Forget biscuits - these are the joy snacks that will improve your day in an instant
Clover Stroud
·8-min read
7 'joy snacks' that will instantly lift your mood Stocksy
With the long haul of winter coming to an end and spirits lifting in anticipation of longer, warmer spring days, my own mornings are suddenly transformed. I delight in the flashes of purple of the crocus and scented blue hyacinth growing in my neighbour’s garden, which I pass while walking my young sons to primary school; on the way back, a spring in my step, I find myself anticipating the coffee I’ll enjoy when I get home, before sitting down to tackle some work.
Later in the morning, I take a break while I make a quick call with a friend, just to say hello and hear her voice. Then, in the hope of spreading some of my joy, I decide to cook my favourite recipe in the slow cooker, so by the evening, the house will be filled with the enticing smell of tomato soup or lentil dal, ready to be enjoyed by hungry children after they return.
These little pleasures are somehow easier to appreciate when the dark days of winter are behind us – and I don’t underestimate them. As the wise writer Annie Dillard said, ‘How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives.’ Just as we’re told not to sweat the small stuff, perhaps the real joy in life comes from enjoying the small stuff, too. Not so long ago, we were told that to ‘live our best life’, we needed to radically change everything that was familiar.
‘New year, new you’ was the motto. In the past, finding a way to reboot your life might have involved moving to Thailand to become a yoga teacher, investing in an expensive home gym or radically changing every aspect of your emotional/physical/spiritual lives. Now, I think, the real transformation comes from taking pleasure in everyday moments of joy.
Longstanding happiness doesn’t come from radical change, but instead is found in little moments of brightness and light, which anyone can achieve and often cost nothing. We can consume these moments all day long in our normal lives. This practice was named ‘joy snacking’ by neuroscientist and writer Dr Richard Sima, PhD, and is backed by research; a study in the journal of Nature Human Behaviour found that real, sustained pleasure comes from tiny moments of joy, contributing to a greater sense of overall wellbeing.
In fact, so powerful are the effects of this kind of pleasure that those who practise joy snacking have a lower risk of heart attack and live longer lives, thanks to the positive, life-enhancing effects of happy hormones such as serotonin, oxytocin and dopamine, which flood the brain when we experience pleasure. These bring with them a heightened sense of the good stuff – feelings such as contentment, gratitude and awe.
‘Many of us believe joy lies in things such as holidays, promotions or a new home, but research shows we adapt quickly to big changes, so these milestones we’ve been taught to strive towards don’t actually have a long-lasting impact on our happiness,’ says joy coach and positive psychology practitioner Sophie Cliff, author of Choose Joy: Relieve Burnout, Focus On Your Happiness, & Infuse More Joy Into Your Everyday Life.
‘To improve your overall life satisfaction, you’re better off allowing yourself to truly savour and be present for the little moments that spark pleasure. Put simply, appreciating the little joys in your life is the key to feeling happier, not constantly striving for the next big thing.’
The fact that joy snacking is easy to do, can enhance the lives of other people and is often free is, in itself, a real cause for joy. Below, I’ve listed my favourite joy snacks; what are yours?
Buy some potted bulbs
Hyacinths or tulips are good – just repot them into a pretty bowl. This joy snack is more powerful than it seems. ‘Soil contains millions of micro-organisms, which, when we inhale, activate neurons in our brain to release serotonin, which is a key hormone to stabilise mood. This boost is thought to make us feel better by acting in a similar way to antidepressants,’ says gardener and horticultural designer Lara Cowan.
‘Soil can behave like pharmaceuticals, so the process of getting your hands dirty by repotting the bulbs in a mix of garden soil, compost and grit, and bringing them on to the kitchen table, tucked in with a bit of moss, is a true natural medicine.’
Lara takes this particular joy snack a stage further, adding a layer of hope, too. ‘The hope the bulbs promise is a mood-lifter, and looking a little to the future shifts our perspective. Of course, the cherry on top – the scent and colour of the blooms – are gifts of sensory soft focus that bring us down to earth and calm the nervous system, lowering cortisol levels.’
Stocksy
Bake something sweet
There’s something joyful about decadence for its own sake, especially when it costs little and has few negative side-effects. There’s nothing more joyful than the sweet smell of a just-baked Victoria sponge, filled with whipped cream and strawberries. Enjoy a slice alone or, best of all, ask a friend over to enjoy a special treat together at a time that’s not normally full of treats, such as a Monday evening.
Reap the benefits of hellos and goodbyes
In the busyness of life, rituals around separations from our partners can get lost, yet the moment we say hello or goodbye to someone is a wonderful moment to reconnect, sparking joy in our hearts (literally!) and our bodies. ‘Research shows that hugging or having a short moment of warm physical contact with your partner lowers blood pressure and increases oxytocin,’ says Joanna Harrison, couple therapist and author of Five Arguments All Couples (Need To) Have: And Why The Washing-Up Matters. ‘So when someone you love walks in (or out) the door, make the most of it!’
Browse in a bookshop
One of my favourite uplifting treats is to spend an hour in my local independent bookshop. Take time to pick out a favourite read then, later that evening, run yourself a deep bath, switch your phone off and enjoy the sensory pleasures of cracking open the pages of your new book as you take a long soak. Research from the University of Sussex found people who read for as little as six minutes a day experienced reduced muscle tension and a slower heart rate. There’s also a link between reading and longevity; the written word challenges the brain to be active, promoting mental and physical health. It goes without saying that once you get out of the bath, leave your phone switched off and instead snuggle into bed and enjoy a scroll-free sleep.
Go on an ‘awe walk’
It could be around your local park, through a favourite field or along a street you love, but whatever the location, rather than rushing along worrying about a work deadline or what you’ll cook for supper, take time to consciously pay attention to anything that creates a feeling of awe or wonder. When I did this with my eight-year-old son, we delighted in noticing a red squirrel, a ‘magic’ playing card lying in the street and some graffiti containing our entwined initials. It was truly joyful! ‘Nature is full of wonder, and you see it the moment sunlight breaks behind clouds or birds fly overhead in magical unison,’ says Lara Cowan. ‘This triggers a dopamine release, so that every little walk is an opportunity to spark awe and help our nervous system top up the positive, life-enhancing hormonal influences that we all need.’
Take 10 minutes to talk
When was the last time you called a friend, simply to reach out to let them know you’re thinking of them? We often fire off a text, but making an actual call holds its own magic. Drop that resistance and you’ll find hearing the voice of someone you love is an easy way to create a real, rather than virtual, human connection (not forgetting that studies suggest the happiest people are those with the strongest relationships).
‘What we’re seeking is connection, but in our tech-heavy lives, we’re more disconnected than ever,’ says self-development coach Wendy O’Beirne. ‘But communication with people you care for can help your nervous system shift, so that life feels more abundant and joyful.’ Next time you’re thinking of texting a friend, turn it into a joy snack by picking up the phone and actually telling that person you care for them.
Write one sentence recording your joy
Acknowledging pleasure is an important part of really feeling it, rather than letting it rush away as you move on to the next challenge. So much of our lives can feel surface or rushed, so taking time to write down a detail from the day that’s been pleasurable can increase your capacity to experience joy. You don’t need to set yourself a challenging journalling habit – instead, taking time to write down one sentence about something you’ve enjoyed will mean you’ll gradually build a record of all the joy snacks that have really changed your life.
