Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash

I had planned a different post for today, but some sort of respiratory ailment which had been going through my family laid me out and changed my plans. I feel much better and have progressed into the coughing and blowing stage. Hopefully I’ll be back to full strength in a few days. In the meantime, here are a few recent online discoveries I’ve enjoyed recently:

I’m still pondering and digesting the experiences I had caregiving for my mother-in-law and mom as they passed within two months of each other in 2023, and “Ghost Portraits” put some of my feelings from that time into words. 

In “The Radical Act of Slowing Down,” Eric Markowitz discusses society’s obsession with speed and productivity and how it undermines health, relationships, and true success. He reveals something I’ve noticed myself: “Because the more you get done, the faster the cup fills back up. When life becomes an endless game of whack-a-mole, the only winning move is to stop playing. The more efficient you become, the more you are asked to do. The reward for clearing the list is a longer list.” 

The next time I find myself retreating to the couch for comfort TV and snacks, I’m going to review “Feeling Down? 12 Science-Backed Ways to Get Out of a Funk in Just One Day.” These very simple self-care activities will help you “refresh [and] rebalance your mind & body when you feel depleted, exhausted, and are in desperate need of a reset.”  

What if someone told you that happiness, love, and joy exist in you right now, no matter your state of mind (or the state of your to-do list)? “What if I told you,” wrote Jennifer Agugliaro, “that living in a perpetual state of love and joy is your natural state of being?” Read “4 Simple, Heart-Opening Exercises to Fill You with Joy, Love, and Light” to find out more.

I love Courtney Carver’s work (including Gentle, her most recent book), and “7 Simple Shifts That Helped Me Feel Lighter and Happier” is typical of her gentle approach to life. We don’t have to make major changes in order to feel more happiness. 

I love these “Adult Cheat Codes”—why make life unnecessarily hard?  

I dare you not to smile and nod along while watching these guys.

Wishing you a fantastic Friday!

Photo by Shelley Pauls on Unsplash

I love the two-minute system Neil Pasrischa uses when anxiety spikes. Click here to learn more about “Rose, Rose, Thorn, Bud.” 

I’m practicing several of these slow living habits. 

Why does Finland consistently rank as the happiest country in the world? Here are six habits and beliefs that contribute. (I especially found it interesting that “happiness” for Finns is more about contentment and life satisfaction than feelings of “overwhelming happiness.”) 

In the face of setbacks and hard times, how do you keep calm and carry on? Here are some great answers to that question. 

Spending too much time online makes me unhappy, so I’ve been trying to cut down on mindlessly scrolling on my phone. “The Real Secret to Reducing Screen Time” has some helpful suggestions; click through to see the details, but “The real secret to reducing screen time is to shift your focus from controlling your phone to forgetting all about it.” 

Reading is a source of joy for me, but I can get caught up in trying to read more books at the cost of a deeper, more rewarding reading experience. Reading faster doesn’t mean reading better. In “What we lose when we gamify reading,” Marissa Levien discusses how we can take goal setting around reading too far, to our own detriment. 

In February, Larry the cat celebrated 15 years as the British government’s official rodent-catcher and unofficial first feline. His duties include “greeting guests to the house, inspecting security defenses and testing antique furniture for napping quality.” He’s been known to say hello to world leaders and photobomb visitors as they enter the front door of No. 10 Downing Street. 

This is a beautiful version of Elton John’s “Your Song.” 

Have a great weekend!

Photo by Brandon Griggs on Unsplash

I’m on a field trip today! My husband and I are going to the Florida State Fair, where we plan to look at cool stuff, eat stupid foods, and NOT make any large impulse purchases (which we have been known to do at past state fairs…). For your reading enjoyment, here are some links I’ve found interesting lately:

I’m loving this guide to exploring a more analog life. 

When you want to step away from your phone: “27 Things That Feel Better Than Scrolling Social Media.” 

Aging isn’t the enemy: “There’s a difference between trying to look young and choosing to feel alive. The first is fear-based. The second is life-based.” 

I want to try so many of these. 

What to do instead of venting/ranting. 

Everyone needs a grandma to turn to. 

What is discernment, and how do we rebuild it?

Move your life forward with these “10 Hard Things to Start Doing for Yourself (Before It’s Too Late).”

