How to Appreciate the Little Things

Mindfulness

Appreciating the little things in life is so important for a happy, healthy and appreciative state of being. This can be achieved through mindfulness. Essentially, mindfulness is a way to bring ourselves back into reality and be aware of life itself in each passing moment. It allows us to feel more alive as we recognise our experience and appreciate the beauty and wonder of things we don’t normally pay attention to.

Our day to day lives can easily be swept up into a blur with busy schedules, constant bleeps from our phones and a fast flowing stream of thoughts in our minds.

But when we look up from our phones and pause that voice in our heads, it allows us to appreciate things such as:

• the complexity and beauty of plants and flowers
• the ‘tsssk’ sound of opening a can of cold beer
• the peacefulness of the quiet
• the feeling in our legs as we walk
• the warmth of the water from our showers
• the vastness of the universe as we look up into the star-lit sky
• the connection between ourselves and others
• the way that trees, leaves and seeds dance in the wind
• the meaning of the words from a loved one (sometimes we are so wrapped up in our thoughts that we only half-listen)
• the taste, texture and smell of our food
• the refreshing feeling of water going down our throats

How can we practice mindfulness?

Notice your breath

Feel the air in your nose as you breathe in and out.
Breathe in the feelings you want to feel- peace, love, confidence, productivity etc.
Breathe out the feelings you want to let go of- frustration, jealousy, hatred, shyness etc.
Feel your tummy or chest rise and fall.
Close your eyes and feel your body if this helps you to focus.
Acknowledge that your body has been doing this non-stop, without fail from your very first day on Earth- pretty amazing right?

After you notice an hour pass, notice your 5 senses:

Touch
What parts of your body are touching something else?
Give yourself a little neck massage.
Release the tension in the parts of your body that are tight e.g. shoulders, eyebrows, jaw.
Notice the feeling in your body as you do things such as walking, the washing up, typing on a computer.
Sight
Notice all the colours you can see.
Admire the shape of an object, how the light plays with it, what shadows it makes, or the tiny details.
Find something you like the look of close by and far away.
Smell
Are there any familiar or new smells?
Where is what you can smell coming from?
Hearing
Listen to every noise you can hear, from your breath, to the knock of the radiators, to the birds outside, and the airplane high in the sky. Try to hear them all at once.
Put some music on and fully immerse yourself in every beat, lyric and instrument.
Notice the silence between noises, between words, between breaths.
Taste
Can you still taste your toothpaste or the last thing you ate?
Can you taste anything in the air that you breathe?

Mindful Eating

When we eat, we often don’t pay attention to how good our food really is.
Enjoying food is not only about the taste but the texture, the smell, and the way it makes us feel- warm, refreshed, sleepy, comforted, energised. Try to draw your intention to these things the next time you eat.

We are often distracted as we sit on our sofas and consume pictures and information on the TV, completely ignoring the creation on our plates. Sometimes we gobble it up so fast only to realise we didn’t pay attention to it at all. This can leave us feeling unsatisfied and reaching for the snacks! Try to take little bites with sips of a drink in-between, eat slowly and really enjoy each mouthful.

The meals we eat often have incredible journeys from growth (often from the other side of the world) to our plates.
That is why it is important to thank others and the Earth for supplying us with nutrition and energy. From farmers, transporters, shop workers, our family or friends who bought the food, the cook who created the meal to the waiter who brings it to the table. We are all connected and have a big impact on each others’ lives- often without knowing it. It is important to recognise this and give thanks for the blessing that we are able to eat today.

When we ditch the TV, phones and other technology whilst we eat, it is so much easier to truly enjoy and appreciate our food.

Body Scan

Take a moment to listen to your body. Close your eyes and feel the feelings in your body parts from your toes, up your legs, around your pelvis, up your spine and your shoulders, to the top of your head, down your face and your chest and back down to your toes.
If you feel any tension as you pass a point in your body, simply soften and relax.
Notice any tingles, twitches, stress, softness, but feel each body part without judgement. For example if your back feels painful, do not label it with the word pain, in fact don’t think any words at all- just feel and accept it for whatever feeling it is.
If thoughts arise into your mind, do not stress, let them pass like clouds in the sky and continue with your body scan.
The benefits of this can include stress relief, decrease in muscle tension, self-awareness and increased pain tolerance.

Inner Body Awareness

When we are doing things, our attention and awareness also includes things such as our surroundings, our feelings and our mind activity/mental commentary. There is absolutely no need for this voice in our heads to consume all of our attention!
Try to be in touch with your inner body at the same time. E.g. when you are cleaning, or watching TV, or walking outside, feel your breath, your heart beating, twitches or tingles, your pulse in your fingertips, and relax any tension.
This way activities are then done with the whole body, our thoughts are calmed and we are left feeling peaceful and present.

In summary

• Mindfulness makes us think in a way of wonderment- how do all of these beautiful things happen everyday and so many people miss out on their beauty? How do these things get here? How does this work?
• Mindfulness makes us love life a little bit more because we become a part of life that little bit more.
• Mindfulness makes us happy to be alive as we are in a state of non-judgement.
• We can allow ourselves to feel life rather than think about our own lives, to-do lists, and opinions.
• We can achieve joy and love through simple, little, and everyday things. We don’t need to look for happiness in money or grand gestures because it is appreciation and gratitude that leads us to it.
• The power to find joy is in our hands.