Things That Are Making Me Happy Right Now

As an extrovert who feels tortured being at home, the last couple of weeks have been almost unbearable emotionally and mentally. The things that normally fill my cup--being around my friends and family, going out to events or other activities with people and having a fulfilling, productive day at work--have all been taken away. When birthday parties, weddings and music festivals are cancelled, how can we find happiness? It's so hard to focus on the good when all that seems to be left right now is fear, anxiety, sickness and death. These are the things that are making me feel even a little happy right now in the midst of all the terribleness going on in the world.

1. Slowly savoring a hot cup of coffee in my favorite mug.
2. Watching Massimo Bottura's Instagram Live Kitchen Quarantine show because it makes me feel connected to people around the world and his recipes look amazing. Follow him if you want to watch too.
3. The knowledge that blue skies have returned to China and Mother Earth is recovering somewhat from our human need for constant consumption. February air pollution reached a 6 year low in some cities.
4. Listening to Italians quaransinging on their balconies together. It's just such a beautifully human thing to do at a time like this.
5. Texting my best friends, whether it's memes to make us laugh, share our anxieties or to make sure we're doing okay.
6. Watching comedy on Netflix. If I don't laugh, I'll probably cry. My current favorite is Single Parents because it's very relatable to my current status as a parent.
7. Cooking and baking. I've always loved to do this and now it's even more comforting.
8. Making my kids laugh. There's something about a toddler's giggle that makes one's worries lift away.
9. Petting my dog. Studies show that 10 minutes of petting a dog reduces anxiety.
10. Watching the rain from the window and going outside when it's not too cold. Being in nature does wonders for anxiety. Whether you call it "forest bathing" like the Japanese or nature therapy, being outside has tremendous health benefits. A study in the Nagano Prefecture found that forest bathing for two and a half hours a week significantly reduced pulse rate and decreased the scores for depression, fatigue, anxiety, and confusion.
11. Going through old photos and videos on my phone to clear out space. Reminiscing and seeing cute pictures of my favorite people reminds me there was a happy time before now and there will be a happy time after now.
12. Controlling what I can, trying to not control the unknown. That means slowing down to organize my home and closet, not reading the news or going on social media when I feel extra triggered, spending some of my free time playing Sims 4 because it allows me to escape and have some form of control over a world even if it's not our own, and stocking my kitchen with foods that I'm excited to cook and eat.
13. Reading and journaling. Writing in my journal (and writing in general) has always been therapy for me and that continues to be the case now. 
14. Arts and crafts. Having a toddler at home has forced me to get creative in new ways and try activities I haven't done in years. A couple weeks ago, I made natural play dough at home and I'm pretty sure I enjoyed it way more than my kid did.
15. Deep breathing. This was a meditation technique I learned during my time at the Self-Realization Fellowship and I use it every time I feel a knot forming in my stomach or my breathing getting shallow. Stop and force yourself to take a deep breath in for 6 seconds, hold and release for 6 seconds until the calmness returns.
    

​What's making YOU happy right now?