And still more advice on living an analog life:

Photo by Svitlana on Unsplash

I’ve spent less time than usual online lately (unless you count shopping for bathroom fixtures—we’re renovating our main bathroom), but I do have a few little online treats for you today. Hope you find something here that brightens your day or makes you think (in a positive way)! Get cozy and dive in. 

Click here to learn how you can change your life (or at least make a few little changes) before 2026. 

Support your mental health with these simple pleasures. 

Thoughtful list of “10 Things We’ll Regret When We’re Older.” 

Since we’re entering “cozy season” soon (I hope), check out “This Is What “Cozy” Looks Like Around the World.” As the article says, “Seeing ‘coziness’ take on so many different forms shows this concept’s more about a mindset than an aesthetic.” 

I like Morgan Harper Nichols’ take on “creating an archive” rather than “getting inspired.” 

I’m technically a little older (ahem) than “midlife,” but I still feel like I’m learning these habits. 

I absolutely feel the pressure described below in “The Tension Between Rest and Living Fully” (one of my favorite quotes: “A full life isn’t the same as a full calendar.”)

Happy Friday, everyone!

Photo by Stéphan Valentin on Unsplash

Much of the U.S. is sweltering right now, so indoor pursuits sound much more appealing than outdoor ones (though as you read this, I’m at the beach…sweltering). Even though much of the online world is a hot mess too, here are a few interesting and uplifting internet destinations for you to check out.

Visit Action for Happiness for a monthly calendar of daily actions for a happier life. Every month has a different theme.

I’m currently incorporating a few of these suggestions from Courtney Carver’s “7 Simple Shifts to Trade Overwhelm for Joy,” specifically numbers one and three. 

Thanks to Laure Ferlita, I recently discovered Filling the Jars. I especially enjoyed “10 Simple Daily Habits to Start This Summer for a Calm and Soft Life.” Summer in Florida is hard for me; these slow and soft practices are helping me enjoy some things about my least favorite season.

“Your Guide to Not Getting Murdered in a Quaint English Village” made me chuckle. A must-read if you, like me, love a cozy English village mystery. Tip: avoid the village shop. “They sell cheese, stamps, tea, and death.”

The news isn’t all bad. Click here for a roundup of good news stories from around the world. Their newsletter always encourages me.

I found the topic of “psychological minimalism” intriguing since I’ve been known to overthink things as well as become overwhelmed by the onslaught of news, notifications, information, and just plain mental noise.

Even if you don’t consider yourself “creative,” this is an inspiring watch:

Note: Catching Happiness is taking a summer break. See you in a couple of weeks!

Wow, May sure went by in a flash! Here we are, on the doorstep of June. Of summer. Summer’s not my favorite, but this year I’m really going to make an effort to enjoy it as much as possible. While I’m making up my summer fun and summer reading lists, I hope you enjoy these links I’ve collected recently. 

What makes people flourish? The Global Flourishing Study is an interesting look at how respondents from 22 countries rank their well-being based on six dimensions of a flourishing life.  

I want to travel to Iceland, but after reading this article, maybe I want to move there? 

The book nerd in me enjoyed watching this short video on how to properly break in a new hardcover book so that it’s easier to read and the spine is protected. 

This will surprise no one who loves to read: “Why Reading Is a Form of Therapy.”

Psychologist Rick Hansen has developed a method of building resilience and improving emotional well-being. Read about it in “‘Taking in the good’: A simple way to offset your brain’s negativity bias.” 

Have you heard of “shine theory”? 

Watch this if you’re afraid you’re falling behind:

Happy Friday—and see you in June!

Photo by Johannes Plenio on Unsplash

I’ve always tried to make Catching Happiness an escape from the chaos and suffering we see around us in the world, and a small oasis of peace and joy. I find it encouraging that there are always bright spots of happiness, hope, and dreams to be found if we only look for them. Here are a few that I’ve found lately.

Author and illustrator Susan Branch shares many simple pleasures and everyday adventures on her blog. She and her husband have relocated and downsized from their home in Martha’s Vineyard to California, and I’ve enjoyed reading about her adjustments to, plans, and dreams for their new home.  “Summer Dreams” is her most recent post. 

“Hope in Difficult Times,” Action for Happiness podcast. There were many encouraging takeaways in this episode, so if you only click on one link, make it this one. 

