How To Create a Joy Box
Joy at your fingertips when you most need it.
Hello! :)
I’m Nospheratt, and this is Joy Every Week - a weekly quest to find joy in everyday things.
As the cold & darker days arrive, my soul turns to home.
For someone who has lived through insecurity and instability, home really is refuge, sanctuary. I enjoy being home very much; few things make me feel more safe and content, than knowing I have a home I can return to.
I especially enjoy being home in fall and winter, when the outside is way less appealing. So I spend a lot of time and energy in making my home the most welcoming, warm and cozy it can be.
Maybe because I grew up with chaos and uncertainty, I love structure — as long as it serves as a supportive container for creativity, flexibility and joy. So, many, many years ago, after reading The hotel inside my head is delighted to offer a wide variety of in-house entertainment options. I developed the concept of “kits” for all sorts of happenings. * (I know there are a lot of similar things out there, but back then, over a decade ago, I’d never even heard of anything like this)
A kit is a group of instructions, tools and assorted resources, gathered together in a convenient, easily accessible place.
The objective of the kits is to make hard and stressful situations easier, and to facilitate and enhance joyful moments and activities.
The first one I created was the Bad Day Kit; which, as you may guess, is dedicated to managing bad days. I will tell you about it in the coming months (I have a small workshop/course in the works).
But today, I want to talk about something easier and more fun: the Joy Box. Which can be an actual box, or a drawer, a basket… whatever works for you.
The mission: to gather things that give you joy, so you can access that joy easily and as frequently as you want. Or need.
The mere fact of that box existing can act as a reminder to reconnect with your joy on a daily basis; and having it ready to go is specially helpful for when you’re tired or stressed out, needing to hide away, distract yourself or decompress.
And since November is looming, and the world keeps finding new versions of hell to unleash on us all… we need all the help we can get to keep going and not fall into utter despair.
Our quest this week is to set up your very own, personalized box of joy.
You don’t have to do it all at once; this process is meant to be fun, slow and enjoyable.
So, read the instructions & ideas, think about what you want to add to your box, and take it easy. One step at a time.
This Week’s Quest - The Joy Box
Ideas & inspiration to find your joy.
1 - The Components
As usual, it all starts with a list.
What sort of things bring you joy, that can be physically put into your box? Ideally, things that live outside of your phone or laptop. A few ideas:
Writing stuff - notebooks, pens and pencils, sticky notes. Journals.
Books, comics, magazines
Coloring stuff
Craft materials or projects; think knitting, scrapbooking, paper & scissors for collages…
Puzzles
Tarot deck
Photos to sort through or just enjoy
A blanket. Fluffy socks.
A box of tea, cocoa or coffee, along with a special mug (any mug will do; you can just designate one of your mugs as special. 😉)
Chocolate, nuts, or any shelf-stable snack you like.
2 - The Box
Or basket, drawer, shelf — as always, anything that works for you is best.
You don’t have to buy anything. You can repurpose a shoebox, a laundry basket, a fruit crate, amazon cardboard boxes… be creative!
If you’re into crafts, here’s some inspiration:
3 - The Instructions
Having everything planned in advance and clearly spelled out is immensely helpful, be it because you’re reaching for your box at the end of an exhausting day, or when your out of spoons (and maybe reaching for the knives).
So your task here — ideally done when you’re not over tired, angry or frustrated — is to think in advance of what would be helpful and make your life easier when you decide to enjoy your box. For example:
What do you need to hear / read, that will help you make the most of your joy box? Write it down and put the paper on the top of your box. A few ideas:
It’s okay to take a break.
Everything will be fine.
Have some fun!
Put your phone away for a while.
Joy is not only possible, but necessary.
Take a deep breath. Close your eyes for a second. Roll your shoulders. Stretch your neck. Connect with this moment, with your body.
A personalized, short well-being checklist with reminders like:
Take your meds.
Drink some water.
Have you eaten?
A list of things that you’re going to need / want that can’t be stored in the box, like: water1, fresh fruit, warm soup, your headphones; comfy clothes like a favorite sweater or your PJs.
A list of movies or tv shows you may want to watch — so you don’t have to spend your precious time scrolling and trying to decide, when you just want to relax for a bit. And if you decide to watch something, stick to the list.
A couple of playlists to match your mood. I’d say, create at least two: one to level up your energy, and other to wind down and relax. Write the titles & location of your playlists down so you don’t have to remember later.
Anything else you can think of, that would be joyful or helpful.
Once you have everything, it’s time to assemble your box and place it somewhere easily accessible.
If you’re likely to forget you have it, or you need to store it out of sight, consider adding reminders to you calendar to actually use it! 🙂
📚Reads
➡️ The 20 Best Fall Movies to Cozy Up With This Season
The best fall movies fit like a roomy sweater—warm, soothing, exceedingly bingeable. Some are old, some are new. And while many are feel-good projects at heart, others have an edge of melancholy; even the cheeriest fall movies are, after all, fitting for a time of seasonable fun where we’re nevertheless gearing up for a long, cold winter. We’ve got changing leaves. We’ve got moody New England vistas. We’ve got steaming hot cups of various beverages, consumed before roaring fires, by beautiful people clad in the chunkiest knits you have ever seen.
➡️ Cider-Roasted Apples Pure fall joy
These sauce-soft apples, barely held in shape by their candied skin, are effortless and sexy. Rolled in butter and brown sugar, they become pudding-like in a pool of spiced caramel that makes itself in the pan as a pint of cider reduces with ginger, cinnamon, and star anise. A spoonful leaves behind a tingle.
🎥 Watch
I’ve finally watched Inside Out 2 and I just love it (the first one is a favorite of mine, too). It’s fun, endearing, funny, and the way they depicted anxiety feels so realistic. If you haven’t yet, give it a try — lots of joy to be had. 😁
Sneak Peek
There’s something else — I’m working on a little free workbook to help you organize your joy box, with a few fun autumn printables. I wanted to publish it today, but it isn’t ready. I had the idea only yesterday, which means there wasn’t enough time to finish the workbook before it was time to post this week’s newsletter. So I’ll keep working on it, and will release as soon as it’s ready. 😊
That’s It For Today!
In the meantime, tell me: have you ever done something like this? Are you going to try it? What would you include in your very own Joy Box?
Until next time. —Nospheratt
Never forget water! Stay hydrated!
A wonderful idea. I wish I had thought about this while I was still working as a clinical psychologist. It is a natural process for children to have their "transitional object" of safety and reassurance - favourite toy, comfort object or blanket. We grown-ups need something like this, too.
Great idea! My box would have a CD with chamber music, a few strips of bacon, and churros with dulce de leche.