Small Moments of Joy

A few years ago, we all found ourselves in a time of isolation and confusion. This fear of the unknown quickly turned into repetition and boredom. As the weeks went on, life started to feel so plain and dull. Given that we've all endured the height of the pandemic, there's little need for me to elaborate on what it was like but as the days went on, I noticed that I struggled to find the silver lining each day.

To counteract this feeling, I decided to write down three things I was grateful for in the morning and at night. I did this consistently for about a month and it truly got me out of the funk I found myself in. However, sometimes I felt like “gratitude list” sounded a little forced so I tried to think of it as “small moments of joy” instead. Trying to find the small moments of joy in my day seemed simple and doable.?

I know this isn’t groundbreaking and I definitely won’t sit here and claim that I am perfect at practicing gratitude. However, I do believe that this habit has taught me to find a little more beauty in the ordinary.

Recent small moments of joy:

• The sky is blue today after three rainy/cloudy days
• Being a second-semester senior, I have more time to do things I love
• I get to live with three of my best friends
• I ate some great food and made lovely memories this weekend
• Attending the UNC vs. Duke basketball game with Carol and Neha
• I had a quick spontaneous catch-up call with my dad on Monday morning?
• Trader Joe’s Valentine's Day candy
• Made lunch for someone special
• Finished a great book and got to pick a new one to read
• Hosted two amazing friends for dinner the other week