How do you inject JOY into your day?

[eatprayloveorjusteateateat]

I wake up everyday and feel 'bleurgh!'... just bleurgh!

Is there any way that you cheer yourself up/ inject some joy into your morning/day?

Is it getting up an hour before everyone else and having a good cup of luxury coffee?
Do you watch something to shake off your crappy mood?
listen to something?
do something unusual?
eat something?
put something on?

i don't know about you but i don't wake up feeling naturally happy so i really need to do something to put a smile on my face.

Any ideas?

Ah the wicked east.. That I sweet.. I miss snogs.. Proper snogs.. Have to put them on the agenda.

I love fresh lilies and candles .. A night I just sit an enjoy them.

Also I love buying a coffee or hot chocolate from the garage on the way home from work.

Love little projects .. Like painting old furniture etc.

Wickebest I meant

I now want cinnamon bagels with Philly, and to eat one while watching Golden Girls with huge pot of Yorkshire tea.

Gin
Tonic

Run! It makes you tingle with happiness even if you've only gone round the block. I never broke out of an idle amble until my late thirties so if I can, everyone can!!

Really good coffee in a lovely mug in the utter peace once the DC have gone to school and DH to work. After working FT like a bastard for thirty years until a year ago, I still feel like a naughty skiver.

Baking, and the smell it makes.

Cuddling the dog.

Walking in fields and noticing all the tiny changes in nature that I used to watch like a hawk when I was a child.

Painting, making a glorious mess, and never showing a soul.

But mainly the delicious secret naps I slope off for once a month or so, in the middle if the afternoon.

Generally being a secret slattern.

Sitting down and staring into the middle distance, belly laughs with DP, pussy cat snuggles, having a bubble bath and a cuppa tea.
And wine and gin

Nice thread
-waking up early and seeing the sunrise. We have an amazing view from our bedroom window.
-in winter, cosying up on the sofa in pj's with a hot chocolate and book with smelly candle lit.

• quite sad but when my house is spotlessly clean and everything shining and clutter free with a vase of flowers on the table. I feel more relaxed when my home is tidy.

-another winter one, going for a walk with DH in the park all wrapped up and watching the sky changing colours. Then going home and having a cuppa.

A cadburys twirl is my little treat!

Brilliant thread. I agree with:

shower
tea
eggs for breakfast
reading
dark chocolate
nice coffee once a day at work

and would like to add:

cycling to work - I absolutely love it. Knowing that I am getting some exercise, enjoying the sights of the city, and feeling FREEEE. Can't recommend it enough.

A tidy house makes me very happy, but I don't always achieve this.

I don't have a television and almost never watch anything on iPlayer or DVD. I am certain this contributes to my happiness.

I listen to the birdsong station on the tunein radio app.
Toasted barmbrack with real butter. DH managed to find some today and got it for me as a surprise.
Bodyshop perfume oils
I dance with my 6 year old to radio 2 songs; his Agadoo dance had me in stitches this week.
Every night when I do his bedtime prayers we thank God for something he enjoyed that day,even something like a lovely school pudding, or a sticker from his teacher. Almost every faith puts value on living in the present.
.

Lovely coffee from my lovely coffee machine, bought earlier this year, when I thought I was employed at a good salary for the rest if tge year.
Music, either listening or playing.
Driving my car.
Doing the washing and ironing.
Being at home.
Cutting the grass.
Currently looking forward to a new job, starting soon, so getting organised and buying new clothes.
Sending toyboy nice sms and getting nice ones back.

Aargh, I'm so miserable

Taking out all my anger and muttering obscenities to absent foe while I clean the kitchen (or wherever). Then I stand back and drink in the sparkly clean kitchen, look at my reflection in the induction hob, run a finger over the clean grouting sniff the jiff

Look through old photos of DS from his first year.

Look at my list of things to sew and smile at all the ticked items: presents, toys, housey things that I've made and are bringing me and others joy.

Spooning DH.

Watching DS sleep. Watching DS play with his toys and work things out/do new things. Write down DS's new words (today it was 'guitar'). (He's pfb and will be an only, hence my obsession!).

Inventing jokes then telling DH.

Taking photos of sunsets.

Noticing things outside, like leaves changing colour, a big snail, dusk coming earlier, raindrops, contrails.

