Big and pivotal moments are not the only ways to experience happiness. It can show up in mundane things too. It can be spontaneous, simple, and unassuming. They call it happiness in the little things or the ones that you find in the folds of your daily life. Small, mundane happiness, such as this, is usually the one that matters even more.
Here are five everyday things that bring me happiness.
1. The peaceful moment after everyone leaves
It’s not the early morning rush that I love, but the peace that follows. If you are raising a family, you might be able to relate to this experience. My anxiety starts early in the day. I wake up at 5:30am before waking up my kids to get ready for school. I spend the first 30 minutes after waking up preparing breakfast for everyone and packing lunch for my husband. Everything is always in a rush. Once the kids have gone to school and my husband is off to work, the house slips into silence. I can finally sit with my breakfast. Sometimes planning the day, other times just flipping through a few pages of a book or writing down whatever is on my mind. It’s a moment that belongs only to me. And that peacefulness feels like an exhale I didn’t know I was holding.
2. Writing something true
Writing is a way for me to make sense of my world. It’s a place where I feel safe to untangle my thoughts and pour out things as honestly as I can. Writing is undoubtedly one of the things that brings me complete happiness. It is even more profound when the words come from somewhere deeper—more honest and vulnerable. Whether it’s a poem, a story, or a blog post, writing gives shape to things I can’t always say aloud.
3) Walking among greenery
I live in the suburb where trees and parks are abundant. There’s something about being surrounded by green that softens everything inside me. I walk slowly, letting my thoughts drift, and the tension I didn’t even realize I was carrying begins to dissolve. Nature has always been a balm and a way for me to come back to myself.
4) Beautiful sentences in a book
I’m a voracious reader. Up until today, 12 April, I’ve finished reading seven books for this month. There is something about books and reading that’s so addictive. You know those lines that stop you mid-read? They are so breathtaking in their truth; they make you close the book for a second and just breathe them in. I live for those moments. It feels like someone is finally giving names to things I’ve felt but never said. I love underlining those sentences and returning to them later to savor them again.
5) Meaningful connection
We all thrive on meaningful connections. For me, it’s not about having long conversations, but those rare moments when someone truly sees me. Whether it’s with a friend, a reader, or someone who understands me without the need for explanation, those moments are truly meaningful to me. Those connections fill me up in ways that surface talk never could.
These things may seem small, but they truly anchor me. They remind me that even on ordinary days, there’s still so much beauty to be grateful for.
That's it for now. If you read this far, thank you. I appreciate it so much! I'm a non-native English speaker, and English is my third language. Post ideas and content are originally mine.
Note: If you decide to run my content on an AI detector, remember that no detectors are 100% reliable, no matter what their accuracy scores claim. And know that AI detectors are biased against non-native English writers.
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