02/23/2024
Earlier in the year I was feeling a bit meh – probably my least favorite way to feel. Nothing felt terrible, but things weren’t feeling super joyful either.
I noticed I kept thinking back to my birthday trip to the mountains in December.
We rented a beautiful home perched right beside a river. I spent days luxuriating in friendship, rest and reading. The soundtrack of the week was a mix of Wham!, Taylor Swift and Christmas music (this was no accident). And, the kicker ... we welcomed each sunrise and sunset with no fewer than 10 deer arriving at our doorstep.
It was a joyful trip, and in my moments of meh I just wanted to go back there.
That trip was macro-joy.
Vacations, holidays, weddings, baby showers, promotions, spa days ... all macro-joy in my mind.
I love macro-joy. But, I can’t do it every day.
When I lean on macro-joy too much (e.g., living from vacation to vacation), I tend to feel meh in between.
So, a few weeks ago, I decided to start micro-dosing ... on joy.
I made an effort every day to notice the small things that delight me.
The chipmunks and birds in my yard.
Snuggles from Zoe the shi tzu.
Swapping the wildest memes with that one friend who always get it.
The pink sunsets and cycles of the moon.
These aren’t big trips or new cars, but they bring me joy.
And, joy – no matter how big or small – has a compounding effect that can take your life from meh to magical.
When we micro-dose joy, we give ourselves easy access to it anywhere, anytime.
If you want to micro-dose with me, here’s how to get started:
⭐️ Consider Joy: Grab a piece of paper and brainstorm everything (no matter how small) that brings you joy. Is it a baby’s laugh? Cat videos? Your morning walk? Your afternoon cup of tea? Your weekly text with your bestie? There are no right or wrong answers – the goal is to take note of the smallest things that make you joyful.
⭐️ Catch Joy: Go through your day taking note when the things on your list show up. Also, take note of other things that make you smile, laugh, breathe easier, feel excited, etc. These things are brining you joy each day. Now is the time to catch them and pay attention to them.
⭐️ Claim Joy: At the end of your day, jot down the joy you caught. Claim it as yours. Leave a record of it in your journal, your notes app or on a post it. Revisit those notes to remind yourself of the joy you experience.
This couldn’t be any easier – just consider, catch and claim joy. You’ll feel better now, and those macro-moments will be even sweeter when it is their time to shine!