Find joy in the small things

Photos and written by Amy Bridges

               If the pandemic has taught me anything its that you need to find joy in the small things. These last couple of years have been hard and unforgiving and it has been hard to find joy amongst the mess. I have had to teach myself to find joy in the small things so that I don’t completely lose my mind. Since it has been a long journey to get here, I’m going to give you a list of some of the small things I have learned to appreciate a little more.

Treats

               I have learned to get excited and to enjoy even the small treats like a cupcake or a special drink. I have found that a bad day can get better with a cupcake or currently because I haven’t had them all winter a bowl of berries! They aren’t much in the grand scheme of things but doing a happy dance because I have a small bowl of strawberries has made a big difference in my day. I have also found that there are non-food treats that I have gotten excited about that again are small but make the day a little brighter. One being a new water bottle, or a new book. They are small but have a large impact!

Music

               The last couple of years music has been a great outlet. I have been using music to help curb my mood. When I’m having a bad day, I blare a song I know I can’t help but move to and it helps to boost my mood. Sometimes its only a little bit but that little bit helps.

A small luxury

               The most recent small joy I have found is in bath bombs. Normally I only take a 45-minute bath which again isn’t that long in the grand scheme of things but it is enough. I have found a great local business BombzRUs who makes fantastic bath bombs and the colours and smells that come from them are just wonderful. The 45-minutes I spend just enjoying the colourful sparkly water is just what I needed to make the day better or to set myself up for a good sleep for the next day.

Sunrises

               Since I work at 8am and I take transit I leave the house at 7am. I am not a morning person but I have had to learn how to be. Recently there has been one upside to getting up and leaving the house by 7am and that is the sunrises. The only way I would have been able to see them is if I was up early. So, I will take the small joy of a beautiful sunrise since I have to be up early anyways.

While I am sure there are more these are currently the small joys that I have been focusing on while I try to minimize the impacts of rough days.