Why You Can’t Feel Happy Lately (4 Blocks to Joy + What Works)

Why can’t I feel happy lately? If you’ve tried journaling, gratitude lists, or self-care Sundays and still feel stuck, this episode is for you. Dr. Therese Mascardo, licensed psychologist and host of “Checking In”, explains the 4 hidden blocks keeping even the most self-aware people from joy: expectations, destination anxiety, core wounds, and comparison.

You’ll also learn three powerful “joy-adjacent” practices (presence, gratitude, and acceptance) to help you finally feel better without needing a full life overhaul.

✨ WHAT YOU’LL LEARN:
00:00 Intro: If joy feels out of reach right now
02:20 Why joy feels hard in our dopamine-addicted world
04:00 The 4 blocks to joy
09:00 The fix: Joy-adjacent practices
16:30 Therapist advice you can use today

💬 QUOTES FROM THIS EPISODE:
“We treat joy as if it’s a treasure found through an elaborate scavenger hunt, instead of a garden we tend daily.”
“You say you want joy, but first you want relief—and that’s keeping you stuck.”
“Acceptance isn’t giving up—it’s giving up the exhausting fight against reality.”

✨ Don't forget to SUBSCRIBE and hit the bell so you never miss an episode!

ABOUT THIS PODCAST
You know how sometimes you wish you could just call up your therapist when you're having a moment? That's what this podcast is.

This is for high-achievers, perfectionists, and eldest daughters who look like they have it all together but are silently struggling. Think of Dr. Therese like a big sister with a doctorate who's been there too and knows what actually helps. No confusing academic jargon or pretending she has all the answers. Just real conversations about building a life you don't need to escape from.

If you're feeling anxious, you'll leave empowered. If you're feeling lonely, you'll leave connected.

New episodes every Thursday.

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ABOUT DR. THERESE

Dr. Therese Mascardo is a Filipino-American psychologist and author of Love The Journey. For over a decade, she's been in therapy rooms noticing patterns most people never get to see: what happens right before someone breaks through to genuine joy, what keeps people stuck, what actually helps when everything feels heavy. Her mission is simple: to help people build lives they don't need to escape from.

Topics: mental health, therapy, burnout, perfectionism, anxiety, friendship, identity, self-compassion, wellness, psychology

SPONSORED BY THERAPYNOTES

This episode is made possible by TherapyNotes, the all-in-one practice management software that helps therapists handle notes, scheduling, billing, and telehealth so they can focus on people, not paperwork.

Try it free for 2 months with code DRTHERESE: https://bit.ly/3IjR482