Finding Happiness in Every Day – our Happiness Ambassador Amy shares her thoughts on her specialist subject

Finding Happiness in Every Day – our Happiness Ambassador Amy shares her thoughts on her specialist subject

Finding happiness in every day – Yes, even today.

I had low expectations for that particular day. I’d cancelled my plans to go to the lake district after only four hours sleep (which were not in a row). We struggled out of our PJs and – fortified by tea and toast – set out on a walk in the countryside. Well, one of us was walking, the other being a nine-month-old baby reposing in a sling.

There had been a deluge the previous day and the mud would have come up past the ankles of my wellies, had I remembered to put wellies on.  We ate some fat blackberries and said hello to some cows.

Roughly halfway round, it started to rain. It rained harder and harder until I was so wet it didn’t matter any more (although the baby was grumbling about being sheltered under my coat). It was summer rain at least, and it made the homecoming cup of tea taste extra nice. We shared that, cuddling under a duvet.

We spent the rest of the day watching telly and grazing on carbohydrates. We played a few rounds of this little piggy and round and round the garden. I did two washloads.

Whilst the baby napped, I lit a candle and watched two episodes of ‘Call the Midwife’ and got some work done, made some phone calls.

When he woke again we rang my husband who is working abroad and the only adult conversation of the day was hijacked by a puppet show. I didn’t mind this because I actually find adult conversation exhausting.

At 6 o’clock we had a bath with bubbles and a squid, a hippo, a crocodile, two ducks and an orca.

Afterwards we sat in the garden to catch the last (and first) bit of sun, the baby sitting on my shoulders. He thought this was funny. Coming back in I stubbed my toe, which he also thought was funny.  We had a warm drink in our pyjamas and went to bed, holding hands, happy.

I imagine I have conveyed to you that I considered this a wonderful day. I could have said: I didn’t get to go to the lake district, got soaked on a walk, had to do two loads of washing, then when I finally got a minute to myself I had to do some work, I didn’t get chance to wash so had to get in the bath with my baby, I stubbed my toe, and went to bed at 7.30 having barely spoken to another grown up all day. It’s how you frame it.

Too many people wait until they are two drinks deep at 9pm on a Friday to be happy, and in doing so, wish away so much of their lives. Happiness is not just for weekends, weddings, parties and holidays. Happiness is for Mondays and mundane days. Average days. Today.

Look for it in the moments in between the big events, and once you find it, you’d have unlocked the secret to happiness every day.

Amy x