It is often all too easy to succumb to the feeling of being on the hamster wheel of life. We get up, we work, we squeeze in all the family chores and taxi duties, we work some more and we go to bed. If we are lucky, seven hours of sleep later we get up and do it all again!
There is a saying that no one on their deathbed ever regrets not going into the office more. It is so important for our well-being that we take moments throughout the day to find joy in everyday life. It may sound trite, but taking time out to appreciate the joy of life has beneficial effects to help us face those difficult and stressful moments that will inevitably challenge us daily.
Dr. Micheal Mosley, a British doctor, journalist and TV presenter, was an advocate of taking time out to do “Just One Thing” a day and gave simple ideas that are scientifically proven to improve our health and well-being. When he tragically died on holiday in Greece earlier this year, his ideas were thrown into the spotlight with his book of the same title racing up to the number one spot in the UK charts again. His advice has included simple suggestions such as taking a moment in the sun, listening to music, singing out loud and filling your house with plants! All are perfectly achievable in the working day. Take time to do these things daily and they become a habit, not a chore. We have all seen the T-shirts with the “Be Kind” message and may have rolled our eyes, but challenge yourself to one act of kindness a day to see what joy it brings. Give up your seat on the train, smile at a stranger and give more than you take.
What will come as a surprise to absolutely no one is that Dr. Mosley was also an advocate for putting your phone down to boost happiness. He found that going offline for even short periods each day has huge benefits, ranging from increasing attention span and cognition to reducing aches and pains and improving posture and relationships.
When you look at children playing, they are not worried about the past or the future; they are caught up in the moment of joy, however it comes to them. It might be jumping waves at the beach or swinging from a tree. As a parent, you may find your joy comes exclusively from their joy; but what about creating such moments for yourself? Throw caution to the wind and challenge yourself.
In the UK, we are fortunate to have the National Trust, a heritage and nature conservation charity whose purpose is to look after places of historic interest or natural beauty permanently for the benefit of the nation. The charity created a project called “50 things to do before you’re 11 ¾” to encourage families to play in nature together and build an enduring connection with the natural world. Their ethos is that when we build a connection with nature, we’re more likely to care for it in return as we enter adulthood.
We can all take time out on a daily basis to experience the joy of nature. Getting outside for five or ten minutes a day can do wonders for our well-being. On a working day, some achievable favorites from the project include walking outside barefoot, getting up for the sunrise, making friends with a bug and eating a picnic outdoors.
There must be joy in everyday life; otherwise, what is the point? The first thing to do on your Monday calendar for the week is to block out ten minutes a day and tick off some simple pleasures—do something simple yet extraordinary for yourself and form positive habits.
What have you got to lose?
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