Things That Have Been Bringing Me Joy

I wrote a post similar to this last year, and I thought it was time to do another one. We’re over a year into this global pandemic, and I know I’m not the only one who is starting to have a really hard time with it. So, I thought I’d try to spread a bit of positivity by sharing what’s bringing me joy, and maybe it’ll bring you some joy as well.

I know it can be hard to find happiness during a time like this, and something I’ve been practicing lately is finding joy in the small things. I spent a lot of time feeling miserable about the fact that I can’t go out with friends right now, or have people over, or just feeling frustrated over the fact that this is such an isolating time. I’ve also been working to try and create things for myself to look forward to so that it doesn’t feel like every day is just a repeat of the day before.

Anyways, here are some of the things that have been bringing me joy lately!

Podcasts/YouTube videos

I think podcasts and YouTube videos act not only as a distraction, but also obviously as a great form of entertainment. You might be wondering how this differs from TV shows, which is fair. TV shows also provide distraction and entertainment. But with streaming services now, you don’t really need to wait for next episodes – you can just binge an entire series or season in one go. And then when you’re waiting for the next season, you’re waiting a long time.

Podcasts and YouTube videos are typically uploaded a lot more frequently, oftentimes on a weekly basis. This means you have something to look forward to every week.

One podcast/YouTube video I’ve been loving and looking forward to every week is Frenemies.

I just love the dynamic between Trisha and Ethan. The way they bounce jokes off one another or react to what the other person says is so hilarious to me. Plus, it seems like they have a true and genuine friendship, and the fun they have during their episodes is so infectious – it’s hard not to laugh along with them when they’re poking fun at one another!

Another Youtuber I just recently found out about is Jeff Wittek, and I’ve been really enjoying his barbershop videos.

I love his sense of humour – I’m having a hard time finding the words to explain it properly, but I feel like that type of humour can be difficult to pull off properly, and to portray so consistently. I feel like it can be done wrong so easily, and could lead to the viewer feeling secondhand embarrassment, but I just find these videos to be so funny. If there are ‘awkward’ parts they’re still so funny rather than uncomfortable to watch.

These videos have been serving as a great little pick-me-up if I’m ever feeling like I’m in a bit of a bad mood. I’d also recommend checking out his Beefy Boys Weightloss series on his channel. It’s a very different style compared to the Jeff’s Barbershop series, and I find it to be a bit more heartwarming and uplifting to see him care about the health and wellbeing of these guys, and to work so hard with them to lead healthier lives.

Reading

I tend to go through reading phases – I’ll read a few books back-to-back, and then I might go a few months where I struggle to pick up a book. But this year I’ve been reading pretty non-stop, and I’ve been really enjoying a majority of the books I’ve read, too. I’m currently on my 10th or 11th book of the year, which to some people might not seem like much, but for me it’s a lot! Reading has been a really great escape, and allows me to feel like I’m going on an adventure without having to leave my house (which is great because, where the hell am I going to go during a pandemic?)

Exercising

Consistently exercising has been doing wonders for my mood – and once you make it part of your daily routine, I feel like you’ll start really looking forward to it too. It also helps that the weather is getting nicer, so I can get some fresh air and go for a walk during my lunch break, and I can go for runs outside instead of just running on the treadmill.

I’ve also found that working out for my mental health has helped me stay much more consistent with it, and allowed me to enjoy it so much more. Working out to see physical results is a great motivator for some people, but if you’re as impatient as me you might be discouraged and want to quit when you don’t see results right away. But if your motivation to workout is to get that boost of serotonin, I think you’ll be more likely to stick with it. Even just going out for a 30 minute walk can help clear my mind and give me a surge of happiness, and it’s something I’ve started really looking forward to every day.

Baxter

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I mean, duh.

Friday Walks with Mom

My mom and I have made a habit of going for walks together on Fridays when I get off work. I found that on Fridays I always felt a bit lost after work because I’d close my laptop and walk away from my desk and then it was like…now what? I want to celebrate the fact that it’s the end of the week, but I don’t know how to do that just sitting in the house alone.

So, going for a nice walk with my mom after work has been a great way to celebrate the end of the work week, and gives me something to look forward to each week. It gives us a chance to catch up on what’s been going on in our lives, and to just enjoy some general company while getting some sun and fresh air.

Friday Night Takeout

This is one of the ways I’ve started creating things for myself to look forward to. One week, on a Monday, I was feeling kinda down, and I felt like I desperately wanted to have something to look forward to, but I felt so limited in my options since there are so many restrictions in place right now. So, I decided that I would order pizza that Friday and watch a movie after work. All week long I was so hyped for it, and I couldn’t stop thinking about what a nice evening it would be.

And it was a really nice evening. So, that’s kind of become a new ritual of mine, and it gives me another thing to look forward to every week. I finish work on Friday, meet up with my mom for a walk, and then when I get home I treat myself to a little takeout dinner and watch a movie or a few episodes of a TV show.

It’s not much, but that new Friday ritual has given me something to look forward to at the end of every work week, and it’s made my Friday evenings feel a lot less glum as I head into the weekend.

Weekends

Although it’s been difficult to plan things for the weekends, I still look forward to weekends. Sometimes I don’t have anything planned, but I still enjoy being able to go for a walk at any time during the day, or laze around reading for hours if I want to. It’s just nice to have those two days every week to give myself permission to do whatever it is I want to do – some weekends I want to use that time to be really productive and work on creative projects, or catch up on cleaning around the house, and some weekends I feel so drained I just want to sit around and be a bit of a blob all weekend.

I think putting in an effort to change my mindset has been helping me realize that there are still things to enjoy about life even when it feels like everything is going to shit. I still have days where it’s hard to stay positive or be grateful for what I have, and I think it’s equally as important to just be gentle with yourself on those days. And on days when I’m just feeling a bit “meh,” I find that going for a short walk, or even just putting on some happy music, is enough to lift my mood and view everything in a more positive light.

Hopefully this post helps you find small joys in your own life right now, no matter what that might look like for you!

Until next time,
Nadine