> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.mattrutherford.co.uk/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # 👓 Stuff #145 - joy, not dopamine - URL: https://www.mattrutherford.co.uk/stuff-145/ - Published: 2023-07-10T04:06:52.000Z - Updated: 2023-07-10T04:06:51.000Z - Description: I look at the important difference between joy and dopamine as well as the benefits of micro-habits. I found the 50 best book covers of 2022 and an excellent explanation of how the best camera shots are made. - Author: Matt - Tags: Newsletter Last week the most clicked link on Stuff was about mastering [the soft skill of Problem Solving](https://www.careercontessa.com/advice/soft-skills-problem-solving/?ref=mattrutherford.co.uk), I hope you found that useful! It was also great to welcome some of you to my [2023 Highs playlist](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3nKbhvL8ZbH346FrxFkQwW?si=23d3eb71266b49e1&ref=mattrutherford.co.uk), with something new and interesting to listen to every day. This week I've been (unsurprisingly) enjoying the new and impressive Threads app from Meta, [you can find me by clicking here. ](https://www.threads.net/@matt.rutherford?ref=mattrutherford.co.uk) It seems to be a strong alternative to [Twitter](https://twitter.com/mattr?ref=mattrutherford.co.uk), and I'm excited to see how Threads develops. Thanks for being here on our joint journey of curiosity, and the new subscribers, hey! Till next Monday, enjoy... ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c2/2e/c22ecd6b-9412-4701-b914-97051141e207/content/images/2023/05/mattsig_personal-Background-Removed-1.png) --- ## 👓 The Big Stuff - find joy, not dopamine... I saw a lot of references this week to t[he dopamine hits that people were finding through a new social network](https://techcrunch.com/2023/07/07/threads-doesnt-deserve-my-fomo-but-here-we-are/?ref=mattrutherford.co.uk), and I made a conscious effort to try not to get sucked into [that cycle](https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl/blog/brain-wise/201802/the-dopamine-seeking-reward-loop?ref=mattrutherford.co.uk). Instead, before I wrote this, I made a note of all the things that bought me joy this week. [Live music in Dublin](https://www.instagram.com/p/CuOz4xgAvQv/?ref=mattrutherford.co.uk), lunch with my wife in the sun, an ice-cream, some [excellent music](https://open.spotify.com/album/3FiQ5Mwfs2jJPIK3UxxenM?si=Qrxodag6S6ipJG69fUpL1Q&ref=mattrutherford.co.uk), a [photograph I took](https://www.instagram.com/p/CubtQ8ssefL/?ref=mattrutherford.co.uk) and a walk to a local pub for an evening drink were all **much** better than social network dopamine. *Writing this newsletter is a weekly source of[ joy, from creativity](https://vetmindmatters.org/the-joy-of-creativity/?ref=mattrutherford.co.uk#:~:text=Just%20spend%20time%20with%20your,something%20that%20you%20find%20meaningful.).* It turns out that there is science behind this, [joy has a positive physiological effect](https://www.healthline.com/health/affects-of-joy?ref=mattrutherford.co.uk) that can boost your immune system and support longevity. Science also shows that [embracing community and relationships keep us happy, healthy, and may help us live longer. ](https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2017/04/over-nearly-80-years-harvard-study-has-been-showing-how-to-live-a-healthy-and-happy-life/?ref=mattrutherford.co.uk) Tony Robbins suggests these [9 ways to find joy in everyday life](https://www.tonyrobbins.com/mind-meaning/how-to-find-joy/?ref=mattrutherford.co.uk), and h[ere are 28 more ways](https://www.aconsciousrethink.com/16930/how-to-find-joy-in-life/?ref=mattrutherford.co.uk). The excellent Career Contessa suggests [ten ways to find joy at work](https://www.careercontessa.com/advice/how-to-find-joy-at-work/?ref=mattrutherford.co.uk). i particularly like the values exercise at #1\. *For me, the simplest way to ensure I recognise joy is to take the time to notice it around me.* The simple act of [making a list of what bought me joy](https://www.kiralynne.com/single-post/2016-2-3-3-easy-steps-to-creating-a-joy-list?ref=mattrutherford.co.uk#:~:text=Pull%20out%20a%20sheet%20of,Give%20it%20some%20thought.), has generated more benefits than an extra like or follow on a social network. 