Last week, after a poor night’s sleep, I sat at my desk
handling a number of small, irritating-but-necessary tasks. Outside, the sky
was gray, threatening rain. I ran into minor problems with a couple of my
tasks, and by lunchtime I was feeling frustrated, tired, and as if a heavy
weight lay over my head. Nothing terrible had happened, but tell that to my
mood. Sometimes it doesn’t take something big to influence your mood—little
things add up.
Little bad or irritating things all morning can add up to a
grumpy, out-of-sorts afternoon. (As I was typing this sentence, I typed grumply
instead of grumpy—and I rather like it! It sounds just like I felt!)
Little good things, on the other hand—simple pleasures or
happy little things, whatever you want to call them—can improve an ordinary or
even a grumply day.
On the day in question, I treated myself to a cup of good
quality hot chocolate, and an afternoon visit to my horse. It helped.
More happy little things I turn to to keep the grumply days
at bay:
- Walking through the yard to see what’s blooming
- Cuddling with my dog or cat
- Dropping everything to read for a few minutes
- A rest—even 10 minutes sitting quietly can be surprisingly refreshing
It also pays to nip small nuisances in the bud whenever
possible—replacing the kitchen tool that doesn’t work properly and annoys you
every time you use it, or making sure each location that needs it has a set of
scissors, a note pad and pen, for example.
In April on Catching Happiness, we’re going to explore how
little things, baby steps, and tiny changes can add up to a happier life. I
hope you’ll join me!
What are some happy little things that lift your mood?
