Having lived the majority of my life with mental illness as a constant companion, I know from experience that when everything feels terrible, it’s easy to believe that everything is terrible.

It’s not that I was making an active decision to focus on the negatives – who would choose to be miserable? However, because I was so unwell, I simply couldn’t feel happiness or even contentment. Nothing that I used to like, made me happy anymore. Everything just felt bleak and grey; all light absorbed by a heavy fog.

As part of my recovery, I’ve been learning how to identify and acknowledge things that make me happy, even if only for a split second. It’s a constant learning process, teaching myself to deliberately bring to mind something that makes me happy, even when I’m struggling.

Now, of course, it’s more complicated than that. I couldn’t just teach myself to be happy – if it was that easy, no one would ever be sad! I’m still undergoing therapy and I will probably be on medication for the rest of my life, but neither of these alone is a magic fix. A combination of therapy, medication, a strong support system, and a lot of personal growth have combined to get me to the stage of recovery at which I am today.

Life isn’t perfect, but the more I push myself to really acknowledge the things that make me happy, the more steps I continue to take on my journey to good mental health.

So, today I’m going to share with you 100 things that make me happy. I hope that this list inspires you to create your own; to make a point of appreciating your moments of happiness, big or small.

Here we go (in no particular order)!

(Note: Last updated June 2025)

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1. My cats.
2. My parents.
3. Learning new things.
4. My friends.
5. Paperback books.
6. A nice pen.
7. New notebooks.
8. Libraries.
9. My bed.
10. The Finch app.
11. Small birds (particularly sparrows, robins, and blue tits).
12. Daffodils.
13. Forests.
14. The smell of fresh linen.
15. Comfy pyjamas.
16. Cats & Soup game.
17. Feeling included.
18. ASMR.
19. Graphic novels.
20. Audiobooks.
21. Pandas
22. Conversations with other neurodivergent people.
23. Sparkling water with peach squash.
24. Sobriety.
25. Coffee.
26. YouTube.
27. Big plushies.
28. Soft, teddy blankets.
29. Documentaries.
30. Fairylights.
31. Unusual animal friendships (e.g. cat and duck, dog and cow, etc)
32. Second-hand bookshops.
33. When someone gives me a nickname that is unique to our relationship.
34. Mountains.
35. Lakes.
36. Strange Aeons.
37. Biscuit tea.
38. Parallel play.
39. Decluttering.
40. Self-expression.
41. Clear nights when you can see the stars.
42. The sound of gravel crunching underfoot.
43. Making someone laugh.
44. Achieving qualifications/getting certificates.
45. Getting good grades.
46. Naturally waking up early.
47. Welcome to Night Vale.
48. Forest cabins.
49. Cookies.
50. Rain tapping on the window.
51. Rainbows.
52. Hedgehogs.
53. Houseplants.
54. Singing.
55. Pancakes and maple syrup.
56. Sweaters.
57. Being understood.
58. Writing lists (lol).
59. When I order clothes online and they fit perfectly.
60. Simon’s Cat.
61. Freedom.
62. Christmas time.
63. My desk.
64. Dreaming that I can fly.
65. Pins/badges.
66. Strawberries.
67. Volunteering.
68. Encountering friendly cats in the wild.
69. Otters.
70. Pinterest.
71. Accomplishing goals.
72. Comfy armchairs.
73. Giving gifts.
74. Pasta Coma.
75. Foxes.
76. Creative writing.
77. Rest.
78. Puppies.
79. Pingu.
80. Payday.
81. Pusheen.
82. Memes.
83. Colouring.
84. Word puzzles.
85. Sunrise.
86. Fresh bread.
87. My Little Pony.
88. Fundie Fridays.
89. Cloudy lemonade.
90. Perfume.
91. Hot chocolate.
92. Hello Kitty.
93. Blogging.
94. Being helpful.
95. Receiving parcels in the post.
96. Synchronicities.
97. Pastries.
98. A traffic-free commute.
99. Fresh snow.
100. When animals “choose” me.

 

What makes you happy? Let me know in the comments.

 

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