7 Unique Ways to Celebrate the Everyday

Over the past two years I’ve been on a journey of exploring “joy.” What is it? Where does it come from? And why is it so important to me? Joy has been a value I’ve grown into within the last year. Even my word for the year in 2021 was “Joy.”

I’m a believer that we seek what we need, what we crave, and what we desperately want to feel. And when I say I desperately wanted to feel joy at the end of 2020, you’re likely nodding your head in agreement with a soft, “Me, too,” on your lips. 

What I’ve Learned About Joy

I’ve learned a few things about joy. One of its definitions is “gladness not based on circumstance” and I keep holding onto that. It’s true that we can’t really know joy without knowing difficulty. I’ve also learned that joy doesn’t alleviate difficulty or pain or sickness or sadness, but it does ground you through those shifting seasons. 

Being grounded…that sounds nice, doesn’t it? But grounded in what? Happiness is fleeting, and I’ve found you don’t always feel happy when feeling joy. But my joy is my responsibility.

What I’ve come to learn about joy is that it guides your vision, snapping you back to viewing the positives in all situations. It bookends hope. 

Joy allows you to keep celebrating when you really just don’t feel like celebrating. It allows you to remember the beautiful moments in your past and present, and it settles in your heart this feeling of expectation for great things yet to come.

Joy and Celebration Go Hand-in-Hand

Joy and celebration are besties. I’ve always been one to enjoy a good celebration because at the root of it is connection, a lifelong core value of mine. 

Surrounded by others, celebrations connect joyful hearts together, like a group of people holding candles in darkness passing on the flame. The room gets brighter and brighter as you begin to see more of each other, and yourself. 

See, celebration doesn’t just connect us to each other, it helps us reconnect to ourselves. 

To Celebrate is to Play

Have you ever caught yourself laughing a good ol’ belly laugh and thinking, “man, that feels good”? Have you ever caught yourself genuinely laughing and having fun, stopping midway through to ask, “what is this feeling?”

It’s celebration, it’s focusing on the beauty and curiosity and fun in the present moment and letting yourself enjoy it. Children call this, “play.”

Celebration, as I said, not only connects us to each other but to ourselves. And not only to ourselves but to our inner child, the little one in us who got discouraged when life got hard and “growing up” ensued. 

But what if celebration could heal some of that growing up we’ve done through the years? What if we could reconnect to that spark in our hearts that simply wants to have fun today, to play? What would work and stress and difficulty feel like if we were able to access that joy on-demand?

I’ll let you fill in that blank because only you know the depths of your own struggles and what joy feels like in your own heart. Now you may be wondering, “but how, Shaina?”

How Do We Cultivate Joy? We Celebrate Small Things

We practice. We practice the joy and the connection by simply celebrating small things in small ways every day. Here are a few of my favorite ideas:

Follow curiosity in the moment and re-discover play

Go out for a walk without music or an audiobook, just walk. Look around as you move and you’ll begin to notice things you may not have noticed before. Get curious! Wow, that leaf looks beautiful, doesn’t it? Pick it up. Look how far grasshoppers can jump, did you know they can fly?! I wonder what it would feel like to run down this hill, to walk backward, to sit down under this tree for a moment and watch the clouds. Jump in a puddle if you have to, but play.

Give an unexpected gift to someone

You don’t need a reason to brighten someone’s day - just give them a small gift! Share a cookie, send a Starbucks gift card, buy a balloon from the store for your partner. Watch their face light up and see what that does to your heart!

Turn on a diffuser while you work

This one may need a bit of explanation, but essential oils are joyful to me. I love warm, sweet scents, and every time I turn on my diffuser the joy in my heart gets a little boost. Some of my favorite scents/blends for work are Pink Lemonade (Valor - a blend from Young Living- and Lemon), Brain Power (peppermint and Citrus Fresh), Joy, and Stress Away.

So, if you want to add some joy to your daily work, simply diffuse some oils! Consciously celebrate the work you do as you enjoy your favorite scents and sit down to work, and thank yourself for the good work you’ve done as you turn off the diffuser at the end of the day.

Blow bubbles

You read that right! Forgot about these, didn’t you? A friend of mine was once in the drive-thru line at Starbucks when out of nowhere bubbles flew past her face as she leaned out to place her order. She looked back and saw a woman blowing bubbles out of her car. My friend couldn’t help but giggle! Those bubbles made her day! We might think, “that’s weird, who keeps bubbles in their car and blows them in the drive-thru?” I also think that by now you’ve already added them to your Amazon cart.

Take off your shoes 

Take off your shoes and wiggle your toes. I dare you not to smile.

Relish that first sip

You know, that “first sip” feeling as you dive into your morning coffee? Take time to relish it and savor this special moment before you begin the rush of your day. If you’re like me, coffee has become a stepping stone in my morning ritual I used to take for granted. Now, I take my time to experience a small moment of pause. Whether you love coffee or tea or a glass of fresh water in the morning, take a moment to pause, reflect, and relish that first sip.

Tell a stranger how they’ve brought you joy today 

This one might take some courage your first time around, but simply tell someone how they’ve brought you joy in some way today. Maybe you’re thankful the receptionist took time to chat, or maybe you’re thankful the cashier so intentionally cared for your bags, or the barista drew a smiley face on your coffee. Look for joy in others and reflect it back to them generously.

I truly believe that while every day might not be good, there’s something good in every day - in savoring the little joys, taking time to celebrate, and showing up as a light-reflector of the joy of life.