Self-Care Summer: Small Joy

by Shane Taylor, LSW

     We tend to wait for joy in big events, such as vacations, weddings, having a baby, or graduation. We also look past today with thoughts of the weekend. But in waiting for big joy, you overlook daily joy.

     Don’t delay joy. Find it in small packages, such as nice weather, company, green grass, time to read, or a great meal. George Burns had a cup of black coffee every morning on the movie set. When someone casually asked him how his coffee was, he responded the same way each time: “This is the best cup of coffee I’ve ever had in my life.”

     Seek beauty in the mundane. The more you enjoy small things, the less you need big things.

Shane Taylor, LSW, is currently the Social Work Chief for the Division of Welfare and Supportive Services in Nevada. He operates a staff of 47 licensed social workers and supervisors in six welfare offices throughout the state. This is a focused effort on moving TANF recipients past significant barriers toward self-sufficiency.

For more on self-care, check out The A-to-Z Self-Care Handbook for Social Workers and Other Helping Professionals