Joy Spotting: An Antidote to Burnout & Stress
“Burnout often weighs us down, but joy has the power to do the opposite—it lifts us up. ”
In our busy modern day life, and the demands and commitments that come with working hard to be successful, it’s easy to get caught in a relentless cycle of stress, exhaustion, and even burnout.
If you’re a high achiever you may find yourself so focused on all your responsibilities, and tied up in work and commitments that you forget there is small, everyday moments, happening all around you. The thought of pausing and noticing these treasures in your surroundings has left your awareness. This is your invitation to consider Joy Spotting, a simple yet very powerful practice that tunes your attention to everyday glimmers of joy, for a sense of awe and wonder.
As a practice based in mindfulness (paying attention, in the present moment), joy spotting is also a stress-management skill, that works to shift your perspective, and provide an adaptive coping strategy (1).
What is Joy Spotting?
Joy spotting is the practice of intentionally noticing small, delightful moments around you—flashes of colour, unexpected beauty, or a heartfelt interaction. It’s about training your awareness to seek out joy, even in the ordinary. By bringing an attitude of curiosity and wonder to your environment, you naturally create opportunities to feel uplifted and recharged.
The term was coined by Ingrid Fetell Lee, to name this practice of actively seeking out tiny, uplifting moments in your surroundings.
The beauty of Joy Spotting is that it shifts your attention away from pressure and overwhelm and redirects it toward the small, delightful details that might otherwise go unnoticed. As an added bonus, experiencing joy momentarily interrupts stress responses, helping to regulate cortisol levels and create more space for calm and connection.
Joy vs. Gratitude: The Energy Shift
Gratitude and joy are closely related, but they bring different energies. Gratitude has a grounding quality—it brings a sense of bowing down in appreciation for what you have. Joy, in contrast, lifts you up. Seeking out, and spotting, joy sparks a sense of awe and wonder, creating a feeling of expansion and lightness. Both are powerful for breaking the cycle of stress and exhaustion.
Gratitude trains the brain to look for the good, and cultivates contentment.
Joy trains the brain to seek out happy moments, it lights you up, lifts your heart, and expands your sense of presence in the world.
The Science Behind Joy
Joy is one of our most powerful emotions; it doesn’t just make you feel good; it also lowers anxiety and stress levels. Research shows that experiencing moments of joy can reduce cortisol (the stress hormone), increase resilience, and even rewire your brains to spontaneously spot joy, as a habit. The more you practice seeking joy, the more naturally you will notice you recognise and experience it.
How to Spot Joy in Everyday Life
Joy is all around us when we start looking. If you’re not sure where to begin, here are 12 simple prompts from Ingrid Fetell Lee’s Joy Spotter’s Guide:
1️⃣ Look up – Notice floating balloons, clouds, or birds in flight.
2️⃣ Look down – Spot reflections in puddles, colorful shoes, or unique patterns.
3️⃣ Seek color – Observe how bright hues transform your surroundings.
4️⃣ Follow the curve – Appreciate rounded edges and soft shapes.
5️⃣ Go where the wild things are – Listen to birdsong, smell flowers, feel the breeze.
6️⃣ Find symmetry – Seek out repeated patterns or mirrored designs.
7️⃣ Spot abundance – Enjoy the fullness of lush gardens or overflowing fruit bowls.
8️⃣ Embrace the weird – Notice quirky, unexpected details that make you smile.
9️⃣ Zoom in – Focus on tiny details, like the veins in a leaf or dewdrops on grass.
🔟 Notice the invisible – Tune into sounds, scents, and sensations beyond sight.
1️⃣1️⃣ Engage all senses – Feel, hear, smell, and taste the joy in your experiences.
1️⃣2️⃣ Take the scenic route – Wander off your usual path to discover hidden delights.
Expanding Your Joy Spotting Practice
Beyond these prompts, here are three more ways, I’d like to offer you, to deepen your practice:
🌿 Look to Mother Nature – Notice new plant growth, the warmth of the sun on your skin, or the changing weather patterns.
👥 Look to People – Find joy in witnessing a baby’s laughter, friends reuniting, or a stranger’s act of kindness.
☕ Look to What You’re Consuming – Savor the first sip of coffee, a home-cooked meal, or the visual beauty of a thoughtfully prepared dish.
The Impact of Joy Spotting
When you invite joy into your day, take a moment to observe its effect on you. Does it create a sense of lightness? Do you feel lifted or expanded?
“Spotting joy offers a counterbalance to the challenges you face, whether from stress or another difficult life experience”
By integrating Joy Spotting into your routine, you create micro-moments of reprieve, helping to replenish your energy while cultivating emotional resilience.
Your invitation today is to seek out these experiences with an attitude of awe and wonder. Can you put your metaphorical spotlight on JOY?
Let joy be your antidote to stress, and notice how it transforms your mindset, and maybe your energy.
I’d love to hear how this practice feels for you—have you spotted joy today? Share your experience in the comments or tag me on Instagram!
Wishing you moments of joy, awe, and lightness in your day.
Nicky 😊🙏
Special thanks to Ingrid Fetell Lee for naming, and popularising, this beautiful concept of Joy Spotting! 💡
“‘Research has shown that mindfulness-based practices are effective in treating burnout because they help improve therapeutic and stress-management skills by instructing individuals on how to shift their perspective and cope adaptively’ ”
(1) Lyon TR, Galbraith A. Mindful Self-Compassion as an Antidote to Burnout for Mental Health Practitioners. Healthcare (Basel). 2023 Oct 12;11(20):2715. doi: 10.3390/healthcare11202715. PMID: 37893789; PMCID: PMC10606131.