I didn’t know they were called “Joy Triggers” until I saw a blog post from Jess at Cupcakes and Cashmere about them that was linked from a newsletter landing in my inbox every morning. But you know what I am talking about, right? Those little moments that put a smile on your face, or a spring in your step, they’re insignificant really and could quite easily pass you by if you didn’t stop to appreciate them. I had one yesterday and it made me realise that actually we do need to recognise them and acknowledge them when they happen, I just didn’t really know how to describe them so this post landing in my inbox talking about them today was a real case of serendipity.
Jess first heard the term when she was working for Arianna at The Huffington Post and took it away with her as a life lesson when she moved on, so reading her post has inspired me to share mine. There is a suggestion to write them down so that you properly recognise them and remember them and I think at the moment as we all come to terms with this second lockdown it is something I can really get on board with. I might even write them down each day so I can look back on them in weeks to come.
So here are five things that have been my joy triggers this week:
Loud music
I had to go out on Monday afternoon, last minute, to run a couple of errands. It was getting dark, I was running out of fuel, and it was hammering down with rain. But within two minutes of driving away from the house Nutbush City Limits came on the radio and I had turned up the radio so it could drown out my singing along. It is one of my all time favourite songs and pretty much guaranteed to get me out of the doldrums (see also Mr Brightside, Mr Blue Sky, Chasing Cars and The Chain).
Kicking leaves
I am unapologetically an autumn person. I am supposed to wear green, yellows and mustard but I live in black because black is just easier and there aren’t many clothes that I like in those colours, but I am completely drawn to them. (see my spur of the moment purchase of a mustard throw the minute I saw it on instagram that now graces our sofas). So when the days get cooler, the mornings darker and the evenings longer I come out of my “the summer is too hot” shell and really start to embrace all that autumn gives us. Kicking leaves for ten minutes on Thursday afternoon and I was in my element. I was trying to be a grown up or I would have done it for longer, thrown them in the air and probably rolled around in them. One of my earliest memories is kicking leaves as a toddler and there is something about massive piles of leaves that I just can’t resist.
Vacuum tracks on the carpet
We have one of those robot vacuums that does its thing without anybody having to push it. When it runs along in front of the TV unit it leaves little swirls and I just love wandering into the lounge and seeing them all in perfect symmetry. It’s like a little flag that says “I am done”. It makes me smile every time
A video of Lily trying broccoli
Lily, my granddaughter, has started weaning this week and I was looking forward to being there as she tried her first foods. Lockdown the sequel means we have had to be apart and I can’t be there to see her facial expressions as she tries things for the first time. But seeing her on FaceTime trying brocolli (and not really liking it too much) really made me laugh.
The perfect cup of tea
You know sometimes when the cup of tea is absolutely spot on, in fact it couldn’t be more perfect? It’s in your favourite mug, you left the bag in for the right amount of time and it’s just the right temperature? It doesn’t happen very often, despite me drinking about six cups of tea a day, but boy when it does, one of THE best joy triggers. Side note, any cuppa that is needed due to distance or time from the last one is automatically that day’s perfect cup of tea.
What about you, though? What are your joy triggers? I would love to hear about them.