The Joy Edit #13
- Chloe Markham
- May 7
- 2 min read
A regular edit for your joy.
Nervous system regulation tool
The Face Tap
WHY: Your face and neck are densely packed with nervous system real estate. Gentle tapping sends a steady stream of safe signals through your vagal pathways (hello, down-regulation), interrupts tense holding patterns, and nudges your state in a calmer direction.
HOW: Tap gently with your fingertips starting from your forehead and working down: forehead, temples, around the eyes, cheekbones, jaw, down the neck, and finish at the collarbones. Spend about 30–60 seconds. Make it like a spa day for your face (bonus: totally free, although no slippers included).
I do this as part of my night-time routine and I flippin' love it.
Listen: Small Moments, by Dan Kye
Did someone ask for a bit of energy this week? This is glorious dance-based heart-beating stuff. I particularly love Focus and Actually. Only 6 years old, but has a sort of vintage feel...
A 5-minute practice that’ll change your day (and maybe your week).
A book I'm loving: Dreamcount
I had a dream about this book last night, so probably a sign I need to share it with you.It's a great novel about relationships, feminism, and love. It'll have you air-punching and weeping all at the same time.
Good news: The London Marathon Broke a fundraising record
"2026 edition has broken the world record as the biggest annual one-day fundraising event, with £87.5 million raised already". Plus, it was one of the most inclusive marathons yet, with more than 1,900 people with disabilities taking part. Niceeee.
Behind the scenes:
I got an email this week (thankfully to my junk). It was a well-known super-productive reading app — should already be a red flag — prompting me, in the subject line, to:
"Never waste another commute again. Feel productive during every journey."
I've never rolled my eyes or shouted as many expletives at a screen since watching Louis Theroux's Inside The Manosphere.
This is why we're all so mentally destroyed!
Is there any wonder my brain's programmed to struggle to take time off work?
Yep, your friendly joy philosopher and nervous system coach (hello) struggles to take actual down-time. Ironic isn't it.
So, as a giant counter to that shithouse email, here's what I'm experimenting with this week to help me be less productive:
Removing the ever-present Chrome bookmarks bar. If it takes me an extra second to think about where I'm going (checking emails), I hopefully won't go there (they can bloody wait).
Making fresh pasta. I've said it now, so I gotta do it. Sounds daft, but MAKING something unrelated to my work... that's a damn good idea. Plus: holy-moly-delicious.
Putting my laptop and work phone (yes, I'm bougie enough to have two phones for my work-life-balance which is obviously going super well) in a drawer when I'm done. Maybe I should get a lock for the drawer.
This is coming off the back of a 'day off' yesterday in which I spent over an hour messing with my website.
🤦♀️
TLDR: be properly unproductive this week, I dare you.
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