How to notice the little specks of joy in everyday life

The other morning I went for a run.

While writing this sentence I thought, ‘that sounds so easy, it’s just five innocent little words’. But it wasn’t.

Only the idea of leaving my snug bed, having to put on my running gear, walking downstairs and out of the house did not feel very inviting. It never does.

The trees outside looked barren, framed by the frosted corners of the living room window.

Early run = joy?

Out through the kitchen, I took a left at the end of our driveway and headed down the hill past the shed where two old Portuguese men always grumpily sit in silence, day after day, warming up before going on their morning mission to pick up trash in the village. They greet me with a loud ‘Bom dia!’ and I bounce it back at them.

As I made my way across the road, I started getting into a bit of a rhythm. My eyes followed an alert cat zip past me to disappear behind one of the last houses before the road becomes a meandering path between the dunes.

Out in nature in the morning

This is my favourite part. I’m surrounded by sand dunes that change from lush to dusty throughout the seasons. At the moment, they’re holding the delicate promise of dots sprouting everywhere.

Oddly, it didn’t feel like I had been running for long before I reached the wooden path and finally, the lookout. I always stop here for a minute before I head back.

Beneath me stretching out towards the horizon, the mighty Atlantic. The longer I live here (we moved to the southwestern Algarve about two years ago) the more I understand that the ocean always feels and looks different. Every single day.

Looking at the ocean makes me happy

Sometimes it’s light turquoise so you could easily take a pencil and trace the dark shadows of the rocks at the bottom. Other days it’s rain-stricken, grey, and ferocious.

Breathing here for a few minutes, saying a few words to my dad I’m watching the waves crash against the rock towering out of the water in front of me.

When I turned to run back I was stunned. Like painted across the sky, fluffy clouds crowded against each other in the most vivid pinks and reds. My personal little speck of joy right there.

The early bird I guess…

Speaking of joy in everyday life, I recently stumbled across Ingrid Fetell Lee and her website The Aesthetics of Joy, The positive and incredibly vibrant content on her page spoke to me. One thing in particular reeled me in: Joyspotting.

According to Fetell Lee, joyspotting is ‘a simple practice of turning your attention to the joy in your surroundings.’ If you have a minute or even just a few seconds, you can practice joyspotting. It’s as simple as that. It doesn’t cost you anything. The more you do it, the more joyful moments you’ll start cultivating on your own.

Start paying attention to those moments of bliss

I thought this was such a good idea, almost like a self-care ritual, especially for those days when I’m buried in work and can’t seem to see anything but to-dos on an endless list. These are my favourite ten.

Give it a go and fill in what you can spot. You can use a tablet or simply print it out and use a pen.

1. Look up 

If you’re inside, just look out of the window. Can you spot a bird in the sky, a plane leaving a fluffy white trail behind, a hot air balloon, or some interestingly shaped clouds?

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2. Pay attention to colours

E.g. the vivid green of a meadow when the sun comes out after the rain. Window frames and doors painted in bright hues or someone’s shoes. Pay attention to the colours that attract your eye.

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3. It’s in the curves

Circles, waves, round shapes. Can you spot them somewhere and do they also feel playful and soft to you?

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4. Symmetry

Noticing symmetrical shapes or patterns gives me a sense of harmony. What about you?

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5. Into the wild

You don’t have to venture out into the jungle. Nature can be the park around the corner or some flowers on your balcony. Stop and breathe in the air, smell the flowers and just listen.

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6. Watch for weirdness

Did you notice something a little out of place? Someone dressed in a grey suit but their multicoloured socks peek out between shoes and pants? A really tall person walking next to a really small one. It’s there if you pay attention.

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7. Zoom in

Sometimes it pays off to focus your attention on the tiny things around you like a colour-specked beetle crawling past your feet or snowflakes landing on your fingertips.

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8. See the invisible

Sounds complicated to impossible but you can notice things that are not really visible like an intriguing birdsong, the wind rustling through the trees, or comforting stillness. Sources of joy in everyday life waiting for you to notice them.

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9. Get lost

Joyspotting is easiest done when you take a slightly different route than your usual way to work, the store, etc. You’re not just on autopilot but you pay more attention to your new surroundings.

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10. All of your senses

I love this one. Joy is not only something that you experience visually. Try joylistening, joytasting, and joysmelling. Maybe joytouching…?

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If you had fun with this little exercise, share your moment of joy with someone to boost their joy levels.