The Joy Edit | 012
An edit of simple things to bring joy, peace, and creativity to your life.
Welcome back to The Joy Edit—a semi-regular series designed to help you bring more joy, peace, and creativity into your life.
It’s been a minute since the last one, but I love putting these together, and I hope you love reading them just as much!
Keep scrolling for:
Something to do: a simple activity to bring joy
Something to read: a book, article or quote to inspire
Something to listen to: a song or a podcast to soothe the soul
Something to reflect on: a journal prompt to encourage self-reflection and growth
Something to nourish: a recipe to nourish the body and soul
I would love to know your favourite part. If you’ve got a minute, drop a comment and let me know what you enjoyed most and what you want more of.
Something to do
Connect with a friend.
And I mean really connect. Not a quick text. Not a rushed “How are you?” as you pass them at a cafe.
Make time for a proper catch-up—whether in person, over the phone, or on a video call.
One of the things that brings me the most joy is reconnecting with a friend I haven’t seen in a while. Don’t get me wrong, I love my regular catch-ups, but there’s a special kind of energy that comes from seeing someone again after time apart.
Whether it’s an old friend or a new one, plan a coffee, a walk, a dinner—whatever works for your schedule. Then, put the phones away and just be together.
Something to read
The comments on this Substack note.
Laura Avery posed the question “what are some non-therapy things you started doing that has changed your mental health” and there are 333 comments (and counting) that are serious gold.
Something to listen to
Technically, this could go under Something to Read, but since I’m an audiobook gal, it’s going here. Sue me.
I’m about three-quarters of the way through The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt. I already knew the basic premise—that social media isn’t great for us, especially for kids—but the stats are eye-opening. It’s been the reminder I needed to put my phone down more, especially when my kids are around.
My kids are still too young for social media and smartphones, but even so, I think this is an essential read. If you have older kids, I highly recommend it!
Something to reflect on
Reading The Anxious Generation has made me truly consider my phone use, so I’ve been reflecting on the following journal prompts.
✨ If I had to rank my screen activities from most to least fulfilling, how would they stack up?
✨ What am I usually avoiding when I reach for my phone? (Boredom, discomfort, stress, something else?)
✨ What would my ideal screen use look like? How much time, what purpose, and how would it make me feel?
Something to nourish
I finally made the viral crispy rice salad, and I was convinced it would be my pick to share here—but honestly? I wasn’t blown away. I think I overcooked the rice because it ended up more rock-hard crunchy than crispy. I might give it another shot and reassess. If you’ve tried it, let me know what you think!
Instead, I’m letting you in on my favourite healthy snack—PB Brownie Bars from Two Raw Sisters. Most of their recipes are only available on their app or in their cookbooks, but they posted this to their Instagram account back in 2022 and I must have made it dozens of times since then.
If the fact that it’s three layers put you off, trust me, it’s very easy. Only one layer requires the blender, the next simply involves a few dollops of peanut butter and a sprinkling of rice puffs, and then the top layer is really just melted chocolate. And the taste is 100% worth it.
Thank you for reading 🤍
Until next time,
A