Embracing Pleasure: Finding Joy In The Mundane

Originally published: 13 March 2024. Last updated: 8 June 2025.

Let’s be honest — washing dishes isn’t fun. Tidying toys, folding laundry, wiping benches... it’s all a bit much sometimes. The idea of “finding pleasure in the everyday” can feel like a slap in the face when you’re already at your capacity.

But I’ve been sitting with this concept for a while now — not from a place of forced gratitude or bypassing — but from a place of genuine presence. And what I’ve learned is this: pleasure doesn’t have to come from the task itself. It can come from within the task. From how you choose to experience it.

The Swing Story (And The Unexpected Moment Of Joy)

Recently, I had one of those days where my daughter was incredibly needy and my nervous system was fried. She wanted me to push her on the swing — again. I was done. I didn’t want to be sweet or present or delight in the joy on her face.

But I walked over anyway. And something interesting happened.

Instead of trying to be the “grateful mum soaking up the moment,” I completely tuned out. I stood barefoot on the grass, turned my face to the sun, and just breathed. I pretended I was totally alone. And in that quiet little fantasy, I found actual pleasure.

It wasn’t about the swing. It wasn’t about forcing myself to enjoy the task.
It was about letting go of the guilt around how I was “meant” to feel, and just letting the moment be mine.

That’s the kind of pleasure I want to help you cultivate.

Pleasure Is A Healing Tool — Not A Fluffy Bonus

Pleasure isn’t just a fleeting feel-good hit. It’s medicine for your nervous system. It brings you out of fight-or-flight. It helps you reconnect to your body. It reminds you that life isn’t just a to-do list — it’s meant to be lived.

But we’re so conditioned to associate pleasure with luxury, reward, or distraction. So when it shows up in a small, mundane moment — we often miss it. Or feel like we haven’t earned it yet.

It’s time to change that.

Five Ways To Invite More Pleasure Into Your Daily Life

Here are some gentle ways I support myself (and my clients inside Nourishment Gateway) to find joy without the pressure to be perfect or perform:

1. Redefine Mindfulness (On Your Terms)

Mindfulness isn’t about being perfectly present and grateful every second. It’s about noticing what you need in the moment. You don’t have to love the task — but you can choose how you experience it. Tune into your senses. Let your body anchor you, even if your mind is elsewhere.

Find pleasure where you want to — not where you think you should.

2. Let Gratitude Be Subtle And Real

Gratitude doesn’t have to be loud or performative. It can be as simple as “I really love this cup of tea,” or “That ray of sun felt good.” You may often hear advice saying to write one thing down a day. Keep a jar of good moments. Give your nervous system evidence that there’s sweetness in your world. And that is really awesome if you want/can do it. I myself find it overwhelming to commit to something every day. So I prefer to do a yearly review. Each year end I look back over my bullet journal and note down my achievements, any other awesome things that happened and the challenges. I now have 6 years of journals I can look back on that one page and give myself a real lift of how awesome life has been and also how awesome I have been in overcoming those challenges. This yearly review is something I run for my Nourishment Gateway villagers as well, it's definitely a well rounded program!

3. Curate Your Environment

You don’t need a Pinterest-worthy house to enjoy your space. Light a candle. Open a window. Put on music that makes you feel something. The more you shape your surroundings to support your nervous system, the easier it becomes to enjoy being in them.

4. Connect Tasks To Meaning

If you’re folding clothes, maybe it’s about giving your children comfort. If you’re decluttering, maybe it’s about making space for clarity. When you link the mundane to a value you hold, it becomes part of something bigger.

5. Play With Creativity

You don’t have to be artistic to be creative. Cook something differently. Hum while you tidy. Pretend you’re on a game show when you make your bed (yes, someone actually does this — and I love it!). When it feels authentic, creativity brings lightness and spontaneity into the most repetitive tasks.

Pleasure Is Presence — Not Perfection

Let’s clear this up:
Pleasure isn’t the opposite of pain. It’s the companion to resilience.
It doesn’t distract you from what’s hard — it gives your body a moment of relief so you can keep going.

In a world that tells you to push harder, please more, and keep achieving, choosing pleasure is a radical act.
A grounding act.
A healing act.

You’re Allowed To Feel Good In Your Life

You don’t need to escape your life to enjoy it.
You don’t need a retreat, a spa day, or an empty house (although those are nice too).
You need to give yourself permission to seek joy in the middle of the mess — in a way that’s real and resonant for you.

This is the kind of work we do inside Nourishment Gateway — learning how to regulate your nervous system, reconnect with your body, and bring more presence and pleasure into everyday life.

Because when you feel joy in the ordinary, the extraordinary starts to feel possible again.