Mind & Spirit
Microjoys are the key to a more meaningful life
Photography, Ivana Cajina, Unsplash.com
Mind & Spirit
Microjoys are the key to a more meaningful life
Living mindfully and meaningfully means slowing down and enjoying the moment, not rushing through life.
You know when people say that it’s the small things that matter? Well, it’s more than just a saying to make someone feel better. It turns out there’s ample scientific evidence to support the claim that microjoys are actually essential to living a better life and feeling good.
What are microjoys?
Microjoys are small moments within your day when you notice something small or mundane that may ordinarily seem insignificant but manages to bring a smile to your face—like flowers blooming, your cat purring, the sound of your baby softly snoring.
Microjoys ground you in the present moment when life is moving too fast and remind you that the smaller things are just as important as significant milestones.
They play an important psychological role in our well-being: they get endorphins flowing and regulate our ‘happy hormones,’ making us feel calmer and more content.
How many microjoys do you need to notice per day?
Although there is no fixed number for how many microjoys you should ideally experience per day, studies have identified a magic ratio: five positive emotions for every negative one.
Photography, Helena Lopes, Unsplash.com
According to Jolanta Burke, senior lecturer at the Centre for Positive Health Sciences of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, we need to feel emotions like joy, hope or optimism five times for every feeling of anger, sadness or frustration in order to balance out our mental well-being.
However, it’s not a fixed number, so use this information to be more mindful about the small positive things in your life. The more microjoys you experience, the happier you'll feel overall.
Our microjoys include:
- A midday walk to the farmers’ market
- Waking up to rays of sunshine
- Our coffee order coming up exactly how we like it
- Cooking a meal for a loved one
- A phone call from a friend
- Seeing our pets do something silly
- Our favourite song coming up on shuffle
- Finishing a good book
- Hugging our loved ones
- Taking a hot shower after a workout
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