In this episode, I'm sharing what I've been learning as I move deeper into my own 'Joy First experiments', and why the most surprising discoveries have had almost nothing to do with that big 'jump up and down' version of joy.
Today we're talking about the science behind visual progress loops and how your mundane chores can genuinely light up your brain. We revisit the 10 Joy Codes and look at how a single ordinary activity can stack multiple codes at once. And I want to challenge the version of joy that most of us have been sold: the everything-is-amazing version that, if we're honest, isn't most of life.
Sometimes joy is just medicine. Sometimes it's the thing that keeps you going, not the thing that goes in your feed.
Key moments:
• The neuroscience of why my most hated chore has become a major joy ritual for me because it feels so good
• Why I started doubling down on when anxiety was at its peak
• How the Joy Codes show up inside the smallest, most mundane activities
• Why this season of the podcast is shifting toward real-time joy experiments, in the messy middle, with all the imperfections intact
The Joy Codes Episode: https://joyfirstworld.com/blogs/joy-first-podcast/finding-your-joy-codes
Take the Joy First Audit: https://joyfirstworld.substack.com/t/joy-first-audit
Discover your Colour type: https://go.jnicholesmith.com/quiz
The best glitter pens: https://calmoverchaos.co.uk/products/constellation-glitter-pens
Arm Knitting in Lancashire: https://chunkyarmknit.com/
Painting Workshops UK: https://www.brushandtipple.co.uk/