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As we close out another year, there’s a quiet invitation that tends to surface in moments between the holiday rush and the final countdown: What actually brings me joy?
Not the performative kind. Not the “I should feel grateful” kind. But the grounded, life-giving joy that makes you feel a little more alive, a little more connected, and a little more like yourself.
For women navigating perimenopause, menopause, and all the transitions that often happen alongside midlife — career shifts, caregiving, relationship changes, identity evolutions — joy can feel both essential and strangely out of reach. Hormonal shifts influence mood. Stress piles up. Responsibilities multiply. And yet, this phase of life offers a powerful opening: a chance to redefine what joy looks like for you moving forward.
Joy isn’t about being cheerful all the time. It’s about building habits, practices, and perspectives that make life feel more easeful, meaningful, and rich. Here’s our curated end-of-year guide to help you find sparks of joy — in your ears, on your bookshelf, in your thought patterns, and in your everyday life.
These are the listen-as-you-walk, fold laundry, or escape-in-the-car-for-five-minutes kind of recommendations — short-form joy boosters grounded in science and storytelling.
The Happiness Lab with Dr. Laurie Santos
A blend of research and practical behavior shifts that make joy feel doable. Favorite themes: debunking happiness myths and building micro-habits that actually work.
From the UC Berkeley Greater Good Science Center, this podcast explores evidence-backed practices for joy, gratitude, and resilience. Try the episode on “Where to Look for Joy” — it’s soulful and grounded.
Earn Your Happy” is Lori Harder’s wildly honest, funny, and deeply motivating podcast about what it really takes to chase big dreams through the messy middle—the risks, reinventions, setbacks, and ‘WTF am I doing?’ moments that nobody talks about.
The #1 bestselling author of The Happiness Project and Better Than Before gets more personal than ever as she brings her practical, manageable advice about happiness and good habits to this lively, thought-provoking podcast.
If you’re craving deeper nourishment, these books offer perspective, wisdom, and just the right amount of “oh wow, I needed to hear that.”
The Art of Happiness — Dalai Lama & Howard Cutler
A timeless reminder that joy is a skill — one you can practice, cultivate, and strengthen at any age.
The Happiness Hypothesis — Jonathan Haidt
Great for the reader who loves psychology, philosophy, and a little science-meets-ancient-wisdom energy.
Designing Your Life — Bill Burnett & Dave Evans
For anyone ready for a reset. This book treats your life like a design project — experimenting, prototyping, and creating more joy through intentional action.
Inner Engineering: A Yogi’s Guide to Joy — Sadhguru
If you’re craving grounding, spiritual clarity, or inner calm, this one hits the spot.
Happiness Becomes You — Tina Turner
A beautiful memoir about resilience, reinvention, and reclaiming joy after hardship.
These thinkers offer accessible, insightful frameworks for reimagining what joy looks like during complex seasons.
A psychologist exploring the idea of a “psychologically rich life” — which may matter more than simple happiness. Think: curiosity, novelty, purpose.
Yale professor behind The Happiness Lab whose science-backed lessons on joy, gratitude, and mindset are refreshingly practical.
Mel Robbins is a bestselling author, speaker, and podcast host known for turning behavioral science into simple, life-changing tools that help people get unstuck, take action, and build confidence. Her work is direct, relatable, and backed by real psychology, making her a go-to voice for women seeking clarity, courage, and momentum during major life transitions.
Joy isn’t something that lands on you one morning. It’s something you build — slowly, imperfectly, and with intention. Try mixing and matching these micro-practices:
Practice gratitude that isn’t performative: Just one honest thing a day. No journals required.
Strengthen your “micro-connections”: A 10-second interaction with a barista or neighbor can boost your mood more than you think.
Create tiny rituals: Morning sunlight. A favorite mug. A daily walk. Rituals are joy anchors.
Mindfulness in motion: Meditation is great, but mindfulness can also be folding laundry with intention or breathing deeply in the car.
Embrace play: Midlife often squeezes out play — reintroducing it (creativity, hobbies, silliness) is a major joy-builder.
Nurture community: Joy expands when it’s shared. A quick text to a friend counts.
Revisit what used to bring you joy: Many women rediscover old passions during this stage of life: dancing, reading, painting, hiking, writing, cooking, singing, anything that felt like you.
As we look ahead, here’s your gentle reminder: joy doesn’t need to be loud or Instagram-worthy. It doesn’t need to be perfect. It simply needs to be yours — chosen, cultivated, noticed.
Here’s to an end of year filled with meaning, connection, softness, and joy — in all its forms.
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