To ask what little joys you find in life?

[PeapodBurgundy]

I've got myself into a little rut of self pity and can't seem to get myself out of it. Objectively things are tough at the moment, but I find myself jumping to the negative in everything, which isn't helping matters.

My usual go-to pick me ups genuinely are off limits for a period of time, but I know this will pass and things will start to fall back into step again.

I need to start focusing on the positives more. What little things do you see/do that give you that little moment of joy or satisfaction?

Today's 'happy' has been the TAAT of the batshit AIBU threads some people have posted. I could be much worse!

I live in zone 2 of south London .

Start using all your good stuff everyday, if you have anything you keep for best use it now and enjoy it. Nice clothes in your wardrobe but you live in the same leggings and comfy tops, stop that, wear your good stuff even if it’s just to the supermarket. Do you have nice perfume, bubble bath or skin products in your cupboard ( may have been a gift) get them out and have a pamper yourself evening invite a friend round and create a home spa. Do you or your friend have a bottle of wine or Prosecco lurking around the house get that opened, use your nice glasses and if you can manage it get some nice nibbles from the supermarket relax and enjoy. Deep condition your hair and give yourself a manicure while you watch a programme you especially like on the TV or listen to some favourite music.

Jigsaws. Dont have to be expensive, charity shops normally have loads. I love just sitting for 15 minutes and putting a few pieces together.

@Tupperwarelid my friend always has a jigsaw underway in his kitchen. Every single person who visits his house ends up poring over it and trying to put a few pieces in.

I try and find the joy in small things but it's not always easy.
For me it's nature and the outdoor environment.I keep a journal of all the things I see.
I also grow a lot of herbs and get pleasure from drying them to make teas.

Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens
Bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens
Brown paper packages tied up with strings
These are a few of my favorite things

Getting into a freshly changed bed at the end of the day

I’m shocked, I was also in SE London! Maybe I just came across as a weirdo peddling poisoned ice creams! 😂

As per username.

This corrupt society will pass as all others have before it. The stars will still be there in the sky, and there will still be trees catching the wind in their branches.

When the dustmen empty the black bin!

I also grow a lot of herbs and get pleasure from drying them to make teas.

Ive started doing that this year, with linden, mint and nettles. I might try and get hold of some chamomile. Any particular herbs you keep for teas?

My dogs
coffee outside in the morning sun
my garden
fresh flowers
candles
good book
podcasts
travel

Tea in my favourite lovely china mug.

🤣🤣

(And, @mumsnet, pithy posts like this is exactly why we need the laughing emoji back!!).

For me, nothing beats that first cup of coffee. Even better now that the occasional morning has a very slight tang of autumn in the air…lovely!

Walking. Being in nature and noticing what is around me. Putting one foot in front of the other helps me feel less stuck. You can get an almanac of the seasons for about a fiver and it tells you what to look out for. It seems a bumper year for hazelnuts this year.

I also collect herbs on my walks to dry for teas. There's still mugwort about and rosebay willow herb, red clover, rose petals, plantain, bramble leaf, meadowsweet, yarrow off the top of my head.

Those days when it's sunny enough to do a wash, hang it on the line and get it all dry and put away at the end of the day.

Washing blowing on a line - especially if it's all white for some reason.
I use those old fashioned dolly pegs because they look so cute.
Picking herbs from my window box and using them in a home cooked meal.

@Sortumn cross posts about herbs!

This is a lovely thread OP. Thank you for starting it.

Give yourself some grace. Be gentle with yourself, things are tough. Absolutely find some positives where you can, but having been through a very tough time, trying to be grateful and positive sort of made me feel like I had something else to do and something else to fail out.
Instead I focused on softness and gentleness whereever I could. For me that meant going outside first thing every day. Rain or shine. Taking a few breaths. Just me and the world.
I started building normal routine things into rituals. My tea making for example, I use a teapot and whistling kettle and I sit and I drink it slowly. Sometimes that’s with my youngest dc playing some game or another so it’s not necessarily peaceful but it is mindful and there is comfort in it.

I do agree that adding in more things that make you happy is a wonderful idea but try one small thing at a time, it will build a more sustainable habit.

Be gentle with yourself. Life is hard for you right now.

Love the ice cream idea just thinking I might open the cardboard pack in front of people though.

For me it depends on my mood, but like a lot of others it can be a bit of a domestic goddess day. So an apron on, the sheets in the wash. The bread maker on and soup cooking in the slow cooker.

A quick hoover, dust and tidy and then it’s time to make a quick cake, like brownies, banana cake or maybe some scones. Then the afternoon would be having mugs of tea ( but from a tea pot so much better) with a jug of milk and cake in front of the tv watching something cheesy like the BBC pride and prejudice.

Sometimes it’s just a pic nic rug outside and a book or even a soak in the bath and painting my toe nails after a face mask. Another thing I love to do is forage for wild raspberries and blackberries.

I know it sounds daft but sometimes just having a breakfast on a weekend with teapot tea and my toast cut diagonally just makes me feel good. It can be just a little bit of something extra.

Goats. If you can't own one then find one you can visit.

Ditto donkeys.

My cats.. my coffee.. my garden.

I follow a group on facebook Called Ordinary and Happy, it has lots of ideas and suggestions. A lot of it is along the lines of trying new things and practising gratitude. Also the following:
A good book
Watching a new boxset or similar
Crochet, I find this can be quite calming
Trying a simple new recipe, I make a three ingredient Lotus Biscoff cake
Fresh air
A big cup of tea
Something sweet to eat
Play some 80s music on Youtube and have a good bop
Decluttering one area of your house
A new lipstick or different coloured eye shadow or similar
A good root in a charity shop, also good for books
A catch up with friends

I do this with my DC! Occasionally people look a bit freaked out but I love it, and I think it makes the world feel a bit nicer. We’ve yet to encounter anyone who didn’t accept!