39 small (mostly free) things that make me happy
Simple habits, objects and rituals that make my life better on the inside
It’s winter here now, my favourite season where I live. The early mornings and the evenings can get surprisingly cold and the days are often sunny and warm (which necessitates several outfit changes each day, from jumper and track pants in the morning to shorts and a T-shirt in the middle of the day, and back to warm clothes, usually my PJs, on dusk).
I love that I can still swim in the sea this time of year, and be outside at midday without being scorched by the summer sun. Plus, no mosquitoes!
I also love winter’s invitation to hibernate, and I’ll take any opportunity to spend more time in and around my little house. I love chasing the sun around it, like the cat I wish I had, and sitting on my small deck, warming myself with a cup of tea.
With all this close-to-home time lately, I’ve been noticing some of the small, simple things that make me happy. So I decided to make a list, to celebrate the joy of small, simple things. (I was also inspired by Kieran MacRae’s recent post, 42 Things That Have Improved My Life. Thanks, Kieran!)
I hope they inspire you to make your own list :-)
Morning things
Waking up without an alarm. If I go to bed early enough, I can usually wake up early — it helps that I leave my curtains open unless there’s a bright full moon, which has the added benefit of letting me star-gaze if I wake up in the night.
Sunshine before screens. I try to spend time outside in natural light (without my phone) before checking emails or reading the news.
Living near the sea. I know this is a big privilege (not a small thing) and I try to make the most of it by going to the beach or at least making an effort to look at the sea every day.
Wearing winter clothes, for a change. Down jackets, beanies, ugg boots, woollen scarves — I love them all, maybe because I only get to wear them for a few months a year.
Having a swim buddy. I’ve never felt the need for an exercise buddy before, and it just happened organically, but because I live and work alone it’s been really nice meeting up with a friend to go swimming a couple of times a week.
Hot chocolate, with almond milk. I stopped drinking coffee a few years ago (it makes me jittery) so my hot drink of choice is now an “adaptogenic” (I’m still not entirely sure what this means) hot chocolate blend made by Social Alchemy. So good…
Yoga that suits me and my body. Preferably outside. In my PJs or some loose, comfy clothes. No Lululemon required.
Saying good morning to my “indoor” plants (there’s no such thing as an indoor plant, really). I love seeing them as soon as I wake up.
Choosing an angel card every morning. I’ve had this little pouch of cards for so long I can’t even remember where they came from. Each card has a single word on it like “generosity” or “patience” which I use to guide my day. Today’s word: “expectancy”…
Putting my bare feet on the earth every day. Sometimes it’s just stepping onto the grass outside, sometimes it’s a beach walk, sometimes I start a hike in sandals and slip them off to feel the mud, puddles and bare earth.
Daytime things
Not taking my phone everywhere.
I put reminders on my fridge for my inner self, and change them every few days. At the moment it’s “Back yourself”, which reminds me to take care of myself so I can be kinder to others and enjoy the being part of being human.
Reading, writing and just being on Substack. I love that it keeps me writing and thinking about writing and connects me with my readers. I love reading other writers’ posts. There’s so much wit, wisdom, kindness and humanity on this platform. I learn new things every day. And most of this great content is free!
Deleting Facebook from my phone. I’m not on Insta, TikTok, etc, though I still use the Substack app, because it feels nourishing — see above!
Slowing down. Whatever I’m doing, slowing down, especially when I’m feeling nervous or overwhelmed, helps me pay attention, which calms me.
A timely message from a local friend’s blackboard sign in front of her house Redefining community. It’s taken me a long time to realise “having a community” doesn’t have to mean joining big groups. It can be whatever you want it to be. It can be hanging out with one other person you connect with, which has made such a big difference to my sense of belonging.
Remembering friends’ birthdays (without Facebook nudges). I have a little notebook just for the birthdays of my closest friends, most of whom don’t live near me so it gives me an excuse to call them and reconnect on their special day.
Baking while listening to a podcast. (I just finished listening to Let’s Make a Rom-Com, which was fun.)
Singing in the car instead of listening to the radio.
Driving a manual car. I feel a bit smug about having this increasingly rare (and increasingly useless!) skill, but I love that it requires me to listen to my car and use both hands and both feet, and it makes getting around really fun.
Showering outside, in the winter sun. I have an indoor shower too, but I never use it because I love showering outside so much. (My outdoor shower does have hot water, thankfully!)
