We all have those little things that make us happy. They might be tiny, but they are some of the simplest joys of life and make our day a little bit better.
People are often too busy to appreciate the simple joys in life. We’re so focused on work, errands, and other responsibilities that we forget to take a step back and enjoy the moment. But the truth is, life is full of small moments of happiness if we only take the time to look for them.
No matter what is happening in our lives, we can always find something to appreciate and be grateful for.Â
You might also like:
- Is Happiness A Choice? 13 Ways to Choose Happiness Every Day
- 25 Ways To Make Life Easier For You & Your Family
Below you’ll find a list of 101 simple pleasures that we often overlook or take for granted.
PIN FOR LATER!
101 Simple Joys in Life
1) Seeing the sunrise over the horizon – sunrise is always beautiful no matter where you are or what time of year it is.
2) The smell of newly cut grass – the fresh scent of grass after cutting the lawn always brings a smile to my face – and sometimes a sneeze too – but it reminds me that summer is right around the corner.
3) A cold breeze on a hot day – laying out on the grass on the hottest day of the year and feeling a cool breeze is pure bliss.
4) Suddenly remembering a word that you’ve been trying to recall – it’s hard not to smile when you remember the name of that actor or singer (without the help of Google).
5) The sound of rain falling on your roof during a storm – this is relaxing, especially if you’re snuggled up in bed or on the couch by the fireplace. Equally therapeutic is hearing raindrops fall down onto the fireplace!
6) Getting through a challenging workout – knowing that all those hours at the gym were worth it when you finish an effective workout session is always rewarding.
7) Falling asleep before 10pm and not waking until you’re refreshed and well rested – sometimes sleep wins out over staying up late watching TV or finishing off work projects.
8) Discovering a band you had no idea existed but loving their sound – finding a new artist to listen to is always exciting.
9) Fixing something that was broken – taking an object that doesn’t work and returning it to its original state is extremely satisfying.
10) Finally crossing an item off your to do list – once we complete a task, it’s always nice to check the “done” box and move on with our day.
Read also: How I Use a Monthly Checklist to Organise My Life
11) Being able to help someone in need – knowing you were able to offer assistance during a difficult time brings inner satisfaction.
12) Laughing until your stomach hurts – sometimes nothing else can make us smile like a good laugh! It’s such a simple pleasure, but one of the best ones around.
13) Starting the day with a brisk walk or jog – get your blood pumping, enjoy nature, and get rid of any stress before you head to work.
14) Eating breakfast outside during the summer – there’s nothing quite like a breakfast picnic in the warm weather to start your morning off.
Read also: Minimalist Morning Routine to Embrace Simple Living
15) Seeing an amazing lightning storm over the horizon – lightning storms are often overlooked and underrated. They’re truly breathtaking. I often stay up until the early hours just to watch a lightning storm from my balcony.
16) Watching raindrops trickle down your window – rain droplets can be mesmerising, especially when viewed from inside.
17) Downright relishing in whatever food you’re craving at that moment – when you have a craving, it’s often the only thing that you can think about. The best part is getting to enjoy that food in its purest form.
18) Hot showers after getting caught in the rain – nothing beats a hot shower after getting caught in the storm. It’s rejuvenation and relaxation at its best.
19) Walking barefoot on grass or sand – feeling the soft texture of grass or the warmth of sand beneath your feet is one of life’s simple joys that many of us take for granted.
20) Warm blankets in wintertime – nothing feels quite like crawling into your warm bed with your cuddly blanket on cold, snowy days. If I could, I’d be buried under my covers 24/7 some days!
21) Receiving letters through snail mail – sending mail and receiving mail is something that we don’t do enough of these days. Receiving a hand-written letter in the mail is such a rarity and it’s always special.
22) The smell of fresh laundry – seeing clean clothes hanging up or folded neatly in drawers is satisfying, but nothing beats that “new” smell after taking them out of the washing machine.
Read also: 13 Ways to Regain Control When Overwhelmed by Laundry
23) Looking at old photos and laughing/crying about memories – reminiscing about previous times brings me great joy. I love going through old photo albums with friends and family.
A good life is a collection of happy memories
Denis Waitley
24) Holding a newborn baby for the first time – this never gets old. You may be an experienced parent now, but holding a newborn for the first time still gives that same feeling as it did the first time around.
