77 Simple Joys in Life (& How to Notice Them)
Inside: What are your simple joys in life? Here is why intentionally listing them is helpful and 77 ideas to get you started.
Life can feel heavy and overwhelming at times. It takes intentional effort to slow down and notice the good that exists in the world.
While the news continues to focus on every sad story and any possible thing that has gone wrong, you can choose to balance your thoughts by looking for the good and creating your own gratitude practice.
Practicing gratitude can be as simple as listing things that bring you joy and make you smile.
Read on and we’ll look at:
- why you should create a simple joys list
- how to practice noticing the little things
- 77 of my simple joys in life
Why Create a List of Simple Joys in Life?
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Six years ago I was going through a stressful time in my life. A mentor of mine suggested that we read through One Thousand Gifts by Anne Voskamp.
We met weekly to talk about the book and challenged each other to come up with an increasing number of things we were thankful for and write them down in our gratitude journals.
Here are some of the benefits I experienced from creating that list of simple joys.
Get out of the comparison trap
With the constant barrage of social media and advertising, it’s easy to compare your life to the curated ones you see online. This can cause you to feel unhappy and dissatisfied with what you have because it appears that other people have it all together.
No one wins in the comparison game. In fact, it steals your joy.
A wonderful benefit to creating your own list of simple joys in life is that it causes you to focus on the things you do have. It shifts your perspective from one of lack to one of gratitude.
It will make you happier
As you practice looking for simple joys and writing down what you’re grateful for, it will increase your happiness.
Studies have shown that gratitude is closely related to greater happiness and contentment.
When you’re intentional with noticing what you’re grateful for and writing it down, it helps to shift your mindset and improve how you’re feeling. If you don’t believe me, try it yourself for a month and see what happens.
Having a list of positive things to remember when life feels more challenging is a great gift you can give your future self.
You’ll notice more things to be grateful for
When you feed your mind with positive thoughts, you change how you see the world.
As you practice noticing the little things to be grateful for, it eventually becomes a habit. The habit of looking for gratitude trains your mind to find more things to be grateful for.
Have you ever noticed that when you are car shopping you suddenly notice a lot of certain types of cars on the road? When you increase your level of awareness of a particular thing, you begin to notice more of it even if it was something that was there all along.
When I was initially creating my simple joys in life list, it felt challenging to come up with my goal number for that week. However, the longer we continued to practice it, the easier it became and the more things I noticed.
How to Notice the Simple Joys in Life
There are a variety of ways you can begin to notice the simple joys in your life. The following tips will help you to make it an ongoing practice in your life.
Slow down
We live in a frenzied world where people seem to be constantly busy. Slowing down can sometimes be a challenge.
It takes intentionality and saying no to good things in order to protect your schedule and create margin in your life.
It’s hard to notice the simple joys in life when you’re too busy to slow down and look for them.
Set aside time to reflect
Along with slowing down is setting aside a specific time to reflect. Create space for thinking about your simple joys in life.
Time has a way of getting away from you if you aren’t purposeful in how you use it. Decide if setting aside time to reflect works best as part of your morning routine or your evening routine.
It’s a great way to start or end your day by thinking about even just a few of the things you’re grateful for.
Whenever you decide to do it, stick with it and make it a habit. If you get stuck, consider moments in your day when you felt the happiest and the most at peace. Think about the things that were meaningful to you or that brought a smile to your face.
Start a gratitude journal
Reflecting on positive things is one piece to the puzzle, but actually taking the time to write down what you’re grateful for will make an even bigger difference.
The act of writing down your simple joys in life helps to solidify those thoughts in your brain. It also gives you a written record for reference later.
We live in a negative world so choosing to focus on gratitude may not always feel easy. However, as you make a habit of writing in a gratitude journal, it will become second nature to you.
Gratitude won’t necessarily change your life circumstances, but it can change your perspective and how you feel about them.
77 Simple Joys in Life
This is my (not exhaustive) list of simple joys in life that make me smile. Maybe some are the same for you. Or perhaps some of my ideas will spark ideas of your own.
