Finding Joy in Everyday Life: How to Notice Small Moments of Happiness

How do you find joy in your life? Are you always looking for it in the big things, or can you notice the small moments of happiness in your day-to-day life?

The world feels pretty heavy right now. A lot is shifting, and while I do believe we are moving towards something more spiritually aligned, that process brings friction. If we’re not careful, it’s very easy to get pulled into fear, negativity, and a sense that nothing is going to improve.

For many of us, joy hasn’t always felt safe or accessible. Maybe your upbringing didn’t give you what you needed, or perhaps past relationships left you feeling diminished, unseen, or unworthy. Over time, that can quietly turn into a belief that joy is something for other people, not you. Learning how to reconnect with joy can feel like a challenge, but it is possible in small, gentle steps.

I know this personally. Last year was brutal for me. Without going into detail here, I became aware of how focused I’d been on what had gone wrong. Almost waiting for the next bad thing to happen. My nervous system was on alert, braced, protective. I lost sight of the good around me as my attention stayed fixed on what had hurt, what I’d lost, what felt uncertain.

I don’t see that now as failure. I see it as protective intelligence - a part of me trying to keep me safe. The trouble is, when we stay in survival mode too long, joy gets pushed to the edges.

And yet, I’m reminded again and again that some joy is always available in the present moment, if we’re willing to notice it. Not forced positivity. Not pretending life is easy. Just small, real moments. A flash of colour on a grey day. A breath that feels a little softer. Something that makes you smile, even briefly. A sense of peace, lightness, or warmth in your body. Giving ourselves permission to feel joy in these moments is part of letting ease and lightness back in.

Are those not forms of joy?

Something else worth gently asking yourself is this: How important is joy to you really? Many people put joy on the back burner, believing it isn’t important. That working, paying bills, caring for children or parents, holding everything together for everyone else comes first. And somewhere along the way, you stop counting.

But joy matters. It lifts us. It nourishes us. It reminds us why we’re here. Finding small ways to bring joy into your life each day makes all the difference.

Joy doesn’t need to be chased. It doesn’t need to be earned. It just needs permission — and a willingness to notice it when it’s already there, in the small moments of everyday life.