3 Simple Ways To Find Joy In The Mundane, That Also Helps Keep Contempt At Bay
Because “gratitude is the greatest catalyst for happiness. It’s the spark that lights a fire of joy in your soul”
“Live in the NOW, don’t worry so damn much!”
That’s usually what people of old age will tell you is one of the main things that causes unhappiness and to enjoy life more.
They’ve realized that after all the time they spent worrying about trivial matters, issues that never happened or things they had no control over, were simply not worth it.
In truth, this is also something I have struggled with for years and I wish I could go back in time and shake myself out of that habit.
The harsh truth is that worry robs you, of joy and being in the moment and the reality is that whatever is gnawing at you now will very likely be a forgotten thought years down the road.
So… how do you overcome that?
Enjoying The Moment Right Then And There
Prior to 2022, the past years were but a blur honestly, constantly chasing the next thing, always in a hurry and stressed out over the (now thinking back) silliest things.
But one moment that I remember was when I took a trip out to Austin and being way out in the outskirts, caught sight of the sunset and saw how the light cast a beautiful contrast.
It’s like I was seeing a sunset for the first time, and beyond seeing a big yellow blob, you begin to see the different colors like you would a painting up close. You see varying shades of pink, gold, orange and lavender all over.
I let myself enjoy the moment and gone were all my worries and my thoughts settled.
For a few seconds I paused and took in that small moment and though I didn’t capture it by taking any photos or video, I still cherish that time and think back on it fondly.
Now, when I’m out and about I try to remember to appreciate what is around me and if possible, try to capture those small moments.
If you come across something cool and interesting? Capture it, engage, appreciate.
See a beautiful sunset?
Stop by somewhere and take the time to actually look at it and admire what else is around.
It sounds silly but if you don’t take the time to stop and slow down to appreciate what’s around you, life feels really bleak.
Practice Gratitude Meditation
No one is immune from experiencing stress in their daily lives, it happens almost everyday and because of that, we’re highly sensitive to negative stimuli.
It’s so common to experience constant-in-your-face stress and to continue to go about your day without setting aside time to vent out feelings and practice mindfulness.
If you’re working a stressful job, once that clock hits 5pm, it’s likely that the last thing you want to do is meditate. I used to,
- close my work laptop
- take a nap then before I’d know it, it would be 7–8 pm and think, why not just,
- put on Netflix and call it a night
Except that happened one too many times.
However, the times I did meditate and journal I’d notice a difference that day in how I slept and the next morning, feeling refreshed and ready to tackle what came.
A simple 5 minutes is all you really need, you don’t have to do anything elaborate.
Find a spot that’s cozy and make yourself a drink and sit down and think on what happened throughout the day and feel that out. Reflect and take a couple of deep breaths and think on the things you’re grateful for.
Let those things linger and if you want to go the extra mile, write those out on a journal.
Doing that consistently will not only improve your wellbeing little by little but it will also bring about other benefits, improved trust, lower levels of depression, and better sleep to name a few.
Do Small Acts of Kindness
Before, I’d go out for a walk and mostly keep my head down and so whenever I’d pass by people I’d rarely look their way and just kept to my own.
And that’s fine if you’re listening to a podcast or whatever because you want to focus on what’s being said, but even just smiling at the person that passes by you is meaningful and feels good.
Waving hello or saying good morning to people or even sending out a text to a friend you haven’t talked to in a long time also counts.
It’s those small moments of kindness that when done over and over, helps your wellbeing and doing good makes you feel good so it’s a win-win.
You don’t have to do extravagant gestures either, but help others by playing to your strengths.
Do you have good handwriting?
Write a thought-felt letter and help brighten up someone’s day.
Are you camera savvy? Capture a few good shots when you hangout with someone and put it in a scrapbook and gift it to them.
Being intentional and doing good for others not only gives you a good dopamine rush but it can create a chain reaction where the other person could then pass along an act of kindness to the next person.
TDLR
I live for small moments, because it’s in the little things that make big things happen. But oftentimes, life gets in the way and you forget to stop and pause and it’s easy to get lost in the hustle and bustle.
I think back on a meme I found, probably on Facebook or Instagram, but it went something like,
“After 25, you don’t need an alarm clock because just your daily obligations alone will have you jumping out of bed”.
Though there’s definite humor and truth to that, I thought, well, that sense of worry and hurry long term isn’t healthy. To combat that, we need to practice mindfulness and to an extent, romanticize our lives a bit. Find joy in making your morning coffee, appreciate the morning view on your way to work.
Otherwise, life will pass you by and those small beautiful moments that make it worthwhile living will also pass you by unnoticed.
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