Treat Yourself to Joy: The Power of Simple Pleasures from The Joy Diet by Martha Beck

In cultures that often glorify hustle and self-denial, joy can feel like an afterthought. But what if building a fulfilling life starts not with sacrifice—but with treats? In The Joy Diet: 10 Daily Practices for a Happier Life, Martha Beck introduces “treats” not as indulgent rewards for being good, but as essential ingredients for living with courage, creativity, and joy.

This may seem counterintuitive—especially if you’ve internalized the idea that pleasure must be earned. But according to Beck (and backed by positive psychology), treats train your brain to associate change and challenge with delight, not dread. When you’re facing emotional or professional obstacles, regularly offering yourself simple, soul-filling pleasures keeps you energized, open, and emotionally resilient.

Let’s explore the concept of treats through Martha Beck’s lens, and how to integrate them into your life for real and lasting joy.

What Are Treats, Really?

According to Martha Beck, treats are "anything that brings you healthy pleasure and that you give yourself purely for the joy of it." The key word here is healthy—treats aren’t distractions or numbing agents like mindless scrolling or junk food binges. They’re small experiences that restore your sense of wholeness and connection.

Beck recommends that you give yourself at least three treats a day, every day. Why?

• They boost dopamine, reinforcing positive habits

• They help you associate change with reward, not punishment

• They create emotional safety, a foundation for trying new things

• They enhance presence, pulling you into sensory-rich moments

🧠 Evidence from the field of positive psychology supports this: according to Dr. Barbara Fredrickson’s Broaden and Build Theory, regular positive emotions (like those triggered by treats) expand your attention and boost your capacity to learn, solve problems, and connect with others.

Lets delve into two types of treats described in her book - smile catalysts and sensory delights.

What Are Smile Catalysts and Sensory Delights?

Treats are healthy pleasures that bring you joy for its own sake, not as a reward or distraction. Within that, Smile Catalysts and Sensory Delights are tools for reconnecting with the body and nervous system, creating micro-moments of uplift that retrain your brain to associate growth and change with safety and joy. Let’s explore these two types of treats.

Smile Catalysts: Sparking Emotional Joy

What They Are:

Smile catalysts are experiences or stimuli that reliably trigger a genuine, spontaneous smile—even if just for a moment.

They’re usually small, quirky, and specific to you. The goal is not forced positivity, but authentic emotional resonance.

Why They Matter:

Smiling—even artificially—activates the parasympathetic nervous system (your rest-and-digest system), and real smiling can release feel-good neurotransmitters like dopamine, endorphins, and serotonin. According to research published in Psychological Science (Kraft & Pressman, 2012), smiling—especially the “Duchenne” smile—can reduce heart rate during stress and promote emotional recovery.

Try This Exercise:

1. Create a Smile Catalyst List
   Ask yourself:

• What always makes me smile, no matter my mood?

• What videos, songs, photos, memories, or sensory inputs light me up?

💡 Examples:

• A video of baby goats in pajamas

• Your child’s drawing taped on the fridge

• A nostalgic song from your teenage years

• A favorite meme or comedy sketch

1. Make Access Easy

• Create a “Smile Catalyst” folder on your phone or desktop

• Save links to videos, images, or songs

• Place physical smile triggers in your environment (e.g., a favorite photo on your desk)

2. Use Intentionally

• Sprinkle smile catalysts throughout your day as pick-me-ups

• Pair them with challenging tasks to reduce resistance

• Reflect briefly: What shifted in me after this smile

Sensory Delights: Awakening the Body to Pleasure

What They Are:

Sensory delights are intentional, mindful moments where you tune into pleasurable stimuli using your five senses. These experiences ground you in the present and restore a sense of vitality and wonder.

Where smile catalysts tap into the emotional brain, sensory delights tap into the somatic (body-based) nervous system.

Why They Matter:

Dr. Rick Hanson, a neuropsychologist and author of Hardwiring Happiness, explains that positive sensory experiences, when savored, literally rewire the brain for contentment and resilience. Deliberate focus on such moments helps move short-term positive input into long-term memory and emotional strength.

Try This Exercise:

1. Choose One Sense at a Time
   Ask yourself:

• What texture feels luxurious?

• What scent makes me breathe deeply?

• What food do I want to slow down and savor?

2. Create a Sensory Menu
   Pick one or more per day from these categories:

• 👀 Sight: A favorite artwork, a sunset, fresh flowers, candlelight

• 👂 Sound: Birdsong, lo-fi beats, ocean waves, a favorite instrument

• 👃 Smell: Essential oils, a fresh orange peel, coffee, lavender

• 👅 Taste: A square of dark chocolate, herbal tea, crisp apple

• 🤲 Touch: Fuzzy socks, soft blanket, clay, warm bath

3. Savor Slowly

• Take 1–2 minutes to fully immerse yourself in the experience

• Breathe slowly, and mentally describe what you feel

• End with a reflection: How does this moment change my energy?

How to Make These Practices Stick

Here’s how you can integrate Smile Catalysts and Sensory Delights into your daily life:

• 💡 Keep it simple – You don’t need an hour, just 2–5 minutes of attention

• 📅 Pair it with something routine – Try a sensory delight after your morning alarm, or a smile catalyst before a stressful task

• ✍️ Track and reflect – Use a journal or app to log daily treats and how they impact your mood or energy

• 🧘‍♀️ Return to the present – These are not distractions, but presence practices

My own experiment begins:

I read Martha’s Joy Diet book about 5 years ago when I was studying health and wellness coaching and its wise and practical advice stayed with me. I tried different ideas and incorporated some of them into coaching exercises and resources. The idea for this blog came to me during one of my fall brainstorming & planning sessions. For the next three months I will be experimenting with smile catalysts and sensory delights. In a future blog, I will share what I did, experienced and learned….

Final Thoughts: Small Joys and Big Impacts

In The Joy Diet, Martha Beck reminds us that joy isn’t optional—it’s essential. Smile catalysts and sensory delights are your way back to joy, even when life feels chaotic, uncertain, or heavy. These tiny, beautiful moments expand your window of tolerance, awaken your senses, and ground you in the truth that you are worth delight—not just when everything’s done, but because you’re alive now.

So go ahead: pet the cat, smell the lavender, listen to your favorite song on repeat. These are not escapes. They are entrances—into joy, creativity, and courage.

Now it is your turn, what resonates with you - to reflect on, to uptake, to try? I would love to hear from you.