25) Watching your favorite show or movie for the second/third/fourth/fifth time – watching movies and TV shows are great sources of entertainment, but there are some movies that are just so good that you have no choice but to watch them multiple times.
26) Going on a spontaneous adventure with friends – never be afraid of saying yes when your friends ask for your company on their adventures. Finding something interesting and adventurous to do is one of life’s many pleasures.
27) Hugging someone tightly because it feels so good – not all hugs are created equal. There are some hugs that simply feel extra special and comfortable. You know the very ones.
28) Taking a bath with relaxing essential oils – a warm bath makes any tense day much better, and essential oils also have therapeutic benefits that can be great for your overall health.
29) Cuddling with your pet – pets are amazing and cuddling with them is even better! They’re intuitive and when you may not be feeling the best, they can bring so much joy.
30) Getting an unexpected smile from a stranger – this is one of my favourite simple joys in life. Walking down the road and a stranger smiling at you. You will find that you then smile at someone else. It’s contageous! And the smiles keep getting passed along.
31) Meeting old school friends after years apart – catching up on what’s going on in each other’s lives is great, but there’s something extra special about seeing your old friends again after years apart. It’s like no time has passed at all!
32) Handwritten messages – seeing the time, effort and thought put into a handwritten message touches my heart. Handwriting is something so special that will never disappear.
PIN FOR LATER!
33) Sharing good news with people who are genuinely happy for you – it never gets old seeing your family, friends, or even complete strangers light up when they hear good things happening in your life. Excitement is contagious!
34) Memories that warm your heart – whenever I think back on memories that fill my heart with warmth, I’m reminded what really matters, the little things that make us smile every day.
35) Drinking a cold glass of water when thirsty – there are few things more satisfying than drinking a cold glass of ice-cold water when you’re dehydrated.
36) Hitting the bed after a really long tiring day – it feels amazing crawling under the covers of my bed at night after an exhausting day. I love cozying up in my bed and getting some shut-eye.
37) Stealing a few more minutes to sleep – sometimes, there’s no better feeling than hitting snooze on your alarm clock for just a little longer and squeezing out every last bit of sleep that you can.
38) Realising how far you’ve come since the beginning – sometimes I look back on where I started and think about how much I’ve grown throughout my journey so far. Realising how far you’ve come makes you appreciate how far you can go
39) Finally getting rid of clutter that has been occupying unnecessary space in your home – clearing out the clutter is one of the best feelings in the world. Getting rid of unnecessary things that occupy your space, whether it be actual physical items or mental baggage, feels great and reduces stress and anxiety!
Read also: How To Declutter Your House In One Day: Room To Room
40) Lying down and watching the clouds float by – this is one of my favourite simple joys of life because it reminds me of how far off I can daydream and just watch my imagination run wild!
41) Hearing someone tell you that they appreciate you – it doesn’t matter who says it or if it’s said through a text or phone call or in person, when someone tells you that they appreciate you, it feels incredible.
42) Taking a scenic detour on your drive home – sometimes during your commute home, taking the long way is so worth it to take in the different views, especially if you live near mountains and rolling hills.
43) Watching your favorite TV show/listening to your favorite song when you’re sad – these things make my bad days so much better, I highly recommend it.
44) Getting dressed up for a fancy date – even if it’s just dinner with friends or going to the movies, it’s always nice to take the time to dress up a bit if it makes you feel good.
45) Seeing baby animals in real life or on TV – no explanation necessary, they’re just too cute!
46) A beautiful rainbow after a rainy day – rainbows are always beautiful no matter what kind of day it has been before or after!
“The greater your storm, the brighter your rainbow”
unknown
47) Getting a new haircut/style and feeling great about yourself – it doesn’t have to be anything crazy, just try something new that makes you feel confident.
48) The excitement of going back home after being away for awhile – when I come back from a trip I always have this feeling where I’m so excited to go back home where I’m comfortable and sleep in my own bed etc.
49) When strangers help you with something for no reason – they might not know who you are but doing something nice without expecting anything in return is always nice to see.
50) A long phone call with your best friend – sometimes it feels like there isn’t enough time in the world when talking to someone, but raking some time out of your day to talk with those who are important to you is one of the joys of life we all need.
51) Opening a surprise – whether it’s the door to a friend, flowers from a lover, or even wrapping paper to find out what you got for your birthday! The thrill of not knowing what’s underneath is always fun.
52) Receiving something you ordered before it was supposed to arrive – it happens sometimes when ordering products online, but receiving them early is always a pleasant surprise. Bonus is receiving something you forget you ordered!
53) Taking the time to sit back and enjoy music/a book/a movie etc.-we all have busy lives that require us to work hard for what we want, but taking some time out every day or every weekend just to relax is very important in order to maintain balance which will overall help us live happier lives.
54) Getting along with your family members – our families are the people closest to us, so if our relationships are good it makes everyone happy!
55) Having things work out for the best even though you had some doubts at first – when we think that we face obstacles every day, but sometimes our biggest hurdles turn into our biggest blessings because of how strong we are for getting through them.
56) When you find that something you’ve been wanting or needing to buy is on sale – you may not shop very often so whenever this happens it’s very satisfying.
57) Making plans with people and having all the details work out perfectly – it doesn’t matter what they are, when your plans work out better than expected you feel good!
58) When you accomplish something that was slightly challenging – we all set goals for ourselves whether big or small, so when you feel like you’ve reached one it feels good.
59) Hearing someone tell you they love you – this is one of the most important things in life because it’s what keeps us going when times get hard, so hearing it makes you feel loved, which bring so much joy along with it.
60) A sunny day after the rain – everything seems to smell fresh after the rain and when the sun comes out after, it’s so nice to get out in it and enjoy.
61) Warm hugs from someone who means a lot to you – they’re just great all around!
62) Getting something off your chest that was bothering you – nothing worse than holding onto bad energy/drama, so letting go of things as soon as possible feels really nice.
63) Waking up next to the person that you love – the best feeling in the world is waking up next to someone you can’t get enough of.
64) Paying it forward – when someone does something nice for you and doesn’t expect anything in return, pay it forward to someone else and keep the random acts of kindness going.
65) Being able to laugh at yourself – sometimes we’re just too hard on ourselves which isn’t always healthy. A good way to relieve stress is by being able to not take ourselves so seriously and see how silly some things are.
66) Seeing children play outside or laugh without a care in the world – kids are always full of energy and joy. Watching them play can make us feel young again because it brings back memories from our childhoods too!
67) When you see your friends/family members happy – everyone has their differences and sometimes we get into arguments. That’s the nature of families! But when everyone is happy it’s what we want for one another.
68) Being able to teach someone new when you’re knowledgeable about something – being able to share what you know with other people is gratifying especially if they’re eager learners!
69) Having someone take care of you when you’re not feeling well – taking care of others can be draining so receiving help from the person who cares for us makes us feel loved.
70) Watching your favorite musician perform live – listening to music can be therapeutic but nothing compares to listening to live music, feeling it in your soul and enjoying it with others.
Music is the outburst of the soul
Frederick Delius
71) Having a new experience that opens your mind up to something you didn’t know before – if we stop growing then what’s the point? New experiences are always exciting and become important memories in our lives.
72) When your significant other surprises you with something small like their cooking or bringing home lunch for you – relationships require work, but when they do nice things without asking it makes us feel special.
73) A dark sky full of stars on a crisp, clear night – sometimes all we need to do is look up at the sky because it reminds us how minuscule we are compared to the universe.
74) Getting a chance to really talk to your crush and get to learn more about them – I’m sure we’ve all experienced this before at some point in our lives. So all of those little moments you shared with your crush could be very fulfilling.
75) Taking the time to acknowledge someone else’s hard work before yours – appreciating others is important and has more value than just saying thank you because there are people who don’t appreciate all of their blessings . So taking the time out to give credit where credit is due is very important.
76) Seeing someone you care about do well no matter what the situation is – we’ve all had our challenges in life , but seeing those you love overcome them makes us want to keep fighting for ourselves too . So when we see someone else doing well or overcoming obstacles, it gives us strength too.
77) Holding hands with someone you care about – this is one of the most basic forms of human connection that we all need. Holding hands with others makes us feel connected to the world and other people.
78) Cuddling – it doesn’t matter who it’s with, cuddling is one of those simple things that can bring comfort to someone’s life.
79) Hearing birds chirp in the morning – some people might find this annoying, but to me it sounds very peaceful and reminds me of being back in my family home right in the heart of the country.
80) Going hiking and seeing a beautiful view – being able to see the beauty in nature is something that’s been taken for granted these days. We need to stop and take a look at all of its glory.