1. Listening to rain hit the roof
2. A child’s giggle
3 An unexpected act of kindness
4. Seeing a beautiful sunset
5. Receiving a compliment
6. Sunshine through a window
7. The number 7
8. A pen that writes well
9. The smell of trees and earth in the forest
10. Watching This Is Us
11. Planning a vacation
12. The smell right after it rains
13. The sound of birds chirping
14. The perfect tea latte
15. A text from a loved one
16. A smile from a stranger
17. Your favorite coffee mug
18. A meme that makes you laugh really hard
19. Picnic movie night in the living room
20. Breakfast for dinner
21. Reading a new book
22. Vacuumed floors
23. Watching a playful puppy
24. A vase with your favorite fresh flowers
25. Laughing until you cry
26. Setting a personal record in Taboo
27. Coming home to a clean house
28. Neighbors who become friends
29. Accomplishing a goal
30. A freshly made bed
31. Watching the British Baking Show
32. Playing family games
33. A summer thunderstorm
34. Stargazing
35. Trying a fun new restaurant
36. Solving an escape room puzzle
37. A great cup of coffee
38. Finding the exact item you were looking for on sale
39. Catching up with a friend you haven’t talked to in awhile
40. A new notebook
41. Cinnamon rolls
42. The Holderness Family winning the Amazing Race
43. The sound of waves crashing
44. A song or smell that brings back good memories
45. Finding the perfect meme to send to a friend
46. The crisp air of autumn
47. Eating food someone else made
48. A nature walk
49. Enjoying a water view
50. Friends who become family
51. The smell of freshly baked cookies
52. The change of the seasons
53. A soft & cozy blanket
54. Meeting someone who immediately gets you
55. Decluttered spaces
56. A good night of sleep
57. Trying a new recipe that turns out great
58. The smell of your favorite hand soap or candle
59. Completing a task that you’d been avoiding
60. Someone else washing the dishes
61. A fire in the fireplace
62. Eating dinner outside on a warm summer evening
63. Homemade vanilla ice cream
64. Relaxing at the beach with those you love most
65. Reading a quote that resonates with you
66. The taste of ripe summer fruit
67. Holding a sleeping baby
68. The smell of clean laundry
69. Unexpectedly running into a friend at the grocery store
70. Listening to a helpful podcast episode
71. Singing along to your favorite song
72. Doing something thoughtful for someone else
73. A baby’s smile
74. Finding a missing item
75. Hitting a pinata
76. Carrying on your favorite childhood traditions with your kids
77. Marking a task off your to-do list
What are your favorite simple joys in life? Share them in the comments section!
Now it’s time to create your list of simple joys in life that make you smile. I’d love to hear some of them.
Creating your list of simple joys and making a habit of gratitude will change your life for the good!
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Sitting quietly, alone and in total solitude being oh so content.
Love this.
Reading this list just made me slow down and reflect I am committing to journalling more and writing things down. Thank you!
Yes, this is a great reminder to reflect upon all of the simple things that bring us much Joy.
Keeping that child alive and celebrating the smallest win 🥳
I wish you all the best.
Great post! We all need this reminder and your list was beautiful. I am immediately thinking of my dog snuggling me, a hot cup of tea while I write, getting lost in a sewing project and sitting in the sun looking at a big puffy white cloud against the bright blue sky!
Beautiful
Reading and feeling grateful to have experienced must of the list. 🙂
You are lucky and blessed.
The smell and feel of really old books, the warmth of a fire on a cold winter night, silk on your skin, my fiance’s hands, the summer sounds of crickets and frogs, See’s chocolates, strawberry daiquiri juice, lawn swings, furry purry kitties, rocks minerals gems and fossils, vintage clothes, cinnamon streusel coffee cake, beachcombing, board games, Josh Groban’s romantic songs, the Piano Guys, Shakespeare, a good romance novel, homemade potato salad and devilled eggs, baklava, gorgeously impractical fabrics, the first blossoms of spring, roses in full bloom, dandelions, stargazer lilies, stars in the country, rescuing earthworms after a hard rain, picking home-grown grapes, playing with snails, ballroom dancing, candlelight kisses, Wind Song and Muguet de Bois perfumes, silver fox beards on older men, laugh lines and dimples, comfortable shoes and silly socks, lilacs, humor, chocolate milk, antique lace…. too many things to list!
Laura,
Please read my comment below your list!
Bless you!
