Last spring, my colleague Elaine Godfrey wrote about finding joy in mundane places. She posed a question that generated dozens of replies from our readers: *“*How do you add small, delectable moments to your everyday life?” The responses are as specific as they are inspiring.

Some readers said they spent time with their pets: “The dog and then the cat get their morning pets and rubs, from nose to tail,” Denise L. wrote. “I inquire how they slept, about the day’s plans, and if breakfast was to their liking.” Others said they turned to tried-and-true morning rituals: “Is it a cliché to point to morning coffee as an immediate, life-affirming delight?,” Meg Z. S. asked. “Each day contains exactly one first sip and no more. You need to make it through a whole day to earn another—and then it starts all over again.”

Spend time with Elaine’s and our readers’ recommendations below. I hope you find some delight in your Saturday, however you’re spending it.

On Moments of Joy

How to Make Life Feel a Little Nicer

By Elaine Godfrey

Readers give their tips for seeking out small moments of joy.
Read the article.

An Easy Summer Project Worth Doing

By Elaine Godfrey

Finding small moments of joy can make every day feel—at least a little—like vacation.
Read the article.

The Quiet Profundity of Everyday Awe

By Dacher Keltner

That feeling—of being in the presence of something vast—is good for us. And, counterintuitively, it can often be found in completely unremarkable circumstances. (From 2023)
Read the article.

\n\n

Still Curious?

When was the last time you felt truly happy? In 2021, our How to Build a Happy Life podcast heard from people around the world who had an answer to this question.
The infrastructure of joy : In 2019, Ian Bogost asked: “Will building delight into cities make them more cloying or more fun?”

\n\n

Other Diversions

\n\n

\n\nCourtesy of Maureen T.\n\n

I recently asked readers to share a photo of something that sparks their sense of awe in the world. “You can find wonder even when you are merging onto the highway in the evening. The sky was awesome,” Maureen T., 75, in Toronto, Ontario, writes.

I’ll continue to feature your responses in the coming weeks. Reply to this email with a photo and a short description. Send us the original, unedited photos from your phone or camera as JPGs—no cropping or shrinking is needed. We may share your answer, including your first name and last initial, age, and/or location, with fellow readers in a future edition of this newsletter or on our website.

