Enjoying the little things in life. It sounds easy, but reality shows that it is not. How often have you said or thought, “I will be happy when …”? I know that I think like this at least once a month. I will be happy when I get an eight on average. I will be happy when I lose a little weight. I will be happy when I get into the minor I want, and so on. But when I aim for these goals, I tend to overlook the little things to enjoy. Besides, after achieving these goals, there always seems to be an even better thing to accomplish, taking away the celebration of reaching the first milestone/goal.
Especially in the times we live in today, where social media is a big part of society, we believe that specific achievements will bring us happiness, which may be partly true. However, it causes us to overlook the little things to enjoy as we become too comfortable striving for the next best thing. But why? Research shows that chasing after these ideas of happiness does not make us happier in the long run.
Little things, such as enjoying your morning coffee, a warm bath, or a good song on the radio, may sound insignificant compared to getting into the school of your dreams. However, such significant achievement or the moment of happiness it brings is irregular. In contrast, acknowledging the small moments which are consistent in life, can lead to a stronger sense of well-being in the long run. But how do you enjoy the little things? Well, the following three tips will help you with this.
1. Keep track of the small things
It is hard to recognize a happy little moment or moments of gratitude when you are caught up in life. So, take some time to write them down or keep a daily/weekly gratitude diary. What makes you smile? When did you feel warm inside? Which received compliments always makes you happy? When you have wrote these things down, you can read through it from time to time to remind yourself how much you have in life. See it as looking at your glass half full instead of half empty.
2. Stay away from comparing
When you compare yourself to others, you will always notice the things you don’t have or the things you are not. It will make you want to achieve these things and forget what you have already accomplished. Although it is not wrong to have goals, you must pay attention that it won’t become a feeling of never being good enough. When you constantly compare, enjoying the little things and becoming truly happy will be nearly impossible.
3. Slow yourself down
Slowing down may sound impossible in your busy life, but even just a few minutes a day are enough. Being constantly busy, stressed, or tired, you won’t be able to recognize or appreciate the little things. When you slow down, you have more time to see what is happening and what makes you happy instead of moving to the next thing. But how do you slow down? For instance, when you take a break to drink something, don’t take your phone with you. You can go without for a few minutes, and it will give you the opportunity to solely focus on you drink without having to be busy with anything else. Or when you are going for a bathroom break, stay away for a few minutes longer to really seize the peace and quiet, away from all the distractions and noise. Find your minutes!
To many, enjoying the little things does not come naturally. So, just like other forms of art, you need to practice becoming better at it. Will you be the one who will master the art of enjoying the little things in life? I am sure you can do it!
If you want to read more about this topic and gain more tips, check out the following sites:
https://buddingoptimist.com/enjoy-the-little-things/
https://liveboldandbloom.com/09/self-improvement/enjoying-the-small-things
https://www.healthline.com/health/enjoy-the-little-things
