Enjoying Small Moments that Bring Joy and Happiness
Life is filled of simple pleasures that often go unnoticed.
Savor the small moments that bring joy, happiness, and fulfillment into your daily life.
There are times when you can “craft” them by organizing a get together or booking an activity, but most of the times, those incredible moments are right there in front of you:
stand still and appreciate the moment - might be appreciating the taste of coffee or tea in the morning or just a burning candle that smells like the forest
headspace - meditation is a great way to learn how to stand still and be in the moment. You can start with 3 minutes of daily meditation
savour the moment - spicy sauce or sweet and creamy ice cream. Food is a great way to experience the flavor of the moment
activities that bring you joy - movie night, rock climbing, kite surfing, cycling or reading a cheeky book, seeing a theater play
lean into the silly moments - don’t take life so seriously. Laugh until you cry, your tummy hurts and maybe some snot comes out as well
be present when you stop to appreciate the small moment of joy. Nothing else matters in that moment
“There are really beautiful moments that surprise me, not because of something grand happened, I remember playing cards recently with my mom and my aunts that came to visit me in my kitchen, […] I had the cat in my lap, the two dogs next to me there were these beautiful flowers that someone sent me, and for a moment everything stopped. I looked at the flowers, I looked at the cat, I felt my dogs, my cat, I looked at my mom and aunt, […] and I felt so overwhelmed of happiness and gratitude […] I was so grateful. It was just a normal moment but that sensation is amazing”
It doesn’t have to be complicated.
Every day, if we’re lucky, we can wake up and just appreciate the small moments in our lives that brings us a second, minute, moment of joy.
It can be just looking at your pet as they are chasing their tail, it can be playing with them and appreciate the happiness that they have in their eyes when they see you getting up in the morning (especially if you own a dog).
It can be a walk early in the day in your city or on the beach (depending where you live), to catch the sunrise and experience the stillness of the city just before everyone wakes up and starts their day.
It can a theater play that just captivates your attention through the story. Talented artists and their ability to combine their characters and costumes with the nifty acrobatic tricks and dances which they always make it look so easy and effortless.
It can be a good book, one of those that makes you leave your reality behind.
It can be a delicious meal at a restaurant where the chef prepped his speciality black cod miso with a side of steamed rice, where the fish just melts in your mouth, breaking down the flavor even further.
It can be a pool day, filled with stillness where you can just float around and appreciate the deafness when your ears are under water and you’re carried away by the small water movement that comes in a contained pool.
It can be a spa day with a steam room or sauna, where your body sweats out the toxines and your mind is telling you to get out, but you know that if you’re in the moment, still and calm you’ll see the benefits so you embrace the heat.
It can be cooking a meal for you or your loved ones. Or making such a delicious breakfast bowl that you’d think it’s a piece of art - just for you. Appreciate the colors and be beauty in every fruit or vegetable you’re cooking with.
It can be a visit to the museum - any museum that you like. One of my favourite is the British Museum in London, UK. I can spend days there looking at history, pieces of art that have been present in our humanity since the beginning of time, or the limited exhibitions that they always have going on. If you’re in NYC the Guggenheim or MOMA are perfect to just get lost in art and appreciate every moment that your eyes gaze on such incredible combinations of colors, brush strokes and creativity.
It can be a walk in nature - observing all the trees, flowers, the sky and how the light shines through, or it can be just appreciating the beautiful shells that wash off shore, and the wind-chime-like sound they make when the wave moves them.
It doesn’t have to be complicated at all!
Everyday we have the chance to appreciate the beauty around us, the smell or flavor of coffee or tea in the morning.
We eat every day, but how many times you stopped to really appreciate the taste, texture and the colors, the aesthetics?
We get dressed every day but how many times we appreciate the material and fit?
We walk every day the same paths either to the grocery store or to work but how many times you actually were present and looked around us to appreciate the architecture of the buildings, or just looked up at the sky? Noticed the people around?
We (hopefully :) ) shower every day, but how many times we just closed our eyes to hear the water running? And felt it’s lightlness going over our bodies?
In our rush to get from one place to another, to make the most out of our day and plan our schedules to optimise as much of our time as possible, we sometimes forget to just enjoy the small moments in life that are not a given and one day can be taken away.
Personally I’m a planner, that’s how I function best, but it took a long time for me to learn that sometimes you do have to just “stop and smell the roses”. It’s what makes this life so beautiful, it’s what fills us with gratitude and energy.
In stillness and by being present you can give your mind those microbreaks that are so important to avoid burnout, bring down high levels of stress and break your mind loop.
Note: You can use our 30 day Guest Pass for Headspace to try it out and get some practice at being in the moment or just break that mind loop.
Headspace is not an official sponsor. We recommend them because we have been using them for years and we know their type of meditation works.
Some of our recommended meditations include:
Taking a Break
The Mindful Minute
Everyday gratitude
The Science of Burnout
Morning Pause
Breathe Through Anxiety
