hi there! thank you for the kind observation, i'm really lucky to have a life that is indeed lovely and that i'm grateful to share parts of with everyone. you're definitely right in that social media isn't always reality and i have hard days myself, but i find those more to be things that i challenge myself to work through rather than allow myself to give into by dooming about it publicly or privately.

i'm not sure if i have habits per se as much as a mindset that has helped me welcome more joyful things in my life. that's to say, i think something i find to be most important is to remember that there are good things all around you and a lot to look forward to. i try to make little plans for myself throughout my week rather than saving my Me time for One Big Thing or The Weekend. that way, if i'm having a tough day, i remind myself that i'm seeing a friend for dinner or i'm taking myself to the bookstore later that day. i think investing in these little things only amount to a bigger joy and make things feel less monotonous and rote. if i just go to work and go home it feels sort of oppressive so i try to shake it up with something as small as a walk or a listening to a new album in full on my commute home.

i also think how you talk about yourself, your life, and others makes a difference as well. i used to have a horrible habit of catastrophizing the smallest things, even to make a joke about myself or how sad i was or how awful i was, only to realize how much i internalized it to the point that i started believing it. so i suppose i'd say a big habit i try to be consistent about is trying to be gentler on yourself and believing that your life is already whimsical, and that it's just about shifting your perspective a bit and seeing that there's fun and joy in every interaction, even the ones that can be a bit stressful or annoying. that's not to say if tragedy happens, i find it particularly funny, but it helps to cope with the difficulties when you ground yourself in what's good and what you know to be good.

as for the miscellaneous things, i would say think about the things you enjoy and what little ways you can incorporate them into your day-to-day. i like reading a lot so i try to squeeze in a couple pages on my train ride and i find that it puts me in a good mood from the very beginning of my day. idk if this was helpful???? hopefully????