How to Find Joy In Every Day + 20 Things That Bring Me Joy

Hi lovely faces! I’m currently listening to the “Your Favorite Coffeehouse” playlist on Spotify while cozied up on my favorite spot on the couch, right in the corner propped up on some pillows. I have a blanket artfully draped over me because I’ve always wanted to be the kind of person who has an artsy blanket to drape over herself. Who cares that it’s summer and much too hot for this? I’m ridiculous :p

Today I’ve got a pretty fun topic for you guys, which is…JOY. Even the word itself is joyful. It makes me think of jumping up and down or laughing with friends or cuddling with a loved one. It’s the perfect cup of coffee, or when you jam out to your favorite song without caring about how you look, or the first kiss with that special someone you’ve been dreaming about for months.

See, I think joy is sort of the secret sauce to living a pretty awesome life. Because there are all kinds of circumstances that can hit us that we have no way of preparing for. There are things that happen that aren’t fair, or good, or right. But life is also so abundant with the things that make it all so worth it. We endure the pain and the hardships because somewhere in the back of our minds, we know it’s not forever. We know that eventually, some really amazing things will happen. But here’s the thing. I think so many of us fall into the trap of waiting for those amazing seasons of life, those times when absolutely everything is just perfect, and you’re so blissfully happy, and you never want this to end. You know that quote, life is what happens when you’re too busy making other plans?

The truth is most of life is spent in neutral. We don’t have enough emotional capacity to constantly be living in extremes. Most days blend into each other, eventually becoming forgotten in the face of the rarer more memorable ones. We get caught in the cycle of the mundane, doing the same things day in and day out. Wake up, go to work, eat, watch Netflix, sleep, rinse repeat. Over and over and over again. It’s enough to drive anyone crazy.

See, I’ve always been someone who can’t stand these cycles of the mundane. I think it was around high school that I realized that I can actually introduce things into my everyday to make each day just a little more exciting and discernible from all the rest. To find the magic even amidst all the stress and homework and rules. I realized that it was totally in my control to make each day a GREAT day. And even when I’d be hit with sucker-punches that left me feeling anything but joyful, I still knew I had all the tools I’d cultivated that would help me feel just a little bit better.

I think being able to find joy is one of the most important and life changing practices you can implement into your life. The most boring day suddenly becomes an adventure, an opportunity for something magical to happen. Here are some of my tips for cultivating joy in your life, but please feel free to customize them to fit your own life and personality.

Do Something You Love

This is one of my favorite ways to beat the funk. Most of the time, a blah mood can be cured pretty quickly by just doing something I really enjoy. It could be practicing guitar, or blogging, reading a fiction book, or baking something delicious. Make it a habit to do something you love every single day and see what a difference it makes in your happiness levels.

Get Outside

Maybe it’s the Vitamin D, or just the pleasure of breathing in fresh air, but I think humans are meant to spend time outside. No one feels good after spending more than a day cooped up indoors. Going on a walk is such an easy and effective way to take a mental break, stretch your joints, and just feel alive. Nature is such a simple reminder of the beauty and magic that’s all around us. You don’t need to live right next to a nature preserve either; one of my favorite things to do is to walk through NYC (when it’s not too busy) and just soak in all the sights. There’s so much to savor, and you might just find a new favorite haunt. Plus, the best ideas tend to come on long walks. 🙂

Do Something New

I think novelty is the spice of life. Take a new path on the way to work, try a new drink in the coffeeshop, part your hair on a different side. Sometimes it’s the tiniest things that can make the whole day different and exciting.

Be Kind To Someone

I strongly believe that if every single person was just kind to every other, the world would be a much better place. It’s not always easy, especially not when you’re tired and irritated and want nothing more than to be left alone. But trust me, doing a kind deed often has this amazing effect of turning your entire day around. You’ll feel happier because they’ll feel happier, and you’ll continue going through your day making people happy, which will make them want to make you happy. It’s all a giant happy circle 😀

It’s as easy as giving someone a sincere compliment or giving an extra dollar as a tip in a coffee shop. You never know what could turn someone else’s day (or life) around.