Wonderful, & very varied list, I especially smiled at Lilacs & Silver Fox Beards (:
Nice
Love your list 💕
Such wonderful items on your list🩵
You had me at See’s chocolates.
I’m eating See’s right now.
See’s dark chocolate is #1
Yawning 🥱 and having a calm feeling after it
Spending time with my granddaughters
This gives me much Joy too.
Laura Shomshak:
I love your list! It made me smile just to read so many of my favorite things I’m grateful for, so I guess that I can add Laura Shomshak’s list to my gratitude list!
Thank you!
Loved your list. One of my simple Joy’s is playing wordle every morning. I love the challenge, my bowling league, and seeing my pup enjoying her walk. I can almost see her grinning as she runs along. Thank you
Curled up on the sofa, with a sleeping cat, watching one of my favourite programmes. Fresh toast, butter and marmite. A neighbour calling for a chat. Silently saying thank you to the universe for all the things I have to be grateful for x
There’s nothing more comforting than curling up with a pet.
One of my favorite simple joys is sitting alone and remembering happy memories. One that came to mind today was the time years ago when my boyfriend (future husband) and I celebrated New Year’s Eve by kissing in the new year. We live on the East coast. We had the crazy idea to kiss in the new year for each U.S. time zone and did.
WoW, that’s a very loving idea!!
Music is my “go to” gift to energize my spirit with joy and calm. I particularly love the classics and beautiful music such as is played by Joe Hisashi which I find on You-Tube! And I have many other artists I favor. I can listen and work on a task with much pleasure and delight! Also, do art! Certainly not a professional, but have fun painting with acrylics and watercolor. Make cards, bookmarks, small canvas goodies which I put in special boxes and give away as gifts with positive message to inspire others to find the good and beauty in every day!! Love the “Simplicity Habit!!!!”
Getting the opportunity to support someone you care about
That’s a great one, Carolyne!
A hot cup of coffee, a scoop of chocolate and some silence :-).
It’s the simple things….
Warm cozy blankets in cold night, having a cup of tea in front of the fireplace. Wandering in nature, taking pictures of beautiful sunsets and birds flying away to rest for the night. The first flowers blooming in the spring, the colorful displays of beauty and majesty of Fall. The coolness of the raindrops on my face. Losing myself in bookstore and buying the book of my choice. Loving life everyday and helping others to learn to enjoy a simple life.
Splashing in puddles – I mean really splashing until your feet are soaked.
Flopping in freshly raked leaves and hearing the crunch under you – then raking them again and repeat until you’re exhaused.
Snowball fight with a neighborhood youngster – and not necessarily letting them win.
Laughing until your sides hurt.
Reading a good book.
Driving in Autumn in the province of Quebec in Canada admiring the many beautiful leaves colors!!
I enjoy sipping coffee alone in the quite of the morning and watching the birds or just the solitude before starting my day.
Reading a book and drinking hot tea cuddled up on the sofa with a blanket in silence!!! Golden!!!
A baby’s laugh. It’s joy multiplied for me!
I like to imagine foster kids curled up under the quilts I’ve made and donated
What beautiful lists I find here, from the original to all the others. I give thanks for all these! My own is longer than would fit here (I am 83 years old and very fortunate indeed) I have lived in the US for many years, but once in a while I remember the sight and fragrance of a bluebell wood in my native Scotland and give thanks for the memory.
Very grateful to of read all these amazing feelings of joy.
My sparks of joy are hearing my mom sing “good morning, good mooorning, I love you very much, good morning, good morning to You, boob boob dee doo. 🙂
she’s a wonderful woman with such a calming aura. Having motivation to stick to your to do list. Dancing 💃. Being a solution finder. Making someone happy out in the street unexpectedly. Yogurt coated banana chips. laughing with a friend until happy tears shed. A fresh morning walk in nature. Coordinating a positive coloured outfit.(Natural browns, pinks, orange, yellows and touch of gold. Positive spectrum discriptive words that enhance you pleasure of speech, life and feelings. Feeling safe and confident. Any animals especially in the wild is beautiful. My super loving cat poppy.
A nice hot shower, The smell of fresh cut grass, Completing a jig saw puzzle, Painting rocks, A Drive out in the country, Miniature golf, Going to watch a game of sports, Playing cards with friends,Going to thrift shops or rummage sales, Watching various birds from bird feeders, Painting on canvas, Visiting a Zoo, Taking scenic pictures, Watching kids play at a park, Eating a new food or dish, Visiting an Art Museum, Going fishing, Visiting companies to see how things are made, Visiting new cities or towns, Playing bingo with friends or at a Casino, Sending out greeting cards etc.
Thanking God for forgiveness, kayaking down beautiful river, motorcycle ride, watching a sunrise, watching a sunset, Happy children, Happy seniors, health, good cheese & wine, baby everything, music, life itself!
Looking at old family movies. Especially ones where the people in the movies are no longer with us. It’s so good to see them again!
Things that bring me joy are: watching cake or not cake and I guess that it was cake, when its raining and I don’t step in any puddles, when it’s Easter and the grocery store smells like ham, when I put my shoes on the right feet first try, when my granddaughter draws me pictures of squirrels, Guy Fieri ;’), a good piece of ham, when I wake up and the power is still on, when the ham is 50% off, when my granddaughter smells like ham. I love ham!! When ham is there, I’m there 😀
Thanks for sharing, Henrietta. I loved your list. It made me smile 🙂
Way great post, in rush to reach the top we forget the special little moments in our life that matters most to us.
my puppy when she snores or sighs
finishing a puzzle
I am grateful for being alive: For Love: Laughter: My Children: Being married: Cooking a nice meal for my family: Sharing what I have with others: Encouraging other’s who need it: Being in retirement: FREEDOM I don’t take for granted: SLEEPING: A cosy warm bed : being able to have a lie in and no work: Watching TV: Being able to enjoy life living with disability: Sunshine on a rainy day: sending texts messages and receiving them: Having a hot shower and grateful for hot water: feeling comfortable in my skin: Feeling the room light up with sunshine, when my daughters walk in. Having a hot cup of tea and watching my favourite soaps on T.V. curled up on the sofa under a cosy blanket and feeling content with the world.
26 Things that brought joy this week
1. Dorian’s ready wide smile
2. Damari’s victorious laugh
3. Sun shining through the study window late afternoon
4. A burning candle
5. A poem that tells her story
6. A deep dive in the complexity of a personal essay
7. A thriving plant, resurrected
8. Jeffrey Berg’s excavation of the interior through visual art
9. A cool bedroom
10. Spring rain
11. Cello’s G string
12. French afternoon dining alone
13. A sugar massage pedicure with lemon yellow polish
14. Turkish figs
15. Peace and enlightenment at an art gallery
16. The ritual of preparing morning coffee
17. That first cup
18. Reading children’s books
19. Holding books, turning pages, smelling them, rereading beautiful passages
20. The secret way the Universe takes care of the details
21. Science
22. An empty journal
23. Travel memories
24. Home
25. Mac’s call
26. Being with friends who, God knows why, love me without condition or expectation
52 Korean dramas on Netflix have made my life so enjoyable – the people, the scenery, the music, the plotlines, the gentleness – I am hooked – one of my favourite ways to relax, unwind enjoy after completing paperwork, gardening, journalling, working for social, cultural, environmental and economic justice – I love Korean dramas! I am 80!
Sitting in my back yard listening to the birds.
Seeing the sunflowers bloom in a field on my way to work. Always makes me smile.
Having my cat cuddle next to me in the evenings.
Seeing all the daffodils and spring flowers blooming, along with the flowering trees.
Seeing the beautiful fall colors
Watching it snow at night and listening to how quiet it is.
Seeing the Aurora Borealis
Enjoying all that nature provides on a daily basis.
Having a clean, decluttered home.
Listening to the wind chime my husband gave me one year for Christmas.
Watching and listening to birds in my backyard
Cooking a beautiful and nutritious meal for myself.
Watching Jamie Oliver’s cooking videos.
Rewatching favorite movies.
The warm greeting from a beloved dog friend. (I’m a petsitter.) 🙂
Taking a walk on a cold, sunny winter day.’
That extra cozy feeling in bed as you’re just waking up on a cold morning.
Sipping a freshly made matcha latte with cinnamon stick and star anise.
The sound of raucous laughter in a restaurant.
Sunlight thru the trees.