Small Joys: A Buzzfeed 'Amazing New Book You Need to Read ASAP'

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Buettner suggests making three lists: your values, things you like to do, and things you are good at. The cross section of the three lists is your ikigai. Filling your mind with worries about what other people think of you can drain your energy. So don't. Be your own judge of approval. 56. Shower Yourself With Self-Love It happens 365 days a year. But how often do you make a point of seeing it? Watching the sun rise is actually an ancient method of healing. And there are numerous other benefits, like enjoying a beautiful show of color and light, and having quiet moments of stillness and reflection. 4. Go to the Theater And as the self-proclaimed “stress management extraordinaire”, I can confidently say that recognizing the small joys of life and counting them as blessings has helped me to become so. 38 Examples of Simple Joys of Life

Finally getting a giant cleaning task done… like organizing all of your paper clutter or cleaning out your pantryIn a culture where the value of the team supercedes the individual, Japanese workers are driven by being useful to others, being thanked, and being esteemed by their colleagues, says Toshimitsu Sowa, CEO of HR consulting firm Jinzai Kenkyusho.

The simple joys of life are often overlooked in today’s fast-paced world, but they’re so important for your happiness! Here are 38 examples of the simple pleasures of life and tips for recognizing small joys in your own life. Believe it or not, you can write your way to happiness. Penning your feelings helps your brain process and expunge the negatives ones, leaving you more joyful. 15. Get a Houseplant Abdurraqib’s writing is an antidote to the arched eyebrow of most music journalism. He writes with a sincerity that makes his subjects fallible. He writes as if music matters. For him, it is a metaphor for human suffering, for race and class, for what it is to be American. In one of his interludes dealing with the impact of Marvin Gaye, he writes: “To bear witness to so much death that could easily be your own is to push toward redefining what it is to be a patriot in this country.”

87. Make the Bed

However it did kind of bug me that the relationship with Muddy was never defined (but maybe that's my hetero bias of wanting things to be neatly labeled?) Is Muddy Ace? Is he attracted to Harley or does he just love him? Ultimately does it matter? Studies show that workers who eat lunch outside the office — a park bench, a cafe, the beach— feel happier after the meal than those who eat at their desk. 87. Make the Bed

This funny and bighearted debut is an ode to queer friendship and chosen family. . . . A tender and generous novel about finding your people, getting vulnerable, and celebrating every joy—big or small.”— BuzzFeed I adored Small Joys – a sweet, moving, funny, strikingly open story. I don’t know if I’ve ever rooted so much for a protagonist as I did for Harley – what a gorgeous novel.’ Jennifer Saint, No. 1 bestselling author of Elektra Rid your world of clutter and breathe a sigh of relief. A tidy living space boosts happiness, promotes productivity, and enhances peace of mind. 35. Get Some Fresh Air

For 92-year-old Tomi Menaka, her ikigai is to dance and sing with her peers in the KBG84 dance troupe, she told the Mainichi newspaper. For others, it might be work itself. A great way to do that is to use your phone (since you probably have it with you 24/7 anyway!). Simply try to snap a picture each day of something that gives you a sense of joy or peace. Something that you normally wouldn’t give a second thought. It could be a picture of your morning coffee or the fresh blooms on the peonies in your front garden. Corina Diez from Random House Publishing Group offered me an eARC of this book, and I’m so happy that she did because I’m not sure if I would have requested this book on NetGalley. I loved Elvin James Mensah’s descriptive and lyrical writing, and the story felt really personal to me. I am eagerly looking out for Elvin’s next novel! Well, anyway, a beautiful book. I laughed, I cried, I grew with the characters. Awesome first novel, and I look forward to more from Elvin James Mensah. There was something really charming and uplifting about this gentle novel, despite the (at times) very heavy subject matter.

Here are some of the benefits I experienced from creating that list of simple joys. Get out of the comparison trapYes, they can connect us with friends and family that we haven’t seen in a while, but social media newsfeeds also have a way of making us feel inadequate… and that’s a joy-killer! Plus, if you’re always fixated on your cell phone, you’ll miss the small everyday joys around you. Make Time for the Joys of Life In a 2001 research paper on ikigai, co-author Akihiro Hasegawa, a clinical psychologist and associate professor at Toyo Eiwa University, placed the word ikigai as part of everyday Japanese language. It is composed of two words: iki, which means life and gai, whichdescribes value or worth. Plant a garden. Cook dinner. Play the guitar. Knit a scarf. Manual labor is scientifically proven to boost happiness levels. 55. Don't Worry About What Others Think of You Studies show that writing down your positive experiences can actually improve your health. Plus you'll get a jolt of excitement just thinking about that white water rafting trip. 92. Give More Compliments Do it not once, but three, four, five times in a row. Force out a few big, long ones even if you're feeling fully energized and alert. Yawning can improve your memory and lower stress, neuroscientists say. Think of it as wiping away the clutter in your brain and giving yourself a clean slate. 41. Take a Power Nap