Day 74 of "Figuring it Out" - What brings you joy?

Kia Ora friends, fam, and blogger Internet friends! How are you going today?

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Melbourne weather is so humid at the moment and I cannot stop the frizz in my hair whenever I go outside, it's so annoying. It also makes me remember those awful comments I used to get in high school from someone who would sit next to me in maths class and tell me "your hair is so frizzy, why don't you go jump out the window" and well, you can figure out the implication of what that meant. I mean, I'm still alive so who's winning AND I'm pretty sure barely anyone talks to this awful bully anymore. Like those things were horrible to say to a teenager, let alone a teenage girl. Agh, but I survived it. Even though comments like that have stuck with me for a very long time, I'm still proud of my curly frizzy hair. And life makes me happy, so deal with it. I'm already getting off-topic LOL.

Today I woke up kinda tired, but I feel like I went to sleep at a reasonable time. That annoys me. But I still got up relatively early and have been quite productive today. Although I feel like I'm still not doing that much and I haven't rested much today either so I'll try not to push myself this evening. But today, I went for a 30 minute walk, worked on some social content for the social medias, and also worked on some editing for some videos to come. So as I keep saying, watch this space for some more content soon, especially on YT. I also said this yesterday but I am liking the idea of reacting to scary TikToks but I'm not good at the syncing the screen recording with the react video (like getting the timing right) so I'm looking up some ways to do that more - well like learn how to do it. So I don't think my first few are going to be amazing but it's a cool idea. Mainly because I get so scared so easily haha. Not so much from people trying to prank me IRL but jump scares always seem to get me. Do ya'll remember that 2008 YT jumpscare? I'll never forget my friend coming over to me and being like "Wanna see a funny video?" and then being SCARRED to this day. If you know the video I'm talking about, you'll know LOL.

Anyway, let's actually get into today's blog topic and I thought we could talk about ALL the reasons why feeling joy and doing things that bring you joy in life are IMPORTANT. Especially because a lot of people lately have been quite nasty to me experiencing joy or doing things that bring me joy and honestly, I don't think they have enough joy in their lives.

So in our fast-paced, capitalist-driven, crazy lives, it's easy to get caught up in the news cycles, the hustle and bustle, obsessions with making money, and our daily routines that sometimes we forget to stop and smell the flowers (that is, we forget to spend time in our day, doing things that bring us joy). And doing things that brings us joy is correlated and I'm even tempted to say directly associated with a positive mindset and happy and healthy emotions.

One benefit of finding joy in life (especially among the small things) is that it helps us to stay present and mindful. When we focus on the small things in life that bring us happiness and joy, we are reminded to live in the moment and appreciate all the beauty that surrounds us. And in turn, this helps reduce stress, reduce anxiety, and boost overall mood and morale.

Another benefit of finding joy in the little things in life is that it can help cultivate gratitude. If we start to feel grateful for things like our cup of coffee in the morning, having a roof over our head, nature, watching the sunset, or watching the sunrise, we are reminded of all the good things in our lives. This helps shift our perspective and make us grateful for what we already have, and in turn when we practice gratitude often, more good things start to manifest for us.

Finding joy in small things can also help us build stronger connections with those around us and other people. When we share love for small things in our life with others, we can help build a sense of community and belonging with one another. Have you ever known someone not to be a fan of watching the sunset? I'm sure there are some but for the majority of us, watching the sunset is a wonderful thing we feel joy in doing so, and we create a sense of belonging just by doing this one simple thing. And I know I say "in turn" a lot but in turn, this helps build on our current relationships and helps cultivate and grow new ones too.

In conclusion, finding joy in the small things in life can have a profound impact on our mental health and well-being. By staying present, cultivating gratitude, and building connections with others, we can create a more fulfilling and joyful life. So take a moment today to appreciate the little things, and see how they can make a big difference in your life.

So after saying all that jazz, I thought I'd make a list of things that make me feel joy!

• Cooking yummy food and giving it to others

• Watching the sunrise and/or sunset

• Going to the beach

• Spending time in nature and with wildlife/animals

• Going for a walk

• Taking photos

• Watching funny social media content

• Creating things on Canva

• Drawing, painting, writing

• Meditation

• Reading a book

• Eating ice cream

• Going out for a meal e.g., brunch, lunch, dinner

• Getting a great dessert

• Seeing people's cute gardens

• Seeing dogs while out walking

• Learning about culture

• Watching YouTube videos about creepy things

• Putting up the Christmas decorations

• Washing my hair

• Sometimes, doing my makeup and wearing a nice outfit

• Drinking a smoothie

• Going to a market

• Going down a waterslide

• Writing my daily blog posts

• Making other people laugh

• No sleep stories on reddit (idk?)

• Cartoons like Rick and Morty, South Park, Tuca and Bertie etc.

• Travelling

• Staying in different air bnbs or hotels

• Gaining new experiences while travelling

• Having a clean kitchen

• Fresh sheets on my bed after a shower

• Cherry blossoms in spring

• Seeing other people happy

Honestly, this list could go on and on but I'm gonna end in there so ya'll don't get bored haha. But I challenge you today, to list 5 things that bring you joy and write them in the comments below (that's today's question btw).

I'll see you tomorrow! Ka kite, Much love,

Ash