Same, my boy is not even one week old… So much joy.
Biggest change in my life and I’m happy I have 6 weeks off to take care of him… I’m going to spend every minute I can holding him and being there for every small or big need he has…
I thought I was ready and then I had growing doubts the closer we were to the date but turns out I was ready and I’m so lucky…
My lifestyle is unhealthy and would most definitely benefit from therapy. But that disclaimer aside, I have a few things I find happiness from. Listening to music is a big one. Over the past year or two I’ve transitioned to listening to mostly classical music, so I have a whole new world to explore in that genre. I’m currently listening to a lot of Shostakovich. Another big source of happiness is continuing to learn about programming. That’s kind of like a ritual that I’ve maintained since my school days. And one of my guilty pleasures recently is those stupid reaction YouTube channels. Not the obnoxious ones where they’re all like “WoaaaAAaa!!1” or whatever. But just regular people watching comedic and music things.
As a big consumer of classical music, I eventually made my way over to soundtracks and have been loving those often more. I love the melodies that a lot of classical or romantic music has, but you get that mixed with more modern composing techniques. Not just movie soundtracks but shows or anything. One of my favorite I'd recommend is The Social Network soundtrack.
How to Train Your Dragon theme Test Flight has a soundtrack that transcends the movie. The composer went hard on that movie to the likes of John Williams. Speaking of John Williams, I can't get the theme of Jurassic Park out of my head.
I’m still working my way up to listening to symphonies. I’ve mainly been listening to sonatas, concertos, and things like quartets and stuff. But of the few symphonies I’ve listened to so far, that’s one thing I noticed. They reminded me a lot of all the movie soundtracks I’ve heard throughout my life.
It sounds stupid since soundtracks are commonly played by a full orchestra, so what else what they sound like. But I just never made that connection before that they’re basically modern day classical music haha.
That’s a good idea though, thanks! I’ll mix in some soundtracks to my classical music exploration.
Signed up to a self defense class which keeps me phisically active (unlike a gym that I can skip, the classes help me feel obligated to go) Eating healthy (more veggies, less sugary, oily or snacky foods) Long walks in nature (moves out of the city to live closed to an open field) Found a new hobby. And one that some might find weird - talking to myself out loud, just going through my thoughts and feelings this way helps me verbelise my feelings better, it really shows you how many toughts and feelings are actually much more complex then you think since you just don’t notice it until you have to put it into words.
There are a few different things I try to do each day to find little moments of happiness here and there. Anything, no matter how small, can have a bigger impact on our mental health than we may initially think. When I have the time, I like to sit down and do a little bit of coding, or do some design work for a new project I want to start (even though there's a high chance I'll move on from it soon 😅). Also getting into a good book is always nice, spending time hiking or just going to a park somewhere, or even a little DIY craft project can be a lot of fun. But when I'm a little busier even little things like music, or journaling, or even a drink I really enjoy can all go a long way in boosting my mood.
Working with my hands really helps me. I have a fairly weird life, but the times I can throw myself into making things, or fixing stuff, are the times I find the most peace. Physical work, that’s also a bit of a cerebral workout really helps my brain state. There’s a lot of the time that I don’t really enjoy being me, but looking at a thing that I’ve made that solves a problem or serves a purpose, and will do so for years, that makes me feel pretty good. That said, my brain works best when solving physical problems - I guess it’s different for everyone, so finding that thing that your brain is good at, and makes you feel good by doing is the key. You might be useless at carpentry and metalwork, but a good cook or artist, or whatever, but putting effort into creating a thing that you’re proud of will definitely give you some lasting satisfaction
Edit:- less time scrolling or playing endless phone sudoku definitely helps me have more space to find happy moments too. The fediverse is a fantastic place, but I think it can be pretty detrimental to my mental health too loose myself in here
Every morning, without exception, I get up, I make myself a cup of coffee, and I go for a walk nice and early. If it’s sunny and beautiful, I go for a walk. If it’s cloudy and gray, I go for a walk. If it’s pouring out, I grab my jacket and an umbrella, and I go for a walk. I usually walk over to the park nearby. It has a jogging trail on it, and there is a spot with pullup bars. Every time I pass the bars, I do a few pullups.
I started doing all this for physical health, just to ensure I don’t get sedentary. But I kept doing it because it’s time in my own head with nothing from home or work to distract me. I sometimes have headphones in to listen to music, but usually not. Usually, it’s just me and the outdoors, and an opportunity to really, really think. It’s good for my mental health.
Other things that help:
I check in with my loved ones, just so they know how I’m doing and I know how they’re doing. And if something is wrong, I tell them.
Every time I go into the kitchen, for any reason, I try to leave it more clean than when I started. If I’m grabbing a snack, and there’s a dirty dish in the sink, I rinse it and put it in the dishwasher. It’s amazing how much just having a clean kitchen improves my sense of well-being.
Sometimes I’m sad. Sometimes it’s enough that I cry. That’s okay.
A lot of this sounds like things to do just to not be depressed, but it’s really much more than that! Taking care of these aspects of my mental health ensures that when fun and joy and entertainment and laughter present themselves, I’m in a good frame of mind to accept them.
Take care of yourself. Happiness isn’t something you can force, but it is something you can make room for.
I recently started going for walks again after dark. There's something about the residual summer heat, the darkness, and the quiet that just connects with me. On occasion I'll even go bare foot and it can really intensify that feeling of being connected to the world around me.
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