Finding Joy in Little Things

Find joy in the little things. This piece of folk advice has been around for eons, and is one that many of us try to live by. But is there actually any real benefit to this practice?

According to research, yes, there is indeed some benefit to savoring fleeting moments of joy – also known as “micro-joys”. Whether that’s relishing a cup of tea, performing an act of kindness or enjoying a funny video, finding joy in the little things not only has many temporary benefits, but research shows it can also be an investment in long-term wellbeing.¹⁾Fredrickson, B. L. (2000). Cultivating positive emotions to optimize health and well-being. Prevention & Treatment, 3(1), https://psycnet.apa.org/doi/10.1037/1522-3736.3.1.31a

On a physiological level, engaging in micro-joys can improve our vagal tone.²⁾Bethany E. Kok, Barbara L. Fredrickson, Upward spirals of the heart: Autonomic flexibility, as indexed by vagal tone, reciprocally and prospectively predicts positive emotions and social connectedness, Biological Psychology, Volume 85, Issue 3, 2010, Pages 432-436, ISSN 0301-0511, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsycho.2010.09.005. This is important, as the vagus nerve is responsible for our body’s autopilot system, which regulates the processes we don’t have to think about – such as our heart rate, digestion and breathing. The vagus nerve is also linked to mood and anxiety disorders, and regulating stress, so the more stimulated it is the better off you may be.³⁾Breit S, Kupferberg A, Rogler G, Hasler G. Vagus Nerve as Modulator of the Brain-Gut Axis in Psychiatric and Inflammatory Disorders. Front Psychiatry. 2018 Mar 13;9:44. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2018.00044.

On a social level, positive emotions can improve relationships and potentially lead to positivity resonance⁴⁾Major, B. C., Le Nguyen, K. D., Lundberg, K. B., & Fredrickson, B. L. (2018). Well-Being Correlates of Perceived Positivity Resonance: Evidence From Trait and Episode-Level Assessments. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 44(12), 1631-1647. https://doi.org/10.1177/0146167218771324 – a momentary connection between people that enhances health,⁵⁾Wells JL, Haase CM, et. al. Positivity resonance in long-term married couples: Multimodal characteristics and consequences for health and longevity. J Pers Soc Psychol. 2022 Nov;123(5):983-1003. doi: 10.1037/pspi0000385. increases life-span and meaning in life.⁶⁾Prinzing, M., Le Nguyen, K., & Fredrickson, B. L. (2023). Does shared positivity make life more meaningful? Perceived positivity resonance is uniquely associated with perceived meaning in life. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 125(2), 345–366. https://doi.org/10.1037/pspi0000418

Experiencing positive emotions not only boosts momentary happiness, but it also helps us to develop qualities such as optimism and resilience, which can help protect against distress and poor mental health in the future.⁷⁾Fredrickson BL. The role of positive emotions in positive psychology. The broaden-and-build theory of positive emotions. Am Psychol. 2001 Mar;56(3):218-26. doi: 10.1037//0003-066x.56.3.218.

The critical question then arises of how many micro-joys we need to experience daily in order to see these kinds of benefits.

Some studies suggest a magic number: five positive emotions to one negative emotion for optimal wellbeing. So for every one negative emotion you experience in a day (such as sadness, anger and frustration), you would need to have five positive emotions (such as joy, hope or optimism) to balance things out and live a good life.⁸⁾Friedman HL, Brown NJL. Implications of Debunking the “Critical Positivity Ratio” for Humanistic Psychology: Introduction to Special Issue. J Humanist Psychol. 2018 May;58(3):239-261. doi: 10.1177/0022167818762227.

However, not all experts agree with this ratio – with some criticizing the algorithm used to develop it.⁹⁾Brown NJ, Sokal AD, Friedman HL. The complex dynamics of wishful thinking: the critical positivity ratio. The American Psychologist. 2013 Dec;68(9):801-813. DOI: 10.1037/a0032850. Nevertheless, most research seems to agree that the more positive emotions you experience per day, the better.¹⁰⁾Fredrickson BL. Updated thinking on positivity ratios. Am Psychol. 2013 Dec;68(9):814-22. doi: 10.1037/a0033584.

