No doubt, many of us lead lives filled with the hustle and bustle of working full time, fitting in exercise, maintaining a household, making home cooked meals and keeping healthy relationships with our loved ones. All of which require time, organisation and energy. While this lifestyle keeps us stimulated and challenged, at times it can be stressful and draining. Using our time effectively becomes the aim or the game where every minute counts. Although, sometimes we can get so distracted by our efficiency (or lack of it) that we overlook life’s simple pleasures. Not the pleasures that are luxurious and costly by definition, but rather the simple pleasures that bring an effortless smile to your face and give us a feeling of contentment. These are the pleasures that fuels the soul and warms the heart. That kind of pleasures that hold the power of changing your mood and making your day.

 

Being busy and stressed can push us into a negative head space making us susceptible to pessimistic habits. Influential psychologist of neuropsychology Donald O Hebb, states that through neuronal connections in the brain, we can develop anxiety producing thought patterns over time. However, as humans, we have the ability to rewire this thought process if we can become aware of the pattern and redirect our attention to something pleasurable. Hebb says, “Even though you might feel dread or worry from a series of events, if you focus your attention on something positive that you enjoy, you can gradually rewire your neural circuitry.” Ultimately, you’re turning a negative into a positive on a habitual level.

 

During one particularly hard week, I took some time to set things aside and remind myself of some of my personal simple pleasures. I then went further to ask a few friends, family members and colleagues about what some of theirs were. I found a lot of similarities in the responses, seemingly proving that many of us appreciate a lot of the same things. Additionally, there is a common correlation between our genuine happiness and simplicity. Greek philosopher Epictetus wrote, “He is a wise man who does not grieve for things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has.”

 

Writing this blog alone brought a smile to my face and hopefully reading it will do the same for you. Some simple pleasures I gathered up include as follows:

 

1. Walking barefoot in the sand or grass feeling the energy from the earth.
2. Taking a hot shower when you’re cold or damp.
3. Drinking hot chocolate with marshmallows after playing outside in the snow.
4. Your first sip of a cold beer on a hot summer’s day.
5. Biting into a really juicy apple (always the risk of being dry).
6. Revisiting Disney movies in your adulthood and realising you still love them.
7. Listening to old songs that bring back good memories (especially 90’s music).
8. Eating your first vegetable out of your seasonable garden that you put time into tending.
9. Climbing into bed with fresh, clean, crisp sheets.
10. Watching the natural growth of plants and flowers in your garden
11. Jumping into the ocean and feeling the refreshing salt water on your skin.
12. The warmth on your face from the sun when it breaks through the clouds.
13. Waking up in the morning feeling well rested after a really good sleep.
14. Enjoying a much needed stretch.
15. Coming home to the excitement and unconditional love of your family pet (dog/cat/etc.)
16. Watching animals play together.
17. Jogging through a misty warm rainfall.
18. An afternoon Siesta.
19. Laughing so hard your belly hurts and you’re not even sure what you’re laughing about.
20. The smell of wet concrete and soil after a rainfall.
21. Human affections of any kind including cuddles, back tickles, and hugs.
22. Sitting by a wood fire in doors when it’s cold outside.
23. The smell of a warm salty breeze off the ocean.
24. Drinking tea and reading a book under a cosy blanket.
25. Being silly and dancing freely in any form.
26. When you realise you have the exact amount of change for something you’re purchasing.
27. Sitting by a bonfire with friends exchanging stories and making smores.
28. The smell of fresh cut grass.
29. When a stranger does something kind for you.
30. Receiving a high five at any time.
31. Enjoying a glass of red wine with cheese or dark chocolate.
32. When someone encourages you to follow your dreams.
33. Ice cream.
34. When you see an old friend you haven’t seen a long time and it’s like you were never a part.
35. Singing in the car with the music turned up and the windows rolled down.
36. When your favourite song comes on the radio.
37. Feeling pumped up after a really good work out.
38. The smell of fresh air in the countryside after leaving the city.
39. Receiving a genuine exchange of mutual love where no words are spoken.
40. The feeling of achievement after cleaning and decluttering your bedroom.
41. Falling asleep or waking up to the sound rain drops on the roof.
42. Your first cup of coffee in the morning.
43. Playing cards or board games with a group and disconnecting from technology.
44. Fresh flowers beside your bed.
45. Enjoying a meal amongst friends and family.
46. The deafening silence of a gently falling snow.
47. A baby’s infectious giggle.
48. The boisterous laughing of family gatherings.
49. The smell of leaves on the ground during a warm fall day.
50. Feeling the energy and power of a summer thunderstorm rolling in.
51. Watching the grace of a gull as it effortlessly soars over the lake.
52. The mystery that you feel when you look up to a starry night sky.

 

Certainly things happen in life that bring forth stress and worry, which can soon become a burden. However, as Hebb said, we can persevere through those times with reminding ourselves of what truly matters at the end of the day. For many of us, it’s the simple things. In the words of Douglas Macarthur, “In the central place of every heart there is a recording chamber. So long as it receives a message of beauty, hope, cheer, and courage – so long are you young. When the wires are all down and your heart is covered with the snow of pessimism and the ice of cynicism, then, and only then, are you grown old.” Thanks for reading!