We all have such hectic days trying to squeeze everything in, and then some. The common mantra is, “I don’t have enough time” or “I certainly don’t have any time for me.”
But we’re doing a tremendous disservice to ourselves by simply getting up in the morning and jumping on that turning wheel trying to chase around and play catch up the whole day, only to then go to sleep and start all over again.
We may not have a whole hour or block of time to devote to doing something pleasurable for ourselves. But we can surely find a few minutes here and there to incorporate some joyful moments. We can’t wait for those long time periods of free time. For our own well-being and feelings of positivity, those brief interludes go a long way to replenish ourselves and add that bit of necessary enjoyment to fill our daily buckets.
So…
- Wake up a little earlier than you have to and do something you enjoy- be it exercise, wrapping your hands around that mug of hot coffee and enjoying the silence, reading, meditating, listening to music.
- Pencil in a few minute break for youself during the day. Pretend it’s a meeting or appointment. Respect it and keep it as you would with anyone else.
- Be mindful of the nice things around you. When we notice the good and the beauty around us and bring it into ourselves, it feels good.
- Fix up a small area in your house with meaningful things. Look around at it and revel in your little haven.
- At bedtime, write down 3 things you’re grateful for. This will start to shift your focus to some of the positive things.
- Value yourself and know that you can be more giving, more nurturing and more productive when you feel good.
- Remember, a little bit goes a long way. So start reading a couple of pages of that book that’s been sitting there for weeks. As Voltaire says, “Don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good.”
- Focus on one thing each day and make the few minutes for it. It doesn’t just come to us, we create it.
- We make time for what’s important. Decide that doing something you enjoy each day is important to you and stick to that value. You are important and you are valuable. You will be that much better at all your other obligations when you take the time to smell and savor those fragrant lilacs.
Thanks for stopping by. What small pleasures do you add in to your day?
