Ten Little Things That Make A Perfect Day

Small joys have a much bigger impact on our life than we expect. Sure, big milestones and grand events are important. But there's more to life than being happy only for a couple of days every few months. Small joys are what keep me going between the big joys.

I'm a huge advocator for having small joys and whimsies in life. I talk about it with people in real and I've written multiple newsletters about it. I often write about what makes me happy in my journal and I can tell that my day was extra hard because I didn't do anything that made me happy.

I don't have an idea of a "perfect" day because I like having days that differ from each other. It's more fun when I can describe days with different activities and events. I also have too many interests and wishes so a 24-hour day can't ever have all of it haha. But the more of the following is in my day, the closer to perfect it is.

This post is based on this week's Top Ten Tuesday prompt: Things That Make Up My Perfect Day (Share the people, places, activities, foods, circumstances, etc. that make a day perfect for you. Go into as much or as little detail as possible!)

1. a good conversation with friends

My definition of "a good conversation" here is a conversation (text, call, in person) that goes beyond small talk. If we talk about how our days were at length, something we did, or about any topic beyond 10 minutes—they're all good conversations.

It's sad that so much conversation nowadays is small talk and full-fledged conversations are saved for when people meet in-person after months. Although it's nice to meet friends after a long time, it usually ends up being a highlight-reel conversation and doesn't have anything deeper. I think I'm more interested in how a person is doing, their rants, and learning about small things on their trips than the big milestones. To be fair, I'm not on social media so I often don't find out about the big stuff without them (or someone else) telling me too, but still.

A perfect day includes a good conversation with at least one friend.

2. an interesting read

I don't necessarily want to finish a book for it to be a good day. I'd like to read at least a few pages of an interesting read. It does not have to be something I like either. There are a lot of books that are interesting—in topic, in random fact additions, in characterisation—but aren't necessarily fun to read. It's always better if it's fun too but I'd settle for interesting.

I like collecting facts from books and learning about random things. For example, my recent read In The Shadow of the Cypress by Thomas Steinbeck was not a good book but it had some interesting history about Chinese anchor stones found in America and the possible events behind it. I wasn't satisfied with the book and I wouldn't recommend it but I consider the days I read it as good days.

3. something created

I like having made or created something. It doesn't have to be a finished product every day. But some amount noticeable of creation. For example, writing a blog post or a newsletter, making a memories journal spread about a vacation, writing emails to friends, knitting or crocheting, painting or drawing, etc.

A really good day includes both input and output. Something interesting read and something created. My satisfaction level is higher when I create something that is a product of multiple things or more time (like writing a guide, revamping the blog, rearranging my room) but anything made is better than nothing.

4. a good drink

I'm not a big foodie but I am a huge (non-alcoholic) drink enthusiast. I love good coffees, teas, matcha drinks, ube drinks, bobas—anything. I prefer milk-based drinks more than water-based but I don't mind the latter as well (coconut matcha is *chef's kiss*).

To add context: caffeine doesn't really affect me. If it's too strong, it actually makes me sleepy. So I purely drink for the taste and not for any energy kick.

A perfect day includes at least one well-made drink that I can nurse for a while. I don't like finishing my drinks quickly in order to go on with my day. I like sitting with them for a while, sipping them while I do something else, and making them a part of my day.

Some combinations that I regularly include in my days: morning coffee while reading or journalling, afternoon iced matcha lattes while I do something artsy or blog, evening chais while blogging or chatting with friends on video call, and late night water-based teas or turmeric milk while reading.

5. a calming chore or an infrequent tidying activity

Listen. The satisfaction from having cleaned something after weeks or de-compressing while doing a calming chore are unique feelings.

Although I procrastinate doing it as much as the next person, I actually like folding laundry. It's my favourite chore. I don't mind washing the dishes as long as it's not cold when I'm doing it. I like repetitive chores because it leads to a visible finished result while also giving my brain a break.

I also like having done some cleaning after a long time. For example, wiping down all the lamps, tables, or mirrors in the house. Cleaning my bookshelf. Cleaning the IKEA cart next to my desk. It can be tiring—mostly because I always do more than I planned to by thinking "I'll do just this other thing too, it'll only take 5 minutes" and those 5 minutes easily add up to 2 hours—but it's satisfying. I especially love filling up the trash with random unnecessary things (bills, boxes, expired or broken things etc.) as I clean.

Although the chores and dust pile up again soon enough, seeing an immediately visible result from my efforts feels nice. I feel productive and accomplished.

