family planning, constraining both men and women. The rising cost of living and precarious employment make raising children daunting, several argued, leaving many households struggling. Others pointed to societal expectations and pressures that can cause men to hesitate, even when they are ready to be good fathers. In all, a clear theme emerged: blaming either gender for the falling birth rate oversimplifies the issue. Structural, cultural, and economic factors are central to when – or if – people have children. Here’s what you had …

Feeling stressed? A happiness expert cracks the simple code to long-lasting joy and ‘inner peace’

Feeling stressed? A happiness expert cracks the simple code to long-lasting joy and ‘inner peace’

Published by Daniella Wilson

You’re bound to hear plenty of talk about happiness this week. Every 20th of March marks the International Day of Happiness – an emotion we all strive for, in one way or another. Yet, looking at the data, there’s a clear disconnect: more and more people are struggling with depression, chronic stress and anxiety, all of which are fundamentally at odds with our idea of what it means to be happy. We spoke to Borja Vilaseca, author, happiness expert and a leading figure in the field of self-knowledge, about today’s obsession with the idea of chasing happiness at any price. “There is a real paradox at play today,” he says. “We see widespread unhappiness everywhere – manifesting as anxiety, stress, depression and a sense of existential emptiness – and yet, there has never been such a frantic obsession with finding happiness… “Essentially, we want it right now. This has turned the pursuit into a dopamine addiction; a hunt for instant gratification that provides a bit of short-term pleasure but doesn’t actually satisfy or fulfil us. …

Don’t ‘Should’ Yourself Out of Joy

Don’t ‘Should’ Yourself Out of Joy

Published by Jenni Sidey

It’s important to notice how you talk to yourself, as there is power in the language that you use. With that in mind, how many of these thoughts have you had? “I shouldn’t have said that.” “I should have known better.” “I should be able to handle this.” “I shouldn’t feel this way.” “I should have been prepared.” “I shouldn’t make mistakes.” You’ve likely had thoughts that contain the word should at some point in your life. The shoulds are a type of cognitive distortion (unhelpful thinking habit) that can lead to judgment. You may judge others, for example, “They shouldn’t act that way,” and yourself. In this post, we will focus on the shoulds you direct at yourself, though the strategies may be helpful for all cognitive distortions. Shoulds can connect to feelings of guilt or shame. Shoulds can come from rules that you have heard throughout your life that you’ve internalized. For example, “Children should be seen and not heard.” Shoulds can also come from beliefs that you’ve created for yourself. You may …

Harry Styles lets the music — and the joy — take over

Harry Styles lets the music — and the joy — take over

Published by Sam Flores

Harry Styles’ new LP feels like an event. Coming on the heels of the Grammy Award-winning “Harry’s House,” “Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally” is an experimental tour-de-force, a pop smorgasbord that is part homage, part electronica and part bacchanalia. But no matter how you slice it up, it’s all fun. Listeners who relished the smooth sensuality of “Harry’s House” would be well-advised to buckle up. “Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally” is a wild, unpredictable ride, chock-full of sonic sound and fury. Co-produced by Kid Harpoon and Tyler Johnson, the album was made for the earbud era. A veritable feast for the ears that shimmers with sound — a stray guitar flourish here, a pulsing synthesizer there. Several years in the making, “Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally” found Styles living and working in Berlin — a career move that has been likened to the recording of David Bowie’s Berlin Trilogy: “Low,” “Heroes” and “Lodger.” And the comparison to Bowie’s West German sojourn is apt: working with his producers, Styles has clearly immersed himself …

Double joy for Arsenal as Saka winner at Brighton sends them seven points clear

Double joy for Arsenal as Saka winner at Brighton sends them seven points clear

Published by Sam Flores

BRIGHTON, England, March 4 : Arsenal ground out another three points in their Premier League title quest with Bukayo Saka marking his 300th appearance for the club with the only goal in a 1-0 victory at Brighton and Hove Albion that sent his side seven points clear on Wednesday. When the referee blew his whistle at the end of seven minutes of stoppage time, Arsenal’s travelling fans roared with delight and they soon had double reason to celebrate as news of Manchester City’s draw with Nottingham Forest came through. It was not a memorable display by Arsenal who managed only two shots on target but they defended magnificently to blunt Brighton’s attack on what could prove to be a pivotal night if the London club win their first title since 2004. “This feels like a massive win definitely for us,” Saka told TNT Sport. “We heard the fans celebrating (the Man City result) so I knew it went well for us in the other games. “But we focus on ourselves. It’s a nice feeling and …