🦾 **Monday Motivation:** *Let this week be the one where you kick start a new purpose driven meditation practice. [This free 10 day guide is a very good start. ](https://thetonic.us/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/The-Tonic-10-Day-Meditation.pdf?ref=mattrutherford.co.uk)* ## 🧠 The Other Stuff - **Values:** The ever-impressive Mark Manson outlines the [five 'best' personal traits for life.](https://markmanson.net/best-personal-traits?ref=mattrutherford.co.uk) - **Habits:** [The practice of micro-habits](https://durmonski.com/self-improvement/micro-habits?ref=mattrutherford.co.uk) might be an easier way to build improvements into your life. I really like the logic here. You can still use [my free habit tracker](https://www.mattrutherford.co.uk/freehabittracker/) as a way to measure how you're doing. - **Trust:** [The Edelman 2023 trust survey](https://www.edelman.com/trust/2023/trust-barometer?ref=mattrutherford.co.uk) takes input from 32000 people globally, and works out who we trust in an increasingly polarised world. ✍🏼 **Journal Prompt of the week:** *How have your relationships changed over the last five years?* [(Want more? Try here)](https://www.mattrutherford.co.uk/tag/journal-prompts/) ## 🌞 The Little Stuff - **Books:** The [fifty best book covers of 2022.](https://50books50covers.secure-platform.com/a/gallery?roundId=310&ref=mattrutherford.co.uk) via [AIGA](https://www.aiga.org/?ref=mattrutherford.co.uk). - **Cinema:** [EyeCandy is a useful explainer](https://eycndy.co/?ref=mattrutherford.co.uk) of those clever shots from movies. - **AI:** [Try Arlo](https://tryarlo.com/?ref=mattrutherford.co.uk), an alarm app that wakes you up with a celebrity voice. - **Finally:** [How about a little slidy puzzle?](https://sliding.toys/mystic-square/8-puzzle/?ref=mattrutherford.co.uk) *This will take you back!* [🥅 Setting Goals: 5 Proven Tips for Achieving Personal and Career SuccessSetting and achieving goals is a critical component of personal and career success and development. I’ve pulled together five proven tips, and a useful free tool to help define and track your goals.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c2/2e/c22ecd6b-9412-4701-b914-97051141e207/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/03/favicon.png)Stuff that MattR'sMatt Rutherford![](https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1466065665758-d473db752253?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=MnwxMTc3M3wwfDF8c2VhcmNofDEwfHxnb2FsfGVufDB8fHx8MTY4MjY4NjMzNQ&ixlib=rb-4.0.3&q=80&w=2000)](https://www.mattrutherford.co.uk/five-proven-tips-for-achieving-personal-and-career-success/) ## 🎧 Aural Stuff ### On the Stuff Speakers this week... ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c2/2e/c22ecd6b-9412-4701-b914-97051141e207/content/images/2023/07/image.png) 🎧 This weeks music treat is from Scottish based songwriter Neil Scott Pennycook, under the guise Meursault, and is the follow up to 2019 album, Crow Hill. Self-titled Meursault, this is a delicate and heartfelt collection of songs, mainly based on piano, strings and guitar and focusing on the challenges of the creative endeavour. It's a short, 8 track album - but packs a huge journey inside. I'm a huge Meursault fan, and I instantly loved this album - its highly recommended. Side note - one of the best gigs I've ever been to: [Meursault in St Johns Church, Bethnal Green, London. ](https://photos.app.goo.gl/ntePcVi4y2V3xdog7?ref=mattrutherford.co.uk) [Listen to Meursault by Meursault here](https://open.spotify.com/album/3FiQ5Mwfs2jJPIK3UxxenM?si=Qrxodag6S6ipJG69fUpL1Q&ref=mattrutherford.co.uk) [Journal Prompts - RelationshipsFinding time for introspection and reflection is a vital tool for growth, here are fifty journal prompts to support your relationships.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c2/2e/c22ecd6b-9412-4701-b914-97051141e207/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/03/favicon.png)Stuff that MattR'sMatt Rutherford![](https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1517971071642-34a2d3ecc9cd?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=M3wxMTc3M3wwfDF8c2VhcmNofDh8fGpvdXJuYWx8ZW58MHx8fHwxNjg3MTgwNDkyfDA&ixlib=rb-4.0.3&q=80&w=2000)](https://www.mattrutherford.co.uk/journal-prompts-relationships/) ## 👂🏼 Stuff Someone Said > “Evil people do not believe they are evil, they believe everyone else is evil.” [David Foster Wallace](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David%5FFoster%5FWallace?ref=mattrutherford.co.uk)