— Isabel

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S.","Dacher Keltner","Ian Bogost","Maureen T.","Isabel","places",[297],"Toronto, Ontario","words",418,"sentiment",4.5,"subject","health","meta",{"_306":307,"_308":309,"_337":318},"type","bee:get-index-of-articles","schedule",{"_27":310,"_51":-5,"_311":312,"_80":-5,"_313":314,"_315":316,"_317":318,"_319":86,"_83":84,"_302":39,"_320":-5,"_321":84,"_263":264,"_322":323,"_53":323,"_324":325,"_326":86,"_327":328,"_55":323,"_329":84,"_82":120,"_330":331,"_332":-5,"_333":334,"_335":-5,"_336":-5},"e3d35f69-ea7f-42b4-bf9b-7b5139cb0abc","npub","npub13dhektgqh58xmgs8rga7elndr37jfy2x7qyrwt0ex0f9g0wakaqsy5ukzz","jobId","553e8610-177a-4b58-bc10-3bb5f05299dc","order",1,"rssUrl","https://www.theatlantic.com/world/","system","userRef","autosign","syncedAt","2025-12-15T19:29:27.600Z","frequency","daily","isOwnBlog","nextRunAt","2026-01-24T19:31:36.707Z","autopublish","sourceVariant","rss","systemVariant","scheduleVariant","scraping-bee-classic-proxy","retryArticlesIds","ownershipConfirmedAt","dataSourceUrl","eventId","1961a59584e12b86e4e24c3c72586a54ba4e3174deb371358d0aa14c2a4cd220","nostrRootEvent","event",{"_27":339,"_343":344,"_137":316,"_80":345,"_357":356,"_256":358,"_359":360},"sig","fc1b644d79099a0e73015fb2519eb789c29919a71a59b5a5358c395ae610d2f0542ff102ffd9576d6615351b57995faa2d296d56aa956d6796489e772a04f8d1",[346,347,348,352,355],[302,242],[44,249],[349,350,39,351],"a","30023:8b6f9b2d00bd0e6da2071a3becfe6d1c7d249146f008372df933d2543dddb741:bd53a274-2a12-4811-bdb4-04596cad9d14","mention",[353,354],"client","Layer3.press",[140,356,39],"8b6f9b2d00bd0e6da2071a3becfe6d1c7d249146f008372df933d2543dddb741","pubkey","The Art of Finding Joy in Everyday Life\nSuggestions from Atlantic staff and readers on seeking delight in the mundane\n\n\nnostr:naddr1qvzqqqr4gupzpzm0nvksp0gwdk3qwx3manlx68rayjg5duqgxukljv7j2s7amd6pqqjxyep4xdsnyde595exzvfj956rsvf3943xgc3595crgdfexe3kzepevscng5nrrmw ","created_at",1769283144,"authorNPub","markdown","Last spring, my colleague Elaine Godfrey wrote about finding joy in mundane places. She posed a question that generated dozens of replies from our readers: \\*“\\*How do you add small, delectable moments to your everyday life?” The responses are as specific as they are inspiring.\n\nSome readers said they spent time with their pets: “The dog and then the cat get their morning pets and rubs, from nose to tail,” Denise L. wrote. “I inquire how they slept, about the day’s plans, and if breakfast was to their liking.” Others said they turned to tried-and-true morning rituals: “Is it a cliché to point to morning coffee as an immediate, life-affirming delight?,” Meg Z. S. asked. “Each day contains exactly one first sip and no more. You need to make it through a whole day to earn another—and then it starts all over again.”\n\nSpend time with Elaine’s and our readers’ recommendations below. I hope you find some delight in your Saturday, however you’re spending it.\n\nOn Moments of Joy\n-----------------\n\n### How to Make Life Feel a Little Nicer\n\n_By Elaine Godfrey_\n\n> Readers give their tips for seeking out small moments of joy.\n> \n> [Read the article.](https://www.theatlantic.com/newsletters/archive/2025/08/daily-joy-rituals/683877/)\n\nAn Easy Summer Project Worth Doing\n\n_By Elaine Godfrey_\n\n> Finding small moments of joy can make every day feel—at least a little—like vacation.\n> \n> [Read the article.](https://www.theatlantic.com/newsletters/archive/2025/07/summer-joy-moments/683676/)\n\nThe Quiet Profundity of Everyday Awe\n\n_By Dacher Keltner_\n\n> That feeling—of being in the presence of something vast—is good for us. And, counterintuitively, it can often be found in completely unremarkable circumstances. (_From 2023_)\n> \n> [Read the article.](https://www.theatlantic.com/family/archive/2023/01/feeling-in-awe-take-walk-visual-art/672617/)\n\n### Still Curious?\n\n* **When was the last time you felt truly happy?** [In 2021, our _How to Build a Happy Life_ podcast heard from people around the world who had an answer to this question.](https://www.theatlantic.com/podcasts/archive/2021/12/happiness-joy-arthur-brooks-how-to-life/621016/)\n \n* **The infrastructure of joy** [: In 2019, Ian Bogost asked: “Will building delight into cities make them more cloying or more fun?”](https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2019/06/why-joy-better-happiness/592735/)\n \n\n### Other Diversions\n\n* [The sports conspiracy that’s too easy to believe](https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/2026/01/49ers-emf-conspiracy-theory/685722/)\n* [The upside of professional rejection](https://www.theatlantic.com/culture/2026/01/professional-rejection-work-upside/685713/)\n* [In praise of snow (_From 1995_)](https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/1995/01/in-praise-of-snow/305654/)\n\nPS\n\n![](https://cdn.theatlantic.com/thumbor/t3002ydg3Q-G3nVUMmHkrXff6cI=/0x0:948x1266/655x875/media/img/posts/2026/01/Screenshot_2026_01_23_at_9.23.51PM/original.png) Courtesy of Maureen T.\n\nI recently asked readers to share a photo of something that sparks their sense of awe in the world. “You can find wonder even when you are merging onto the highway in the evening. The sky was awesome,” Maureen T., 75, in Toronto, Ontario, writes.\n\nI’ll continue to feature your responses in the coming weeks. Reply to this email with a photo and a short description. Send us the original, unedited photos from your phone or camera as JPGs—no cropping or shrinking is needed. We may share your answer, including your first name and last initial, age, and/or location, with fellow readers in a future edition of this newsletter or on our website.\n\n— Isabel","freeMarkdown","kind1EventId","kind30023EventId","1c2fc80c28886e02653673f2a0cf0cc4ea44e307669f4fdf5717e506c5f3b807","kind30023",{"_27":367,"_343":370,"_137":371,"_80":372,"_357":356,"_256":386,"_359":360},"27ca1279a25406338ac1330dc0818143105ebefd04f67623717b4f7c34d16fa432151dad47280c498926c3a4f580ac05d59d585527fc14d89988287715675af3",30023,[373,376,377,380,381,383,384,385],[374,375],"r","https://news.layer3.press/articles/bd53a274-2a12-4811-bdb4-04596cad9d14",[40,242],[378,379],"published_at","1769263200",[44,249],[382,237],"d",[278,243],[353,354],[140,356,39],"The Art of Finding Joy in Everyday Life\nThis article explores how individuals find small moments of joy in their everyday lives, prompted by a question posed by colleague Elaine Godfrey. Readers shared diverse methods, including spending time with pets and engaging in cherished morning rituals like savoring the first sip of coffee. The piece also references other articles on finding awe in unremarkable circumstances and the infrastructure of joy.\n - Readers shared tips for finding small moments of joy in everyday life.\n - Examples include spending time with pets and enjoying morning coffee rituals.\n - The article references related content on finding awe and building joy into daily life.\n - Readers were invited to share photos that spark a sense of awe.\n","publishedToNostr","htmlContentKind30023","

Spend time with Elaine’s and our readers’ recommendations below. I hope you find some delight in your Saturday, however you’re spending it.

On Moments of Joy

How to Make Life Feel a Little Nicer

By Elaine Godfrey

\n
Readers give their tips for seeking out small moments of joy.
\n
Read the article.
\n

An Easy Summer Project Worth Doing

By Elaine Godfrey

\n
Finding small moments of joy can make every day feel—at least a little—like vacation.
\n
Read the article.
\n

The Quiet Profundity of Everyday Awe

By Dacher Keltner

\n
That feeling—of being in the presence of something vast—is good for us. And, counterintuitively, it can often be found in completely unremarkable circumstances. (From 2023)
\n
Read the article.
\n

Still Curious?

\n
When was the last time you felt truly happy? In 2021, our How to Build a Happy Life podcast heard from people around the world who had an answer to this question.
\n
\n
The infrastructure of joy : In 2019, Ian Bogost asked: “Will building delight into cities make them more cloying or more fun?”
\n

Other Diversions

$\"\"$ Courtesy of Maureen T.

— Isabel

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