Sometimes, at the end of a long project, you sit back and realise that you haven’t taken a proper break in a very long time. And that you’ve forgotten to pay attention to what is happening around you. You haven’t experienced the small joys of everyday life.

That’s exactly what happened to me. I recently submitted my thesis and sat down to get some rest for the first time in a while. I was too tired to enjoy anything for a very long time, and getting proper rest helped me see the positives again. So I thought, why not journal them? Why not leave a lasting note of positivity that I can come back to on a bad day? And then I figured that I could publish them instead of just keeping them to myself. I think we all need a reminder to be a little bit more joyful sometimes.

So, without further ado, here’s 10 things that brought me joy recently:

1. Waking up to sunlight beaming in through the curtains

After months of waking up to my alarm clock blaring and screaming, it felt wonderful to finally let go of that. Instead of waking up at the crack of dawn to work on the same text over and over again, I let myself sleep until I just woke up. And the slightest crack in my curtains allowed sunlight to dance across my room and land on my face, which opened my eyes little by little. It was a sweet moment.

2. The pitter-patter of our dogs’ paws on the floor

My family has three dogs. I don’t see them everyday because I don’t live at home anymore, but I see them almost every weekend when I go to visit. And I’m always brought to my knees the second I see the three of them. I kneel down to their level and relish in their affection. They’re getting kind of old so they’re not as quick to come and say hi as they used to, but when they do, their paws make the cutest little noise against the wooden floor. It’s always a clear sign that they know you’re back home and you’re about to be bombarded with love.

3. The sound of birds singing outside my window

I know that we have birds all throughout the year, but for me, birds and their singing are a true sign of Finnish spring. Something about the cheerful, colourful tones just speaks to me. It could very well also be the fact that I haven’t had time to sit down and listen to them in so long, but birds are beautiful creatures and I have definitely missed them and their songs.

4. Budding leaves

Nature is waking up from a deep slumber. Birds are singing on branches full of small specks of green. Bright, vibrant green. Even the old birch that reaches for the clouds with its dark limbs, looks youthful again. Leaves are growing day by day, and it makes me happy. Green is my happy colour, apparently.

5. Blooming flowers

In between the green grass and small leaves on the trees, there are also dots of colour. Yellow, pink, purple, blue, all sprinkled here and there. Some more vibrant than others, some monochromatic and some with an incredible array of colours mixed together. Nature gaining back its colour after a long period of slumber is a wonderful thing to see. And I get to see it every year. I get to pick up bouquets of flowers and bring a little bit of that vibrant joy into my home.

6. Clouds drifting slowly across the sky

Now that I finally have time, I spend a lot more time outside. I sit around in parks and on beaches, and more often than not I’m just daydreaming, thinking about life. And while I do, I stare at the sky a lot. Sometimes it’s a clear day, but more often than not I end up staring at clouds. Clouds, that fly high up and drift away in the wind. I watch them change their shape as they pass me by and my mind is at ease. As they drift away, I often drift off.

7. People eating ice cream

Ah, yes. Ice cream. The truest sign of summer in Finland. You can get ice cream from grocery stores in the middle of winter as well, so I don’t mean that, but rather I mean ice cream stands. And it’s a wonderful sight to see people getting some ice cream while they roam around the streets of Helsinki and sit on the steps of the cathedral. They’re all enjoying a small treat, and I bask in that enjoyment. It’s just so human.

8. Fresh berries

Another thing I get to enjoy more day by day now that I’m not writing my thesis anymore, is breakfast. I get to start my day as slowly as I please, enjoying the food that I want to each morning. Thesis writing put me on such high alert that I often ran out the door with a half-eaten slice of bread in hand. But now, I can scoop fresh berries into my bowl or porridge or yogurt when I go to enjoy my breakfast outside.

9. The smell of brewing coffee

As I sit outside, the scent of fresh coffee floats in the air around me. We tend to keep some windows and sometimes even our front door open in the summer, because our family enjoys being outdoors. And I’m glad we do, so I can be engulfed in the scent of coffee. Every morning. It’s the same brand that we brew the exact same way every day, but now, I get to sit back and truly enjoy it instead of running off with a takeaway mug. I eat my breakfast as I wait for my coffee to be ready.

10. A smile

And there it comes. The steaming cup is filled to the brim with fresh coffee and compliments my breakfast perfectly. But even more than that, I’m glad to see my mother. She’s walking across the yard and smiles at me, as she sets down my coffee. That beautiful, wonderful smile. And I smile back.