6. an accomplishment at work

I may be in the minority but I (mostly) like working. I'm in a creative field (yes software engineering is creative, all I'm doing is coming up with creative solutions to problems that can be solved a 100 different ways and also questioning if it is even the right problem) so it is similar to my my #3 of something created. In work, it can be something created, something solved or something done.

The number of good days with work are much fewer than good days from hobbies because my accomplishments depends on many factors outside of my control too, but that just makes accomplishments feel even better. It's an accomplishment even if someone appreciated my work or if I finished making a feature.

Because the creative nature of my work is really different from the creative nature of my hobbies, a result at work comes with a different type of triumph. When I get something done at work, it uplifts my mood a lot. When I make mistakes, I become upset and embarrassed for the rest of the day. It has happened that I've felt both the ways in two consecutive days about the same piece of work. It's a rollercoaster haha.

I wouldn't say that I'm the best engineer but I find satisfaction in my work every once in a while and that is the reason I want to keep working (at least for now).

7. a good outfit

Wearing an outfit that makes me feel good makes so much difference! Although my style is fairly basic, I have a few different types of outfits in my regular rotation and a few more for special occasions. I have to be in a certain mood to care about my outfit in the first place. When I am, it can happen that some of the pieces I need to make the exact outfit to match my vibe of the day may be in laundry.

But when my mood and my clothes align, it makes for a great day. I feel confident. I smile easier, I talk more, and I'm more open to socialising.

A perfect day definitely includes a good outfit.

8. my hair looks good

Similar to outfits, having a good hair day is one big step closer to it being a perfect day. My head and hair feels good right after a shower but it usually looks the best the 2nd day after a hair wash (provided I don't exercise much and the weather is good).

When my hair flows well and isn't too frizzy or oily, it's a great day. I actually had a phase where I loved photos of me from the back during vacations because I loved my hair 😆 Unfortunately, my skin and hair have been struggling lately and I have much fewer "good" days, but I'm working on taking better care of myself and hopefully I can overcome all the issues the hard water in this city is causing 🤞

9. calm skin

This matters SO MUCH. I have eczema and have dealt with inflamed skin for most of my life. Specifically on my right arm where the skin folds while bending the arm. That part of my skin is irreparably damaged at this point. I have had eczema flare ups in other places too (face, eyelids, legs). I have dealt with several allergic reactions on my skin which were not the usual eczema that I get. On the whole, my skin is an active variable in my days and dictates a lot (I choose outfits depending on how my skin is feeling, I don't buy fabrics that create more friction or heat in eczema-prone areas, I don't use makeup or often try new products, I keep my nails fully cut so that I can't itch bad enough to break skin, etc).

A perfect day is a day when I have such calm skin that I don't think about it. It has become a bit more frequent now that I finally recognized my main triggers and have learnt how to manage it. But it's still something I think about every day.

10. waking up early after a good night's sleep

My eczema was active most of the year for most of my life and no doctor told me how to manage it so I was left trying random home methods based on what my mom and I thought was the issue and failing. I had very broken sleep for years because I would itch at night (and often wake up to a bloody or oozing arm because of how much I scratched..). We literally started tying a cloth around my arm so that I wouldn't be able to itch at night (I moved to using arm bands now and have had much more success).

So, waking up early, ready to tackle the day, after a good uninterrupted night's sleep makes a HUGE difference. Of course, I still have other regular issues like sleeping late due to work or screen time and I sometimes get very random weird dreams which lead to a fitful sleep, etc. But if I manage those things, there is a good chance I sleep well and it sets me up for a perfect day. A bad sleep automatically prevents the following day from being perfect.

11. bonus

These aren't necessary for a perfect day but they help offset bad things in a day or make up for any of the above missing:

• Journal. It used to be a must for me but lately I do it only some times and that's okay. I think it shows that I'm doing better mentally haha.
• Go for a run/play badminton/exercise. The first two are my preferred options, but I don't mind other forms (home workouts, gym, zumba) too.
• Eat a dish I like. I'm not a foodie so there aren't a lot of dishes which can significantly make my day better. There are a few that make a noticeable difference though.
• Receive a compliment. From whoever, about whatever. Many times, getting a compliment on the blog has made my day. A compliment for my tote bag has made my day.

what things make up your perfect day?

Do we share any? Is there something that you've figured out over time which leads to better days now? Is there anything that's a non-negotiable for you?