In “How to Become Enchanted by Life,” Leo Babauta notes that we often turn magic into the mundane and offers suggestions for how to reverse that tendency. 

For science-backed tips to improve your happiness habits, check out “Eight Ways to Stay Happier This Year, According to Science.”

Find more tips for boosting happiness here. 

I’m not the only one who comes back from travel inspired. Stephanie reflects on lessons learned from a dream trip to Italy in “Maybe the Hobby Lobby Sign Was Right.”

This doesn’t surprise me at all.

I might be spending way too much time watching the Big Bear Eagle Live Nest Cam, which features bald eagle pair Jackie and Shadow—and their three tiny eaglets!

What bright spots have you discovered lately?

Me, looking for my latest to-do list Image courtesy Ivana Tomášková from Pixabay

Hurricane Milton recovery has slowed our progress in prepping our house to sell, but we’re still lumbering along. I’ve had very little time for writing, and any thinking time I have fills up with to-do lists and more to-do lists. But I am still capturing simple pleasures where I can, still reading, still surfing the internet. I’m sooooo looking forward to having a “normal” to-do list rather than a “sell my house and move” to-do list. (And I will strangle my husband if he asks me what I did today one more time.)

I may be living in chaos right now, but here are a few islands of calm and positivity I’ve found online recently. Enjoy!

I’m immersed in home-related decisions so I loved the info in “What Makes a Home Feel Good?”  

I am ABSOLUTELY going to try “Living Inside a Movie…” What a fun way to find and enjoy simple pleasures! (I’m currently living in The Money Pit, but someday I hope to be living in Something’s Gotta Give. What movie are you living in?) 

Click here for a dose of animal cuteness. 

I love stories of ordinary people making life better, like this one. 

Have you heard of a “dopamine menu”? “A dopamine menu is a curated list of pleasurable, healthy habits and activities that naturally elevate your dopamine levels, boosting happiness, motivation, and focus,” according to this article. Jessica McCabe, the creator of the YouTube channel “How To ADHD” and author of How to ADHD: An Insider’s Guide to Working With Your Brain (Not Against It) originated the concept. A dopamine menu, like a restaurant menu, can be divided into sections including appetizers (quick ways to boost good feelings), entrees (longer duration activities that might take some planning), and sides (pleasurable activities done along with tasks that are necessary but not enjoyable). Sounds a lot like a more detailed categorization of simple pleasures and everyday adventures! 

Poor sleep definitely affects my mood, and over the past few years I’ve struggled to get a solid night’s rest. I had fallen into some of these “8 Sneaky Habits that Are Destroying Your Sleep.” After making some changes, I’m sleeping better. 

I loved the tips in “How to Start Assuming the Best in People,” from Steven Collis, a law professor at the University of Texas and author of Habits of a Peacemaker: 10 Habits to Change Our Potentially Toxic Conversations into Healthy Dialogues. We’re often too quick to judge people and situations as all good or all bad without allowing for nuance. 

Florida doesn’t have changing leaves in the fall, so I went here for my fall leaf fix. Sigh. 

Have a great weekend!

What my windows looked like all week Photo by Scott Webb on Unsplash

Greetings from waterlogged Florida. Even though Hurricane Debby made landfall well north of us, we’ve had nothing but rain, rain, and smothering humidity all week. Hat tip to Tampa Bay Times Columnist Stephanie Hayes for combining soggy with August to create Soggest…the best word I can think of to describe what it feels like here right now. 

But we have better things to do than complain about the weather, right? Right?!

Right. Here are some fun links to check out if your August is a Soggest, or if you simply want a break from real life.

The Frugal Girl’s “How to add more fun into your daily life (on a budget, of course)” lists both mindset shifts and practical tips for adding more inexpensive fun to our lives when it feels like all we do is grind. One of my favorites: the “pit stop of fun.” Plenty of these could be free, but last week I picked up a milkshake while I was out running errands and I brightened my day for less than $5. 

It will still be summer here until at least October, so I have plenty of time to enjoy these “99 Activities for Celebrating Summer.” I already regularly do some of these activities (enjoy seasonal fruit, grow potted herbs, work jigsaw puzzles), and I want to do a few more (plan a weekend escape to the beach, watch a sunset…preferably at the beach, make ice cream). Which ones would you like to try? 

