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Three Things Making Me Happy Right Now

This essay originally appeared in the Monday morning newsletter on 4/20/20.

Hello week 6 of quarantine! 

As we begin week 6, I have a question for you. If you’ve been lucky enough to be safe at home these past couple weeks, would you say you are the type of person determined to “make the most” of this time? Or are you someone who is using this time to pause, reset and chill? 

Or… are you like me and find yourself somewhere in the middle?

The truth is I can’t firmly plant my flag in either camp because 1) there isn’t a right answer and 2) it honestly depends on the day. 

However, I do know that I feel my personal best when I at least try to pursue some productive activities. Even if I only make it halfway through the first task, I feel better because of making the effort. For me, sitting around and not doing anything is when I start to feel a bit down and out of control.

So today, I’m excited to share with you three things I’ve been doing every day to ensure that no matter what else is going on, there are a few moments of happiness in each day. Sharing in hopes it sparks an idea for you – read on for more!

3 Things Keeping Me Happy Right Now: 

  1. A treat list
  2. Scheduled moments of joy
  3. Positive content

1 – Make a treat list

I first saw this idea on Gretchen Rubin’s Instagram page and thought it was brilliant. 

As someone with a major sweet tooth, one of my main strategies for keeping said sweet tooth under control is not having tempting sweets in my apartment. Out of sight, out of mind.

Sounds simple, right? Well, in these not-so-simple times, I knew I needed a new strategy. Because not only am I thinking “I want a treat” more frequently than normal, but I am also (gratefully) sharing a fridge and pantry with two college-aged brothers… and that means exposure to tempting treats like ice cream, Oreos, cookies, leftover Easter candy, etc.

While I am all for a daily treat, the combination of all these factors are adding up quickly.

If you also find yourself trying to avoid things you’ve been indulging in more than normal, here’s Gretchen’s suggestion: sit down and make a “treat list” of things you enjoy almost as much as sweets (or your equivalent… like salty snacks, late-night binge-watching, etc.). 

Then, the next time you think to yourself “I want a treat,” reference the list before absentmindedly reaching for your vice.

To give you some examples, here are a few of the things on my “treat list” that I’ve been enjoying instead of that extra Reese’s egg:

My Treat List: 

  • Fresh cup of hot coffee or iced coffee 
  • “Just for fun” podcasts or books
  • LifeSaver “Wint O Green” mints
  • Walks outside 
  • Lighting a candle 
  • Watching Tik Tok videos and/or attempting to learn a Tik.Tok dance
  • Writing this newsletter 
  • Looking through old pictures and videos 
  • Reading blogs  

What would be on yours? 

2 – Schedule moments of joy

While the word “schedule” can have rigid connotations, that’s not the intention here. The purpose of scheduling moments of joy is to safeguard your day and ensure some guaranteed, everyday happiness during a time when everything is flipped upside down.

Picture if when planning your day, you picked a morning, afternoon and night treat from your list in the previous step. This would mean no matter what else happens that day or what mood you are in, you guarantee yourself at least three happy moments.

For me, I’ve found I’m generally in a good groove mornings and nights. But I get a bit anxious and irritable in the afternoon.

So, last week I tested out scheduling a moment of joy to get ahead of the afternoon slump: At around 3 p.m. each afternoon, I started getting up from my workspace, making an afternoon cup of coffee and having a little piece of dark chocolate. 

It sounds so small, but this little ritual made a big difference in my afternoon! I looked forward to it and found that I approached the rest of the afternoon in a better mood. 

Plus, because it was scheduled, I was more likely to stick with it without wasting any mental energy.

3 – Actively seek out positive content 

I’m sure we’ve all heard the saying that we are the average of the five people we spend the most time with. 

But what about in quarantine…? What if we aren’t around five people? 

Well, I can’t remember where I originally heard this, but someone else once said that not only are we the average of the five people we spend the most time with, but we are also the average of the five people we consume content from the most. 

That certainly rings true for me right now. In the beginning of quarantine I was obsessively consuming news. Everything was changing so quickly and I felt like I needed to know what was happening at all times. While it is certainly important to be informed, consuming all that news was not having a positive effect on me. 

The third thing that has been keeping me happy on an everyday basis is actively seeking out positive content to consume. This can include seeking out specific people to follow on social media (I’ve included a list below of my favorites) or an activity on your treat list like listening to that mindless celebrity news podcast or reading a horribly-great, cheesy book (recs in the on the radar section!).

To get you started, here are some of my favorite positive social media personalities I’m following right now (tip: if you start following one of them and like their message, see where else you can consume it! They may have their own podcast, interviews you could watch or books you can read): 

Whatever your interests are, there are social media accounts, books and podcasts out there for you to consume! And when compared with watching the news or scrolling social media, I bet you will find yourself a lot happier afterwards. 🙂 

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