A smile, the autumn sun, or just a good book: many things can give us a little joy. When we consciously enjoy these moments, it contributes to our happiness.
A picnic by the lake or a short hiking tour: appointments or weekend trips don’t always have to be expensive. That is what the day of simple joys is all about. It always falls on the first Saturday in October. It would be best if you did something beautiful that costs nothing or at most a few euros. Sounds impossible? But it is not.
The little things in everyday life are often underestimated, “A lot of quality of life goes hand in hand with consciously savoring small pleasures, such as enjoying a coffee in the sun.”
The said cup of coffee, a short walk in the park, or reading a few pages – it’s about pausing and consciously shaping the moment, says Mangelsdorf, Because to be happy, we first and foremost need a conscious approach to the joys in life.
Enjoy Consciously – And Not Just Annoy
One way to influence our happiness is to train our perception. Mindfulness is a crucial word that plays a significant role, especially in Eastern religions. “We should pay more attention to what we are doing, perceive it more intensely, for example how the coffee tastes like we are drinking right now, looking forward to the little things in life and not just being annoyed about the bad moments,”.
If we can enjoy simple pleasures too, it will have a profound effect on our lives. “You could say: if you are able to create and savor small pleasures, you can face life differently,” This is very helpful, especially under tremendous stress and pressure in everyday life.
Cook For Yourself Instead Of Visiting A Restaurant
For almost all costly experiences, there is also an inexpensive and usually just as a fun alternative. For example, it can be just as lovely to host the candlelight dinner at home and not go to the restaurant. In libraries or bookstores, you can go through funny novels together and read to each other. Admittedly, this is a little more complicated in Corona.
And in late summer and autumn, you can collect apples with children (and of course without them) and cook them down at home. It’s not only fun, but it’s also tasty and healthy.
Another positive effect of such a joint action: Nothing has a decisive influence on our happiness as solidarity with others. Many studies in the field of positive psychology have shown that.
Taking Time For Others
So why not make others happy too? “I would consciously take time to meet other people who are important to me,” says the psychologist. Or how about writing a letter to your daughter or a good friend? Postage costs only 80 cents, but the joy of a handwritten note is priceless. Or you visit someone you haven’t seen for a long time and bring home a cake you baked.
Having time with others is one of the essential little joys of how we fill our time so that it is good for us and the people around us are highly individual. “How you best organize this depends on your personal inclinations,” explains the psychologist.
In our world, which is characterized by acceleration and digitization, something can still be enjoyed on the day of simple pleasures,. “Namely, unplanned free time for yourself.”