10 Useful Tips to Derive Pleasure from Everyday Things
One of the hardest things about modern life is the creeping sense of banality, that every day is exactly the same, as you wake up at the same hour, go through the same motions, stand in the same traffic jam and do the same work. There is something extremely dehumanizing in this repetitive routine, but the trick to taking your humanity back is in understanding that things are not the same, and it’s up to you to spot the difference. Here’s how:
1. Savor Food
For
thousands of years now, food hasn’t just been a matter of sustenance
for us, humans, rather a culinary experience. Though we eat because we
must, we also eat because we enjoy food. Commit to the pleasure food
brings you. Let it roll around your palate before you chew it and
swallow it down. Consider every bite and how it makes you feel. Eating
this way, you will also feel fuller because you’ve extracted the most in
terms of experience out of your meal.
2. Seek the Beautiful Wherever You Are
Look
around with your own private camera and seek the most beautiful thing
in the frame, no matter where you are. The beautiful can be an object, a
plant, an animal or a person, but it can also be a particular
composition, the way the light falls on something, a pleasant color
scheme, etc.
3. Ponder the Mundane
Think
about the most trivial things and ask yourself questions about them;
why is that town named that way, and who gave it that name? Why don’t
grown men wear shorts? What do insects look like when they sleep, and
why have I never seen one asleep? This is a great way to foster
curiosity.
4. Ask Yourself How You’re Feeling
Look
inwardly at your thoughts and emotions and try to observe them without
judgment. Have a conversation with yourself (not out loud!) about the
things that are bugging you and try to resolve them by giving yourself
good advice. Heck, if you can help other people out, why shouldn't you
be able to help yourself?
5. Walk More
This
in’t just amatter of health and sports (though walking is almost
never a bad idea), it’s about being present in the environment without
the boundaries of glass panes. If you need to get somewhere by car or
public transportation, get off a short walk away and travel the rest of
the way by foot.
6. Look for Reasons to Laugh
Is
it all a joke to you? Well, it should be, because as we all know,
laughter is good for you. Look at all of the occurrences around you and
find what’s amusing, ridiculous, absurd or hilarious about them, and
laugh out loud and heartily (just not at people).
7. Engage in Conversations
Seek
meaningful (if fleeting) connection with people, be they strangers or
coworkers that you aren’t so familiar with. Look at small-talk as an
opportunity to latch onto a small detail which will form the basis of
your conversation. Actively listen to the stories people are telling you
and let them lead.
8. Enjoy the Way
The
road isn’t an inconvenience on your way from point A to B. It’s the
world. Pay attention to traffic, but also appreciate the weather, the
view, the music on the radio. Being in a rush while in a traffic jam
won’t help much, so forget about time and frustration and focus on the
things you can see and feel that bring you joy.
9. Share in Your Joy
Tell
the people you love about those things that brought joy to your heart,
make them laugh, make them reconsider those things they believe are
tedious and boring, translate your joy into play and dare to be a little
bit childish. Shine a bright light into your social circles.
10. Listen to Your Body
Eat
if you’re hungry, but stop when you’re full. If your muscles feel sore,
stretch them out. If you’re tired, take a short rest. Disregard the
internal voices that are saying you aren’t making good use of your time
by listening to your body's needs. Jobs, chores, assignments- everything
comes second to your body.