You will have heard people talk about ‘the simple things in life’ and how important it is to bear them in mind when you are having a hard time (or even when you’re not; even on great days, these simple things are important). This is because simple pleasures such as looking at a beautiful night’s sky, listening to bird song, playing with a child, going for a walk, breathing in fresh air, and so much more will ground you, make you realize that life is good, and will help you to be happier going forward. Even if things are difficult, appreciating the simple things in life will enable you to put things in perspective. 

Yet, with so much going on around us all the time, with so many different responsibilities and deadlines and pressure, it can be hard to take the time to really look at what matters. Sadly, this can affect your mental health, which can mean that life is not as interesting or fun anymore. It is crucial that you take time out to appreciate the simple things in order to reset and restart; here are some ways you can do it. 

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Say Thank You

A good way to start when it comes to appreciating the good things around you is to begin or end your day by saying thank you. You can take a moment when you are still lying in bed, or when you are making your morning coffee, or when you are taking a shower, or any other time that feels right to you. Take that time to think of all the things you are grateful for, even if you initially felt bad about them. 

You might have to go to work when you’d rather not, but you can be grateful for having a job that means you can pay the bills. You might see that it’s raining when you had planned to go for a walk; be grateful that the rain is making the ground more fertile. Plus, many other ideas will make you feel much happier – you just need to think of them. 

Keep A Journal 

Keeping a journal may seem at first like having extra homework to do, but once you start taking just 10 or 15 minutes a day to write in it, you’ll soon develop the habit, and you will start to enjoy the process. 

Writing in a journal means you can really take the time to think about all the things you have enjoyed that day, even if you first thought the day was a hard one. For example, you might have had to deal with demanding customers, but was the sunset beautiful? Did you find a good seat on the train? Did you smell artisan bread baking coming from the houses you passed? These are all things to appreciate, and once you remember them, your day won’t seem so bad. If you had a good day, it will even be enhanced. 

Have Celebrations 

We don’t mean you have to throw a party every time you see a shooting star or hear beautiful music, of course. By celebration, we mean enjoy the moment and use that good thing you appreciate as much as possible. If beautiful music is playing, take a moment to listen or even dance. If you see a shooting star, why not take the time to learn more about how they occur? The good things in life can help us if we let them.