If I have learned one thing over the past couple of years, it’s that I have to look for the little things in my day that bring me joy. If I don’t, it is so easy to let the days slip away while the anxieties of life take over. I have always had bad anxiety and troubles with overthinking things to the point that it affects entire days. This is obviously not a fun way to live, but it’s not like I can turn off my brain, so I learned to cope. For me, finding joy in the little things is one way I am able to reflect on my days productively, and remind myself that life isn’t that bad.
While this concept is not new, I remember the first time it really stuck was through UnJaded Jade’s concept of casual magic. If you are unfamiliar with Jade, I highly recommend checking out her YouTube channel and podcast. According to Jade, “casual magic is about how we find beauty in the mundane everyday” (Jade Bowler, Finding Your Casual Magic YouTube channel description). This line of thinking caused me to reflect on the things I do and see every day. For example, walking home after class, listening to music and seeing the fall colours might seem boring, but it is beautiful. Getting to see the seasons change is so much fun, but sometimes we forget that. I am honestly really grateful for Jade because she has taught me so much in her videos, but this has stuck the most.
Putting this into practice
You might be thinking, “yeah, sure, sounds great, but how do I start noticing things that are normal and happen every day?” To that I say, you have to slow down and act with intention. I don’t always realize moments of casual magic as they happen, but with practice it becomes easier. Here’s three tips to start noticing all the magical things around you.
Keep a log
It may seem obvious, but keeping track of the things that bring you joy will help you in more than one way. For starters, it forces you to reflect on the good things that happen in a day. It is so easy to spiral into the negative, but taking the time to think about the good helps bring some balance. For some, you may want to journal about the experience to capture it in full. For others, you may want to keep a note in your phone briefly describing it. I used to do the former, but as of late, the latter works best for me. I have a note in my phone and a reminder at 9 pm every day to fill in that day’s casual magic. The more you reflect, the easier it gets to notice moments of casual magic in the moment.
Add little joys to every day
Intentionally doing things to bring you joy shifts slightly from Jade’s concept of casual magic, but I believe sometimes you have to create your own magic. For example, if you know you have a busy school or work day ahead, it can help to plan something you enjoy for that evening. This could be watching an episode of your show, having a fun drink, reading a chapter of a book you enjoy, cooking a meal you love, or anything else that makes you smile. No matter what it is, planning something you know will make you happy ensures every day is filled with something you love.
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Start romanticizing everything
It is so easy to scroll on social media and feel jealous about how other people appear to live their lives. Key word here: appear. More often than not, social media is a highlight reel that only shows a small percentage of a person’s life. While they only show the highs, the lows and the mundane get brushed under the rug. I believe if we romanticize the mundane, life becomes a lot more fun. Now, I’m not saying you should just view everything as happy or good all the time; that’s unrealistic and more harmful than helpful at the end of the day. Stress and sadness will still exist, but fighting it with positive thinking does more than we think. Reminding ourselves of all the things we get to do can be a powerful way of thinking.
I am the first to say that I get how stress can take over. There are days when I’m stressed about one tiny thing, but it affects everything. Sometimes I can’t get myself out of it, but sometimes I see a friend unexpectedly, or watch bunnies chase each other around, or have the perfect tea, and I am reminded that it is going to be okay. I sound like a broken record, but the world is so much bigger than our stress and worries. These are valid emotions to have; it’s what makes us human, but when they dominate our lives, it makes everything harder.
I hope you enjoyed this article and took something away from it. I challenge you to start finding little joys in your everyday. Let me know down below what made you smile today! For me, it was the cup of chai tea I made at home for the first time. It wasn’t perfect, but it was yummy and I am excited to perfect my recipe. Thank you for reading, and feel free to check out my Instagram for more!
Hailey