Finding Joy in the Small Things

In honor of the 'Joy at U of T' campaign, I decided to reflect on the past week and write about things that brought me joy. Now, these aren't life-changing events, but in fact, small things that kept me going and brought a smile to my face on a daily basis. 1) 'Study’ Dates

Spending time with my friends never fails to bring a smile to my face. I try to meet up with some friends at least a couple times a week. This week I took time to catch up with some friends to grab a coffee or sushi, and just study together. The amount of studying we actually get done is a different story! 2) Taking Part in Theatre Regardless of how over-dramatic I can sometimes be, I am definitely no actor. However, I absolutely love theatre—whether it’s watching one of many campus productions, or helping out backstage with set design or stage managing. Every year I have somehow been involved in at least one production. Lately, I have been spending time in between classes by attending rehearsals, helping out with costumes or painting sets. It's a great way for me to get creative and take a break from studying. 3) Cleaning Yes, cleaning brings me Joy. I love the feeling an organized room or a clean kitchen brings me. It’s almost therapeutic. As I was cleaning out my desk last week, I found some old birthday cards and couldn’t help but laugh out loud at the hilarious messages my friends wrote for me. 4) Volunteering I believe volunteering in extracurricular programs is so beneficial for your personal growth but also just to help you keep some balance in your life. This semester I have been volunteering with the ‘Saturday Program’ by mentoring a middle school student every week. Now, getting out of bed at 9 am every Saturday is difficult, however seeing how excited my mentee is to come in for tutoring and workshops every week never fails to lift my mood. This week we made a paper airplane motor!

5) This is Us This show never fails to play with all my emotions. Despite me crying during almost every episode, I cannot help but feel happiness at the story of such an amazing family. Highly recommend! 6) Making Flashcards If you know me you know, I love spending time making my study notes look fun and colorful. This week, making some very colorful flashcards for my Sociology midterm brought me so much joy. 7) Highschool Musical Say what you want, but songs from musicals will forever be my jam. I unleashed my inner Sharpay at this weekend’s impromptu Highschool Musical karaoke session with my friends and danced out all the steps I still remember from age 10! 8) Fireball With midterms right around the corner and assignments piling up buying a ticket to Fireball seemed like a bad idea. However, once I actually got to the event, I forgot all my worries and had such a great time! Don’t even get me started on the DIVINE donuts they had! It was a great way to end a long week!       This past week was not anything out of the ordinary, but looking back and reflecting helps me realize how joy can be found in even the simplest of things. What brings you joy on a daily basis? Comment below! Join the conversation! Follow @UofTStudentLife on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for chances to WIN some cozy prizes, and spread the joy at U of T using the hashtag #JoyAtUofT.