By Victoria Stokes. Victoria is a writer from the United Kingdom. When she’s not writing about her favourite topics, personal development, and well-being, she usually has her nose stuck in a good book. Victoria lists coffee, cocktails, and the color pink among some of her favorite things. Be sure to follow her @victorialstokes on Instagram.
Pockets of joy. If you aren’t familiar, pockets of joy are little moments of happiness or pleasure derived from the small things in life. They often take on more meaning during times of crisis, like when a family member is sick, when you’re going through a breakup or when life just feels very tricky and confusing, like it does now. A pocket of joy could be anything, whether it’s pouring yourself a brew and looking out the window at the sunshine for 5 minutes or taking time out to curl up with your dog. They are those tiny moments of unadulterated joy, of light relief, that bring us happiness no matter what we’re going through.
I’ve been finding lots of little pockets of joy to get myself through this tough time. I’m buying flowers every week. They are an indulgence I rarely splash out on normally, but every time I see them on our dining table they make me smile. I’ve been planning plenty of tea breaks, getting all cosy on the couch with a brew and a biccie, and each time I do I feel safe and content. I’ve been taking my time to make delicious food and then feeling pleased with myself when I admire my creations. I’ve been baking and licking the bowl clean. I’ve been crawling back into bed in the afternoon and reading a book – something I can’t always find the time to do in my regular routine. And I’ve been looking back through my camera roll, smiling while I’m remembering all the good times and all the people I’m missing right now.
Though they be small, these little pockets of joy, they are mighty, and when the going gets tough, they are the thing that gets me through. Do they make all my troubles go away? No, but they give me something to smile about, and when I take stock at the end of the day, I can hopefully say that it was made up of more good than it was bad.
As important as it is to create these pockets of joy for yourself, it’s also important to protect your joy. Don’t let it be unnecessarily zapped or stolen away. I’ve been doing that by limiting my time on social media (I took a big step today and uninstalled my Twitter app – I always feel a lot less joyful after spending time on there) and keeping tabs on how often I’m watching the news. Catching the headlines at 6pm is enough for me. I don’t need to be inundated.
There’s a lot of crap out there right now. It’s scary and it can’t be ignored. But if we can just sandwich all the rubbish stuff with little pockets of joy, we might just be okay. What moments are you creating?
All posts are intended strictly for educational purposes. It is not intended to make any representations or warranties about the outcome of any product/service.