5 reasons why finding joy in the smallest things can make the biggest difference
(Photo credits: @ozanculha on Instagram)
In our modern society where the pace of life has sped up over the decades, the pressures of daily living can take a toll on us. We can get caught up in the singular pursuit of our life goals and the fulfilling of our daily responsibilities, sometimes we even forget why we’re doing it in the first place. During times like these, the majority of our focus is on a future goal, constantly ticking one item off a list after another. There are an endless amount of tasks to complete, with more always piling up, resulting in our attention always being in the future and seldom in the present.
With the high stress that people are living with, it is ever so important to take time and enjoy the small things in life. We discover new perspectives in the sentence, “It’s the journey not the destination that counts”. Here’s how enjoying the little things can make a huge change in our stressful lives.
It slows us down and reminds us of what’s important
Often when we’re in the mode of being constantly switched on, our vision becomes so laser focused that we can easily lose sight of the little things around us. Metaphorically, we become like a train speeding to reach the destination that we can’t quite see the beautiful countryside scenery passing us. We lose sight of the important things in life and let them pass us by. At such a pace, it can often be difficult to slow down. Some of us may not even realise how fast we’re going. During times like these, shifting our attention to the little joys in life can help.
The laughter of our child, an enjoyable coffee with our best friend, a good dinner with our spouse—are deeply grounding experiences that interrupt our frenetic pace and pull us back to the here and now. A lot of things open up to our awareness when we are present to the moment. We begin to taste the coffee on our tongues—the bitter taste, the smooth texture and the fragrance through our noses. We hear the different layers of our child’s laughter—the intensity of excitement, the sharp intake of breath or the staccato of the giggles. We form deeper connections with our spouse as we take time to listen to their day.
These little things are so highly contrasting that they bring awareness to our own pace of life. With this awareness, we become empowered to change the gears of our speed.
It reminds us to breath again
Just like muscle training, shifting our attention also requires mental practice. When we are intensely caught up in something, it is not unusual to hold our breath. Here lies the issue. As our breath deeply regulates our body and physiology, it can mean the difference between muscle tension and deep relaxation. Holding one’s breath locks tension inside the body. Just as the air is stuck in the lungs and not moving in or out as part of the natural cycle, our tension also gets stuck in our body. The more we hold our breath, the more tense we become. Making a conscious effort to pay attention to the little joys in life reminds us to breathe once again.
It pull us back to our center
It is easy to get lost when we’re always paying attention to things around us. Everything clamours for our attention—the kids, our work and our families—that we’re constantly trained to focus our attention outwards.
But when we stop to focus on what’s in front of us, we come back to ourselves again. It takes our focus away from the pursuit and brings it in front of us—brushing our teeth, eating our meal, breathing in air. Truly, when was the last time you’ve tasted your meal properly? Even better, when was the last time you’ve listened to your own heartbeat? Our equilibrium helps us find ourselves again.
It reconnects us back to our loved ones
Often we hear of successful people looking back with no small amount of regret—all the riches in the world cannot buy the simplest of connections with their loved ones.
While it is not possible to stop working, being disciplined and switching off after work can help us slow down enough to observe the beautiful country, to hear the laughter of our spouse, to watch the first steps of our baby. Right now, we get to reconsider and redefine what is important to us. Is it the smile of our child or is it another text message from work? Did we spend quality time with our husband or wife at the dinner table or was our mind on work?
It brings us back to the here and now
When our attention is on the future, we are not living today. It interrupts our attention in the future and pulls it back to this moment that is in front of you. The feeling of being lost is quite hard to describe but often people use words like, “I don’t know who I am anymore”, “I don’t know what I’m doing in life” or “I’m around so many people but feel so lonely”. Sometimes when the journey is difficult and we end up in a place we don’t want to be at, the simplest thing to do is to retrace your steps and come back to the here and now, focusing on what’s in front of you—your hands, your breath, your heartbeat.
Just like how sailors use the North Star or the Southern cross to navigate in the dark seas, our heartbeat is our “true north” so to speak, whenever we get lost. The best part is, our heartbeat is never far from us—there really isn’t any excuse to be lost.
Follow your heart
Time and tide waits for no man and daily life goes on. No one can ever be completely free from stress, but bringing some attention to the little things, our awareness on the here and now, can make the biggest difference whether you live a stressful or joyous life. And remember that whenever you feel lost, just don’t forget to follow the sound back to your own heartbeat. It is our guiding pulse to the natural rhythm of our life.