What made you happy in the past 24 hours?
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A happiness map by Alvin Chang in "The Pudding", a digital publication that focuses on data journalism, through data visualizations and interactive design. (April 2026).
There is no doubt about it. The world is in turmoil now, with negative information flowing so fast that it tends to suck us into a sinkhole of woe-is-me.
We say, turn the tables. Treat happiness as a thread to be woven into your daily life.
How, you ask?
To start, try this simple exercise. First, be present. Either think about or write down what made you happy in the past 24 hours. Doing so might bring a smile to your face and add a little pep in your step. We asked some folks (including ourselves) what made them happiest in the past 24 hours.
Here are the responses:
Barbara: The pest control operator came for the monthly check and found nothing! No scary bugs, no spiders, no bigger issues. And a painting class friend came to our post-class lunch today, post-breast cancer, and looked gorgeous, wearing a chic outfit with earrings and a necklace and smiling ear-to-ear--no pain, she said. She can't drive yet or shower alone, but those are minor inconveniences in her book. That made me so happy! Able to get out to walk, work on a good story inside, and have plans for dinner at a neighbor's...A perfect day full of happiness.
Meg: It’s the little things that count. A handyman tweaked a few things in my apartment, including the water pressure in the bathroom. I was so happy when I took a shower last night and shampooed my hair. While the handyman was fixing the water pressure, I was studying some of the music for an upcoming community concert. We’re performing Cherubini’s “Missa Solemnis” in Latin, a long and difficult bear of a piece, one of the most difficult oratorios I’ve ever sung. I have learned most of it. Equally joyous: It was a glorious spring day with temps in the 70s. I spent part of the afternoon walking in Central Park with one of my sisters, and I delighted in the smells and sights of trees and flowers blooming in a grand burst of colors.
Erica: Within the last 24 hours, I had two happy moments. One: When I walked through the door of my home after work today, I got to hug my adorable Labrador dog. Two: That night, my older brother and I watched a Yankees game together. We’ve gotten closer now that we’re older. And the best and happiest news of all, the Yankees won.
Michael: My cousin is on a Bravo cable show and invited me to see it in the studio. She insisted that I go backstage with her to the green room, where I met Andy Cohen, who was wearing a shirt and shorts. He left and, within minutes, came back in a suit and tie to go on set to do his show. It was like Superman.
MG: These beauties - pink peonies - survived hail, thunderstorms, and driving rain today. I'm so happy! (There have been tornado warnings on and off today.) Hopefully, the buds will open and bloom, too. The bush still has lots of buds! Pink peonies are Mom's favorite. She has some peonies from one of her granddaughter's gardens, too! Mom used to grow peonies at her home.
Idee: I hadn’t exercised at home in ages, but I did so today. And it felt great.
Marion: My granddaughter came over for the day. That always makes me happy.
Dan: I was able to hang out in a downtown bar today with my closest friends who live in Pennsylvania, where I am from. They came to NYC to visit. It was great.
Al: I am going to enter a competition where I run and then do an exercise. There are 10 sets of these. I am pleased with my progress in training for it. I have shown perseverance and consistency.
E: I hung out with my boyfriend, and we laughed a lot and had fun. Then we made sushi California rolls for dinner with avocado and crabmeat and served them with spring rolls we made from PF Chang’s in an air fryer.
Brenda: My son, who is on the autism spectrum, called me today to let me know he’s going on a group cruise. That’s a big deal for him.
Bonnie: I got a call from my daughter, who lives in a different state, to tell me she is coming to visit me for four days.
H: Friday evening, we heard a great talk about piracy on the Hudson River at the Hudson River Maritime Museum in Kingston, N.Y.’s Roundout neighborhood. Saturday, we attended a talk there on 18th-century medicine.
Increase your happiness quotient by focusing on the little moments in your day that bring joy such as a new friendship, a hug, a kind word from a stranger, a child’s accomplishment, doing a kind deed, finishing that novel you’ve been working on for years, going on a hike in a nearby park with a loved one and spotting a new species of birds or sitting on a bench on a beautiful day and watching the world go by. Happiness is a high that boosts your physical and mental health. And when you focus on the positive, you tend to send out vibes that make people want to come to you, be with you and breathe in your good energy.