When the dark nights draw in, it's natural to feel dreary, but what if I told you that you could be happier every single day without making any major changes?
That's what I realised when I chatted to life coach Mhairi Todd recently, who explained how we accidentally hold ourselves back from so much joy, on a daily basis.
"Life is busy, half the time we're thinking about the future and feeling anxious about that, or we're thinking about the past and we're a bit down about it," says Mhairi. "What that means is that we miss daily opportunities for little things we can do or change to simply experience a nicer life.
"It’s often not the big stuff, it’s the daily habits, the little moments and the tiny opportunities that will actually give us those small, consistent injections of laughter, comfort or pleasure that we deserve," says Mhairi, who encourages us to find pockets of joy in the every day. "We all have daily habits we carry out subconsciously that could have some joy locked inside them."
Explaining how she discovered an untapped source of joy in her day, Mhairi told me: "I've had my Peloton bike for two years and on Friday I mentioned to a friend that I couldn’t connect my headphones through Bluetooth. "In roughly 30 seconds he told me how to do it. The next day I followed those instructions and what do you know… my ride was not just incrementally better, but actually quite profoundly better.
"These little pockets often go untapped because we aren't intentional enough with the little things we do regularly. They are so habitual or task-orientated we forget to squeeze more from them," Mhairi adds.
How to find pockets of joy every day
When it comes to finding untapped joy in your day, ask yourself, 'Where am I missing a trick? Where in my weekly or daily habits can I change something subtly to bring me more comfort or enjoyment?'
Read on for Mhairi's suggestions…
1. Get up three minutes earlier
I know, when you're setting the alarm at night, the last thing you want to do is plan for an earlier wakeup, by Mhairi said just giving yourself a few extra minutes means you can make a coffee, tea or smoothie to enjoy on the way to work – suddenly the commute isn't so bad!
© Shutterstock2. Upgrade your daily rituals
"You know that hand soap, washing power or shower gel that you've been coveting? Maybe you smelt it in someone else's house, and it was gorgeous, but you've told yourself it's an indulgence even though you can afford it… go buy it!" encourages Mhairi. "Savour it each time you use it. I'm really affected by scent and a daily shower with my Clarins Relax or Tonic shower gel adds a little bit of heaven to an everyday task."
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3. Be prepared
We all know that awful feeling when your headphones run out of battery, or you realise you left them at home. Mhairi says simply putting a spare pair in your bag means you'll never journey without your favourite podcast or music again.
I challenge you to find a way to inject more joy into each day this November, fingers crossed it brings a little extra light to your life!
Work with Mhairi here and discover more ways to feel happier with our HELLO! Happiness Hub