Tired of pursuing happiness? Maybe it’s time to “Give up on happiness. Go hard at wonder.” Monica Parker, author of The Power of Wonder, compares the feeling of wonder to watching a butterfly emerge from a chrysalis. “It is beautiful, complex, and even a little scary. This profound mix of awe, curiosity, and fear, is something that, when achieved, can expand our resilience and deepen our interpretation of the world around us.” 

Here’s another article related to increasing positive emotion by accessing awe: “The surprising benefits of ‘awe walks’ for your health and well-being.”

If you were as enchanted as I was by American gymnast Stephen Nedoroscik, the “Clark Kent of gymnastics,” here’s a fun interview with him. 

I found “The Haunting Mystery of Artist Laura Perea…” fascinating. 

I can’t wait to see Wicked on the big screen! Here’s the official trailer:

Day 2

This week I went to the beach for a couple of days to visit some family members who had rented a condo there. And guess what? When I got there, it rained. All day. After months of drought. Oh, well. That’s what books, games, movies, and the Internet are for. (And the sun came out the second day—yay!)

If you’re stuck inside because it’s too hot, too wet, or otherwise too unpleasant to be outside, here are a few links for you to check out.

Need ideas for your Summer Fun List? Gretchen Rubin’s Happier app has a new “Spin the Wheel” option which “will suggest something to add to your summer bucket list, an idea to spark a new tradition, or an activity that will help the season feel distinct.” As she writes, “If every month is exactly like the month before, time speeds up and blurs—so by doing lots of summery activities, we’ll make that part of the year stand out.”  

I love this—a baguette-scented, scratch-and-sniff stamp!  

Sometimes I feel more tired than I think I have any reason to be—maybe it’s because I’m doing some of these things? 

A Sunday reset that could be just the thing we need to get our weeks off to a peaceful start. 

Style blogger Alison Gary writes about the disturbing way Google has been leaning into AI to provide answers to search questions. How does this affect you? This practice influences traffic to websites and blogs like Gary’s, which impacts revenue for those bloggers, which means they struggle to bring in enough money to continue their work. It also helps determine the information you find when you have a question—and sometimes that information is flat-out wrong.

Gary suggests several ways to help any sites you care about (like Catching Happiness, perhaps?), including sharing articles on Facebook, Reddit, Threads, and/or Pinterest; following creators on our social platforms; subscribing to our newsletters, opening them and clicking on links; and leaving comments.

On a happier note, check out “The Vorfreude Secret: 30 Zero-effort Ways to Fill YourLife with Joy.”  

This song is just sassy and fun: 

Have a fantastic weekend!

It’s easy to think you have to make big changes to boost happiness, but “22 Small Things That People Say Made Them Drastically Happier” shows that sometimes the little things can be just as effective.  

More tiny habits to help you feel happier. 

In “5 Lessons from a Conversation with a World-Renowned Happiness Expert,” Sahil Bloom shares what he learned from a recent conversation with Dr. Robert Waldinger, the director of the Harvard Study of Adult Development, the longest-running study on adult life, health, and happiness in the world. Spoiler alert: These five lessons all have to do with the importance of relationships for good health and happiness. (See below for link to Dr. Waldinger’s TED Talk about what makes a good life.)

Since relationships are so important, how can we strengthen ours? Check out “50 Ways to Show You Care Without Spending a Dime” for tips! Number 50 just might be my favorite.

I absolutely love this young man’s passion for libraries and books as well as his openness about mental health issues. His Instagram posts are a delight. 

While writing “For Your Listening Pleasure,” I stumbled on this website, where you can listen to the sounds of forests from around the world. 

In “On really, truly enjoying things” the Frugal Girl reflects on the fact that, “If you go through life only halfway observing what you experience, it stands to reason that you would not extract 100% of the joy that life has to offer. So, then you’d need twice as many joyful experiences in order to reach the joy level of someone who is more observant.” 

If you’d like to become more observant, click here to join writer and teacher Jon Kabat-Zinn on May 8 (via Zoom) to learn how to “befriend your mind” and live your life with more mindful awareness. Dr. Kabat-Zinn is the father of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, a modern, secular form of meditation, and the author of several books, including Wherever You Go, There You Are. This free event is hosted by Action for Happiness.

And finally, here is Dr. Waldinger’s TED Talk about what makes a good life: