Small things is where it’s at

I’ve always been one to find happiness in the small things.

At times like this, when our lives are incredibly limited (castrated, really) and there isn’t a lot of excitement going on, finding joy in the small things is something that can help you bring a little extra happiness into your life.

I’m incredibly grateful for things like food in my fridge/pantry, hot water and still having a job – but that’s not what I’m talking about.

I’m talking about things like taking a walk on a sunny day, or enjoying that peaceful moment when you wrap yourself in a blanket with a cup of coffee and a book.

But more than that, I think it’s important that you remove things from your life that take your joy away. I don’t mean going full Marie Kondo – though I’ve been curious about that for a while and this might be the time to give it a go, we’ll see – I just mean taking care of those little annoying things that are constantly in the way simply because you haven’t gotten around to dealing with them. Like fixing a leaky faucet, repositioning a piece of furniture you always bump on, changing a light bulb.

If you look around your house, I’m sure you’ll see a lot of little things that can be improved. It’s not just fixing something that’s broken – I don’t agree with the “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” mentality. What does “broken” mean, anyway? What’s perfect for one can be “broken” for another.

Can you rearrange your workspace and make it more visually pleasing? Can you get rid of clothes you don’t wear, but are always in your way when you’re trying to get dressed in the morning? Can you reorganize your kitchen cabinets in a way that makes cooking more fun? Can you tweak your schedule a bit so that you can have an extra 30 minutes in the morning to calmly sip your coffee instead of mindlessly gulping it down as you sit at your computer and start working?

This is a new life, a new culture, a new world. We don’t know how long this will last for or what will happen after. I believe that many people will create new habits that they’ll want to preserve instead of quickly going back to our old ways.

So why not take this opportunity to create a life that you enjoy? Yes, we are constrained right now. We can’t go out and meet our friends for coffee, see a movie at the theater, or have a nice meal out. But by making the best of what we have, and working to make that better, we can find new ways to be happy. Or at least a bit more comfortable.

Featured photo by Anthony Tran on Unsplash