Making sure I have some do-nothing time every weekend.
Not over-stacking my social calendar or going to multiple events on the same day. I’m realising that I like not being busy and just letting days unfold, which lets in the unexpected.
Working fewer hours than I used to. I’m over the artificial 40-hour week we’ve all been pretending is “normal” for too long, and instead experimenting with what feels right for me and my energy levels each day.
Having a haircut in the garden. Full disclosure, this has only happened once, but I hope it’ll happen again soon. A few months ago, a hairdresser friend came over and cut my hair while I sat on a chair on the grass. Best haircut experience ever.
Writing more by hand. Draft stories, letters, notes to friends. I can type faster than I can write, but the slowing down is a portal; it seems to wake up a part of my brain that wants to play and ponder. And it makes me happy to see something I’ve written, in my own scrawl, on an actual piece of paper.
Analogue Sundays. I don’t always manage this, but I try to have a one-day secular Sabbath every weekend. No devices, no work, no thinking about work, no emails, no social media. At the very least I turn my phone off for an hour or two.
Finding the free. This has become a little game I play with myself. If I can find the free option, it feels like a win. Swimming in the lake (free) vs the public pool. Borrowing a book from the library vs buying a book. Meeting a friend for a walk instead of going to a cafe. Riding my bike to the shops instead of driving…
Afternoon naps. In summer, my bed loft can get hot in the afternoons. In winter, when the afternoon sun streams onto my bed, it’s Goldilocks-perfect.
Sometimes my afternoon nap happens in the morning, in my hammock
Evening things
Putting on my PJs to signal the end of my work day, even at 3pm or 4pm if it’s gloomy and cold outside. (The joys of working from home!)
Lighting a candle every night, not just on special occasions. I buy beeswax candles which admittedly aren’t cheap but they’re locally made, support local beekeepers and, to me, totally worth it.
Quiet time before dinner. Every night, I try to give myself half an hour to let the day settle by lying on the floor, meditating, doing some yoga or reading a book.
Learning to crochet. I started making cotton dishcloths for myself recently, just for fun. I gave some to friends, and kept going. I love how calming it is; sometimes I crochet outside, listening to the birds. Now I have an accidental side-hustle: I’ve started selling the dishcloths at a local wholefoods store…
Dishcloths made (left) and bundled up for sale Staying in. I think this comes from being a writer (and being me): quiet evenings, especially during the week, help my unconscious mind process whatever I’m working on. Staying in also saves me money (always handy when you’re a writer) and when I do go out, as I did last weekend, it feels really special.
No devices in the bed loft. I also put my WiFi into sleep mode between 10pm and 6am to keep me off my phone if I do wake in the wee hours (I read a book instead).
My hot water bottle, with a cover I made from an old wool blanket. On especially cold days, I sit with it on my lap or behind my back while working at my desk.
Homemade chocolate treats. Instead of buying chocolate, I make chia pudding with organic cacao powder, and almost always have homemade chocolate fudge in the fridge for when friends come to visit (if I haven’t eaten it first!). (I know I go on about this fudge, but it’s so good, healthy and easy to make. Here’s the recipe.)
Looks good, right? Writing down the day’s “good things” every night, because no matter how you feel about the day as a whole, there are always highlights and they can be as simple as watching the steam rising from a cup of tea sitting on your kitchen bench. I love that doing this also helps me notice the good things more during the day.
Reading before sleep. Even if I’ve been reading all day for work, I never skip this nightly ritual. Tucked up in bed with a hot water bottle at my feet, it’s one of my favourite parts of the day. And if I’ve borrowed the book from a friend or the library, it’s completely free!
What small things make you happy? I don’t usually ask questions at the end of my posts, but I’d love to hear what small things are making your life happier right now, if you feel like sharing them in the comments below…
Being alone, except for my cat.
Summer; the long light nights.
Spending g time in the garden.
Getting excited when a new leaf or flower is in the courgette/chilli/tomato/strawberry plants.
Looking at the sky. - the golden hour/sunrises/sunsets/moon/stars.
Seeing wildlife in its natural habitat.
The funny video of the Norwegian football team "rowing" up an escalator !
Ditto the Jordian team dancing !
Art and stories on Substack.
Linda Symonds' Letters from the Soul and Woolgathering Wisdom (both on Substack.
I forget to add that all the seasons have their own charm, and finally at age 70 I embrace all of them instead of getting depressed in Autumn/Winter !