Finding Joy in the Everyday

How Small Moments of Joy Can Improve Your Health

Hey friend,

Let’s talk about joy—not the big, dramatic kind (though those moments are lovely), but the smaller, quieter kind that’s easy to miss when life gets busy.

The kind that sneaks in when…

✨ You take that first sip of coffee and the house is still quiet
✨ You catch a sliver of sunset on your evening walk
✨ Your favorite song comes on at exactly the right moment

They might seem small, but they’re powerful—for your body, your brain, and your mood.

We recently spent a weekend unplugged at the coast.

I had pictured sun and sandy beach walks. . . but the weather had other plans: more clouds than sun, and some seriously chilly winds (aka why we call it the coast, not the beach, here in Oregon).

But watching my kids (and my husband) run wild up and down the dunes reminded me of something I know but sometimes forget: joy doesn’t always show up the way we expect it to. It often lives in the ordinary.

As Ross Gay says,

“The more you study delight, the more delight there is to study. . . I felt my life to be more full of delight. Not without sorrow or fear or pain or loss. But more full of delight.”—Ross Gay, The Book of Delights

🧠 The Science Behind Small Joys

Our brains are naturally wired to notice what’s wrong (thanks survival instinct), which means noticing joy often requires a little more intention. But here’s the cool part: when we practice noticing joy, our brain chemistry shifts.

Those small sparks of joy can help:

• Lower cortisol (your stress hormone)

• Regulate mood + hormones (yep, even during perimenopause)

• Support your immune system

• Improve sleep

• Build nervous system resilience

🌿 Why This Matters in Real Life

If you’re anything like me (or so many of the women I work with) you’re juggling a lot. And it’s easy to slip into that “I’ll slow down when...” mindset. But joy isn’t something we have to earn. It’s something we can build into our day in tiny ways—like little emotional anchor points.

✨ Try This: Build Your Joy Toolkit

Here are a few simple joy practices I’ve been loving:

• Start a joy list. Grab a notebook or your Notes app and jot down 5 tiny things that bring you joy—coffee in bed, a favorite song, watching the sunrise, anything that makes you feel grounded and good. Then actually do one each day this week.

• Notice your joy triggers. Dinners outside, game nights, spontaneous dance parties in the kitchen, a perfectly ripe peach. Let it all count.

• Don’t save it for later. You don’t have to wait for the vacation or the milestone. Pay attention to the everyday magic that’s already here.

Before You Go

You don’t have to add more to your plate or check another box. Just slow down enough to notice what’s already good. Count every good thing.

What tiny moment brought you joy today? I’d love to hear.

xx

Ashley

P.S. If this sparked something for you, feel free to forward it to a friend or share your favorite joy trigger in the comments 💛