Studies show that yogis score high on the happiness index. So go get your downward dog on and find your bliss. 38. Surround Yourself With the Color Blue

Listened to the audiobook as read by Paul Mendez, and found it really enjoyable. There was a little range of British accents and they were all performed really well. I adored his rendition of Muddy. He just made him sound like someone that I desperately want to be friends with: crass and sweet and loud and just wonderful. This was such a good debut, and I'd love to read more from the author. There are a variety of ways you can begin to notice the simple joys in your life. The following tips will help you to make it an ongoing practice in your life. Slow down And the same goes for being happier and experiencing more joy and less stress. You have to be intentional about looking for those simple moments or feelings.Self-love and acceptance are among the most important keys to happiness. If you're not happy with yourself, you're never going to be happy. Forgive yourself. Allow yourself those mistakes you've made. Accept yourself for who you are — the good, the bad and all that needs improvement. 61. Drink More Water It’s about recognizing the little joys that are all around us if we only take the time to look for them. Small Joys, I just know, is going to prove near impossible to review. In fact, I started this review around 3 weeks before coming to finish it. Mostly, this is because I don’t have the words to even start talking about this book. Elvin James Mensah's Small Joys is breathtaking and heartrending, by turns hilarious and devastating and surprising and wild. Mensah's prose makes the intangible deft and tremendous — from the balm of friendship, to the beauty of queerness, and the all-encompassing elixir of community. Tender, thrilling, and honest; Small Joys is a beam of light.' Bryan Washington, author of Memorial

Being stress free is about enjoying the simple joys of life and counting those small moments as blessings. But in a fast paced world where everyone seems to be trying to outpace each other, it’s easy to forget about those small things. I found myself highlighting passage after passage, until the whole book almost seemed highlighted. It’s beautifully written, told with a brutal honesty and carefully chosen words. And while it would probably be considered a slow-paced novel, I didn’t want to set it down, desperate to know if Harley would be okay. According to Buettner, the concept of ikigai is not exclusive to Okinawans: “there might not be a word for it but in all four blue zones such as Sardinia and Nicoya Peninsula, the same concept exists among people living long lives.” These themes are tough and raw and leave a dryness in your throat that make it hard to swallow. And yet Small Joys provides so much warmth, because almost immediately Harley is enveloped into a stronghold of friendship that will save his life on multiple occasions. And while the vivid dialogue of Finley, Chelsea, and Noria will have you grinning from ear to ear, it is Muddy and Harley’s burgeoning friendship that shines the brightest here.This is a slice-of-life story that is narrated from Harley’s point of view and involves the lives of five friends, Muddy, Chelsea, Noria, Harley, and Finlay. In the story, we get to see how these characters behave and interact with each other. Reading this book makes you feel like you are hanging out with a few friends. The more time you spend with these characters the more they will grow on you. I think the author has done a tremendous job developing these characters. They are all well-crafted and very realistic. But happiness is a difficult thing to measure. It's a spectrum — not an absolute. There's a whole science behind our happiness levels, why they fluctuate, and what we can do to boost them. Muddy is everything Harley is not: ostensibly heterosexual, freewheeling, confident in his masculinity. Despite their differences, a deep friendship blossoms between them when Muddy takes Harley under his wing and shows him everything that, in his eyes, makes life worth living: bird-watching, karaoke, rugby, and the band Oasis. Having a list of positive things to remember when life feels more challenging is a great gift you can give your future self. You’ll notice more things to be grateful for

Gratitude won’t necessarily change your life circumstances, but it can change your perspective and how you feel about them. 77 Simple Joys in Life From cosy hygge moments to happy little things that make you smile, hopefully these little joys of life will bring you some comfort on difficult days. You don’t even need to spend anything to enjoy some of these little joys – just take a moment to appreciate them and bring a little bit of quiet happiness to your day. So here it is – our list of 39 of the best little joys in life. Singing, particularly in a choir, gives the body a shot of endorphins and dopamine — the same hormones that produce the "runner's high" people feel after pounding out a few miles on the pavement. But a singer's high comes with all sorts of added benefits — stress reduction, pain alleviation, and an overall feeling of contentment. 34. Organize Your Bedroom Impressive and perfect, Mensah’s debut is a novel that builds empathy for fellow humans. It reminds us that even though we may not see it, people are struggling, and one moment of kindness may be just what they need. I feel like Small Joys will stay with me a long time, and I hope this is a book that gets the attention it deserves. What's better than opening the mailbox to find an unexpected hand-written note from a friend, just because? This small act of love and friendship pays off two-fold, for you, too, get to experience a burst of joy knowing you've brightened the day of your letter's recipient. A simple envelope-sealed note will suffice, but feel free to let your imagination run wild with small gifts, puzzle cards, and other personal ideas. 3. Watch the Sun RiseThat's a bad way of putting the matter, because it flattens Muddy out. He's lovely, and his affection for Harley helps Harley open himself to friendships with Chelsea's BFF Noria and Muddy's abrasive, obnoxious, but ultimately decent best friend Finley. Letting your mind escape into a fantasy realm for awhile can actually boost your happiness. So open up a good book and don't be afraid to let your imagination run away with it. 30. Light a Candle A long, deep sigh can make all the difference. It's the physical act of letting go — grief, anxiety, sleepiness. Whatever burden you're holding on to. Take a deep breath, sigh, and enjoy a sense of relief. 65. Eat More Fruits and Vegetables It’s a by-product of escapism from Eva’s very palpable loneliness perhaps, though Richards doesn’t render her a hopeless victim. Instead, her story is one of underlying optimism, most obvious when she counts the things she would like to experience with her baby, like walks in the pram or the making play-dough. Simple moments, Eva calls them, while also lamenting that the space adults make for sharing such joys – because they’re not as big as career prospects or romantic relationships – is limited. A commitment to good posture will keep you energized and create more room in your diaphragm for deeper breathing. It can also make you feel better. People with good posture give off an air of ease and confidence that actually bolsters their own self-perception. 48. Practice Positive Affirmations

Making a big, long to-do list might seem daunting. All those unfinished tasks staring you in the face. But research has found that we get a buzz of accomplishment and satisfaction each time we cross an item off the list — no matter how big or small the task. 28. Stop and Smell the Roses When I was initially creating my simple joys in life list, it felt challenging to come up with my goal number for that week. However, the longer we continued to practice it, the easier it became and the more things I noticed. How to Notice the Simple Joys in Life But, knowing your ikigai alone is not enough. Simply put, you need an outlet. Ikigai is “purpose in action,” he says. In a 2001 research paper on ikigai, co-author Akihiro Hasegawa, a clinical psychologist and associate professor at Toyo Eiwa University, placed the word ikigai as part of everyday Japanese language. It is composed of two words: iki, which means life and gai, whichdescribes value or worth. We live in a frenzied world where people seem to be constantly busy. Slowing down can sometimes be a challenge.

77. Pop in a Sappy Movie

Music is scientifically proven to ease pain, reduce stress, elevate mood — and a slew of other wonderful things that are great for our physical and emotional betterment. Listening to fast music can actually motivate and increase endurance, while slow music can help a person relax as well as prevent overeating. 68. Appreciate a Work of Art I loved it - Small Joys is a wonderful book full of music, life and a great deal of heart. An extremely BIG joy!' Matson Taylor, bestselling author of The Miseducation of Evie Epworth If you want a happier existence, imagine it and it will be. Scientists have found that if we visualize ourselves in a happy state we can actualize happiness. 47. Sit Up Straight How satisfying, I had thought, how reassuring, to know you could save your own life from loneliness.