Spend Time With a Loved One

Whether it’s friends or family or your pets, this one is so important and so simple. Most of us are blessed to have people in our life who love us unconditionally and who are always there for us. It can be far too easy to take this for granted, but sometimes making an effort to actually spend quality time together is enough to bring joy into both of your lives and make you feel more connected and more grounded. No matter if you are an extravert or an introvert, I think we can all agree that human connection is one of the most magical parts of this crazy thing called life.

Treat Yourself

I don’t mean this in the Instagram #treatyoself sense necessarily. Sure this could be a giant cookie or a milkshake, but I’m also just talking about being kind to yourself on an everyday basis. Really tuning in and asking yourself what it is you need at that moment. Maybe you want nothing more than to sleep an extra hour the next day instead of going to that workout class. Maybe you want to skip plans with your friend in favor of watching Netflix with your pup because it’s been too long since you vegged out. Whatever it is you need, I challenge you to do something kind for yourself every single day. Making yourself a priority doesn’t make you stressful; it’s going to make you that much more present and giving toward others. You can’t pour from an empty cup.

Practice Gratitude

I’m so happy this has been part of my daily life for years now. It’s one of the tools I used way back when to beat my anxiety. It’s so easy to get down on ourselves or focus on everything we DON’T have. Instead, I urge you to look at what you do. It’s so frickin’ easy to take it all for granted. Please don’t. So many people would do anything to be in your shoes. Be grateful for your health, your able body, the resources you have, your loving friends and family, and so so much more. I challenge you to start every day writing in a gratitude journal, or just taking some intentional time in your day to reflect on everything you are grateful for. Trust me, this simple practice puts a LOT of things into perspective and just makes you appreciate the little things so much more.

Be Silly

This one’s so fun! Back when I was around 13, I promised myself that I would never be one of those “super serious adults” who basically talked about how everything sucks and how the economy is in the dumps and blah blah blah. Honestly, no one wants to hear it, no one wants to be around it, and you’re only digging yourself in a deeper hole. So what should we do instead?

Be WEIRD. Dance in the middle of the supermarket when your favorite song comes on. Stop taking yourself and everything so seriously. Embrace your quirks, your clumsiness, all the things you think are somehow wrong about you because those are precisely the things that make you YOU. Take a page out of a child’s book. Kids don’t care what anyone thinks about them. They laugh at EVERYTHING. And they see an opportunity for fun and excitement in the simplest things. Maintain that sense of wonder, and you’ll see just how much younger and happier you’ll instantly feel.

Rest and Recharge

I know I know, we all live in a society where work is glorified and leisure time is seen as a waste. But how are you supposed to do your best work when you’re totally burnt out?  This is one of the many things I think Europeans have totally right; they treasure leisure time and don’t let work ever get in the way of their recharge time. Getting enough sleep is so important, for your physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing. And just setting aside time to let your mind relax, either doing something mindless like Netflix or doodling, or just finding activities that don’t have anything to do with work or productivity, will do wonders to keep you focused on your work and feeling happy. Again, you can’t pour from an empty cup.

And just for fun, here are some things that bring me joy…

1. Harry Potter
2. Really great coffee
3. Pouring rain when I’m safe and warm in a car or in my house
4. Long car rides with loved ones
5. Cuddling with my dog
6. Listening to my favorite podcasts
7. Messing around in the kitchen
8. Watching a really great movie with a friend
9. Playing guitar
10. Blogging
11. Listening to songs that make me feel nostalgic or that give me all the feels
12. Reading for hours on the couch
13. Long deep talks
14. Exploring a new place
15. The first bite of a delicious dessert
16. Going on an adventure
17. Finding a new awesome coffeeshop
18. Going on walks through different NYC neighborhoods
19. Brunch dates
20. Spontaneous plans with friends

Maybe some of these will inspire you, or maybe the things that bring you joy are totally different. I urge you to think about what you loved doing as a kid, or something you used to do all the time but no longer have the time for. I promise you, you’re never too old for anything, and you have time for everything you choose to make time for. Now go find some joy!

Linking up with Amanda

 

Tell me, what are some things that bring you joy?

Do you consciously make time for these things in your life?