Reading and old diary. I've kept a diary since I was 12, ifI have time I'll read 12th September 1995, for example and laugh at the old me!

Perusing cookbooks if only to look at the pictures. Walking dd to school and waving her off. Talking toddler jibberish with ds, 2yrs. Having a nice brew, any day without tea is a bad day.

Wonderful thread.....lots of ideas!!

Books to give you some ideas: nice things to do to make you appreciate the good things in life:
Froth on the cappuccino by Maeve Haran
The Wonderful Weekend Book by Elspeth Thompson

Facebook Pages:
Laugh it's Free
On being you
Jo Casey
Make Me Joyful
My Daily Insights
Aunty Acid
You Time Coaching

Write a "gratitude journal" and note down all the things you are grateful for each day......some days you really have to dig deep to find things ;)

Find some quotes that make you smile or lift you......
."smile, you don't own all the problems in the world!"
Don't compare your life to others, you have no idea what their journey is about
If we threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's we'd grab ours back
Life isn't tied with a bow, but its still a gift
No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up!

Buy "Psychologies" magazine - lots of good ideas

Wear colourful clothes, it makes you feel happy plus other people that see you-avoid black or neutral colours

Get up before the rest of the house does and make a tea or coffee to enjoy in peace. I have a travel kettle in a cupboard in the bedroom so I can make a crafty cup of Earl Gray then get back into bed to drink it.....bliss

Remember all the choices you have in life....choose to be happy!!! It is only you who can decide whether you day will be happy or grumpy!

Happy days :)

blow bubbles and get the kids to chase them

listen to the song "My favourite things" from Sound of Music and make a list of your own favourite things.
then incorporate those things, feelings, deeds as much as you can.

eatpray
this is now in Classics!

(that was quick, thanks HQ!)

Give my babies hugs - more specifically ds - he's almost 2 and just perfect for them :)

Dd1 is 8 and not into them and dd2 is 4 weeks and stuck to me all day every day it feels and whilst it's my choice to hold her lovely squishy ness I like to break up constant dd2 cuddles with regular ds hugs in between

Ooh also, buying nice things for the house and the family makes me happy maltesers. Everything else can bolt if maltesers are on offer.

superman

congratulations on Superbaby!

Ah thank you zing she's a wee whinging annie but I'd not change her for all the tea in china.. and boy do I love tea!

dp on the other hand has been fervently looking for the receipt

Hello all! OP here! So pleased I started this thread yesterday. Someone said I should tell you how my morning went today - armed with all this advice.
Well.... I decided to set my alarm for 6am but strangely my little man awoke at 4.30am - usually I would curse the day... but instead I was excited to get up.
I made a proper coffee and put on my onesie and my son (6 months) and I sat in my living room and watched 'Educating Yorkshire' which made me well up as I am going back to teaching in a few weeks.
I have my cinnamon bagels to eat later. I feel fantastic.

I have written a list in my notes after collating the info from this thread :

Parisian Jazz
Expensive Coffee
Daily walks
Cinnamon Bagels
Good butter
Colour
Music
80s classics
Dark / good chocolate
Eggs
Nuts
Magazine subsription
cross stitching
flowers
candles
snogging
Watch less Tv - turn off Jeremy Kyle
No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up!

WHAT IS A BARMBRACK??? It sounds lovely.

Thank you ALL for your wonderful suggestions. I am determined to turn my life around and be more joyful.

You don't know how much you have helped me

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barmbrack
ah I see... it's going on my shopping list.

THAT has brought me joy. You lovely lady, you are very inspiring, and I'm stealing your list!

Oh - and just to add... I purchased the Ally Mcbeal soundtrack yesterday and as it is heading towards Christmas I bought the Sleepless in Seattle soundtrack too. Beautiful, old, warming songs that make me so happy. Would recommend this soundtrack.

AND.... my partner (who is usually a bit of a sod!) came in at about 5.30 and said he didn't like waking up and my side of the bed was cold.... which is perhaps the sweetest thing he has ever said. He then said THANK YOU for getting up with our son ... which i don't think he has EVER said before. All a bit odd.
Positive attitude obviously has a ripple effect on everything else.
May mean I have to snog him later. eurgh!