81) When someone lets you into their life – sharing is a beautiful thing and sometimes we don’t realise how strong our connections can really be until someone trusts us enough and opens up doors for us to go through together.
PIN FOR LATER!
82) When your pet does something funny – animals bring happiness into our lives. They’re not all serious like humans can be sometimes!
83) Watching your friends grow up into their dreams – we’ve all had moments where we wanted to give up on chasing after our dreams, but seeing our friends take the steps forward and being truly happy for them makes us want to do the same
84) Meeting new people who inspire you – there’s nothing more exciting than meeting someone who challenges our way of thinking, but also opens our eyes to other perspectives.
85) Waking up before your alarm goes off – not everyone loves waking up early but sometimes waking up early can be a great change of pace. It gives you time to do the things you enjoy before your day starts!
86) Good customer service – when you go out shopping or do something where someone helps you out and treats you well, it leaves a good impression on us so next time we’ll remember to come back!
87) Going out for a walk and feeling refreshed – we all need some fresh air every now and again. So when we take time away from our phones or TVs and go outside it can be rejuvenating.
Read also: Why I’m Taking a More Minimalist Social Media Approach
88) Finally finding that thing you’ve misplaced – sometimes when things are missing for days on end it can feel like they’re gone forever. But when you finally find what you lost it makes every second worth it.
89) Falling asleep on a bus or a train and waking up right where you need to be – sometimes there’s nothing quite like getting a little sleep during your commute, but if you ever fall asleep and wake up exactly where you need to be it feels amazing!
90) Putting your phone down and enjoying the moment – we’re all guilty of picking up our phones and mindlessly scrolling through social media every now and again. But when we take time away from technology and spend it with those closest to us it makes for a wonderful experience.
Read also: Disconnect to Reconnect: The Significance of a Digital Detox
91) Stopping to think about how far you’ve come – sometimes, after some serious reflection, we realise just how much we’ve grown as people. That’s an amazing feeling!
92) Remembering things that happened years ago like they were only yesterday – time is something we’re all a little too familiar with, but the fact that we can remember things from so long ago means it’s been worth our while.
93) Soaking your feet after a long day – the best part of the day for some people is when they get to take their shoes off, lean back and relax!
94) Decorating your house for holidays – whether it’s Halloween or Christmas, one of the simplest joys of life is putting up decorations with family to show our love for festive season.
Read also: How to Have an Unforgettable Minimalist Christmas
95) Meeting someone from your home town when you’re travelling far from home – there’s nothing quite like meeting someone from your home town when you’re far away. You can talk about all the things that make your hometown great and it makes homesickness a little easier to deal with!
96) Naming your car – sure, naming an inanimate object might seem silly, but there’s something special about having a name for your car because if you think of it as more than just a mode of transportation it becomes something more meaningful.
97) Celebrating the small wins – every win is worth celebrating, even if it’s something small. When we get these wins it reminds us why we do what we do and pushes us forward!
Success is a series of small wins
unknown
98) Having a hot mug of soup on a cold day – being able to warm our hands with a hot mug of soup on a cold day is one of the simple joys of life that brings us comfort!
99) Getting to celebrate something special with those closest to you – celebrating birthdays, anniversaries and other special occasions with the people closest to us is truly amazing!
100) Doing something nice for someone else – doing good deeds gives us hope that there is still some good left in this world. And it makes us feel like we’re making a difference even if it’s only one small act at a time.
101) Not worrying about the small stuff – in the end, all of this has happened before and it will happen again. So when you stop stressing out over little things, that means everything!
Final thoughts on living in the moment and joying the simple joys of life
Appreciating the simple joys of life is something we should all make an effort to do more often because sometimes these little things are the only things that have the ability to brighten up our day.
Read also: 25 Simple 5 minute self care ideas for when you just have no time
When you stop taking life for granted and start noticing everything around you it’s amazing how much happiness starts to find its way into your everyday life! There are so many simple joys of living that bring us great joy every day – even if it’s just a quick coffee in the morning with friends before work or seeing the first daffodil pop out after winter.
But what’s important is being aware of these moments and developing gratitude for them. Because at the end of the day, once it’s all said and done, making sure we appreciate these small things can give us hope.
Read also: A Simple Formula for Living a Meaningful & Happy Life
What is one of your favourite joys of life? Let me know in the comments below!