So, embracing micro-joys may indeed serve as a foundational strategy for improving overall wellbeing. Even engaging in just a few daily micro-joys can not only contribute to momentary happiness, it also helps develop our self-regulation. This is our ability to manage impulses in order to achieve a goal or establish a habit.¹¹⁾Muraven, M., & Baumeister, R. F. (2000). Self-regulation and depletion of limited resources: Does self-control resemble a muscle? Psychological Bulletin, 126(2), 247–259. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.126.2.247

Better self-regulation has a ripple effect on various aspects of our lives – such as preventing addiction or self-defeating behaviors (including procrastination, blame and perfectionism).¹²⁾Baumeister, R.F., Leith, K.P., Muraven, M., Bratslavsky, E. (2002). Self-Regulation as a Key to Success in Life. In: Pushkar, D., Bukowski, W.M., Schwartzman, A.E., Stack, D.M., White, D.R. (eds) Improving Competence across the Lifespan. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/0-306-47149-3_9 Making time to do even just small, personal tasks such as making lists, tracking daily budgets and even working on your posture each day can help strengthen your self-regulation and ward off against failures.¹³⁾Baumeister, R. F., Vohs, K. D., & Tice, D. M. (2007). The Strength Model of Self-Control. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 16(6), 351-355. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8721.2007.00534.x

Finding micro-joy

If you’re keen to see whether practicing micro-joys will benefit you, there are a few key things to know.

First, research suggests that some people’s genetics may make them more likely to benefit from micro-joys than others. Studies show that people who are highly sensitive to their environment may disproportionately benefit from engaging in positive activities, such as micro-joys. So if you’re someone who tends to be acutely aware of the subtleties around you or find you become deeply emotional when engaging with art or music, you may find micro-joys to be highly effective for your wellbeing.¹⁴⁾Pluess, M. (2017), Vantage Sensitivity: Environmental Sensitivity to Positive Experiences as a Function of Genetic Differences. J Pers, 85: 38-50. https://doi.org/10.1111/jopy.12218

Another key aspect of micro-joys is the fact that they center on cultivating moments of pure joy – not happiness. This is important, as studies have found that the pursuit of happiness can be counterproductive, potentially leading to diminished wellbeing¹⁵⁾Mauss IB, Tamir M, Anderson CL, Savino NS. Can seeking happiness make people unhappy? [corrected] Paradoxical effects of valuing happiness. Emotion. 2011 Aug;11(4):807-15. doi: 10.1037/a0022010. and heightened loneliness.¹⁶⁾Mauss IB, Savino NS, Anderson CL, Weisbuch M, Tamir M, Laudenslager ML. The pursuit of happiness can be lonely. Emotion. 2012 Oct;12(5):908-12. doi: 10.1037/a0025299. While happiness is a state that people aim to achieve, joy encompasses the processes that may result in happiness.

Celebrating fleeting moments of joy can be so good for us because these moments champion the journey of infusing our lives with greater enjoyment and focus on prioritizing positivity – rather than focusing on whether we’re happy or not.¹⁷⁾Catalino LI, Algoe SB, Fredrickson BL. Prioritizing positivity: an effective approach to pursuing happiness? Emotion. 2014 Dec;14(6):1155-61. doi: 10.1037/a0038029. Erratum in: Emotion. 2015 Apr;15(2):175. doi: 10.1037/emo0000064.

Here are a few ways you can practice finding joy in the little things:

1. Change your routine. Try adding a 10-minute burst of joy into your normal morning, afternoon or evening routine which can give you a moment of delight to look forward to. For example, savoring a cup of tea.
2. Look out for moments of humor. Humor can be a great way to find joy each day. But if you find it hard to see joy in your day, try to imagine how your favorite comedian might hilariously interpret the events of your day.
3. Be spontaneous. Challenge your routine by introducing spontaneity into your day – even if you’re typically a meticulous planner. Embrace the unexpected – even if just for a rejuvenating, five-minute break to call a friend you haven’t spoken with in a while.
4. Pursue moments of connection and shared laughter with strangers, neighbor or acquaintances. Strengthening these social bonds can add joy to your day.
5. Pause and appreciate. Taking regular breaks to savor the simple act of being alive throughout your day can bring a renewed sense of mindfulness and gratitude that result in joy. For example, listen to the birds singing, or allow yourself to laugh out loud when someone says something funny.

Engaging in small moments of joy daily holds the potential to elevate both short- and long-term well-being for many – though for some the impact of these activities will be more subtle than for others.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.