Heels To Boot

Small pleasures are good for us. Little bubbles of soul food amidst the day. They help moderate stress, improve our overall health and tend to make us a little nicer, they can also provide us with the odd little insight.

Animals

Kidnapping the cat for a cuddle always makes me feel better. Sitting with the rabbits for a few minutes and watching them demolish silverbeet and kale is surprisingly calming – and I’ve known people who were uninterested in rabbits before to have found just watching them very interesting and relaxing. A cuddle with my horses is always beneficial, and anyone who has a horse will know how good they smell.

If you have a pet, or you know a local duck pond, or something similar, take time out, even five minutes, to appreciate them. Focus your mind on the animal and enjoy the little details about them. The softness of a cat’s coat, the scent of a horse, the way ducks waddle, it can be cute or beautiful or interesting or funny, take a moment to really appreciate it. Interact with the animals, be calm and move slowly. It’s worth it.

Nature

Spend some time outdoors amidst nature. Lie down on the grass, climb a tree, go for a swim in the river. Listen to the sounds, breathe in the scents, study the details. I like listening to the wind in the trees. You could try watching a sunset, and focus on taking in every detail, bit by bit, and soak up the image.

At the beach

• Feel the sand between your toes
• Build a sand castle
• Enjoy the feeling of the waves lapping over your feet
• Listen to the sound of the surf
• Enjoy the scent of the sea
• Enjoy the breeze
• Study the dunes and the shells and driftwood
• Enjoy the coolness of the water and go for a swim
• Jump and sway in the waves, don’t be afraid to feel like a kid again – kids are experts at simple pleasures.

The trees

• Climb up and sit, watch the world go by
• Close your eyes and listen to the wind in the leaves and the sound of birdsong
• Study the texture of the wood, note any moss, any knots. Follow the shape of the tree, with your hands or you eyes.
• Notice and appreciate the scent of the trees and the grass around you.
• Lie down under a tree and enjoy the shade.
• Watch the way the light turns to a mottled green as it comes through the leaves.

Games

A lot of us find it easy to get addicted to complicated games like wow and counter strike, but it’s worth learning some older games. Card games are surprisingly relaxing because they help to teach focus and they can be played alone or with others. It’s also a great way to connect with the generation before you.

Try out board games too, or play with the kids, tag, hide and seek, hop scotch. Don’t be afraid to be silly. That’s what having fun is about – freedom.

You might also enjoy a quiet crossword puzzle, or a game of sudoku. Just focus on enjoying it, not timing yourself or worrying about winning.

Sports are also a great idea, set up a short game of something with a friend, or just hit a tennis ball against a wall for a while.

Food and drink

The interesting thing about modern society is that while many of us do overeat, and don’t eat healthily, most of us don’t actually stop to really enjoy our food.

We tend to wolf things down, and we have the vague sense that we want more, and we say it tasted good, but could we really explain why? Was it because of the slight tangy aftertaste? The soft melting texture? The hint of spice – was that nutmeg? Bet most of us couldn’t really say.

Have a go at eating very slowly. Inspect your food, the way it looks and smells, really pay attention, and for each mouthful, notice the texture, all the different layers of flavour, chew slowly, and don’t swallow till you’ve fully appreciated each mouthful.

Not only will this make eating more enjoyable, it’ll also mean you’re actually likely to eat less. If you eat slowly you become aware of being full or of getting tired of a flavour much sooner, so that huge bowl of ice cream, when properly studied, doesn’t seem as nice as a bananas with a scoop of ice cream. The other thing you’ll notice is that you might tend to move away from highly processed foods. Unrefined foods have a way of tasting better the more you eat them. I hardly ever eat ice cream now, because most of the ice creams on the market don’t taste that great when you really focus on them. A bowl of kiwifruit, strawberries, pineapple chunks and banana, however, does.

Same goes for drinks, drinking more slowly is also an excellent idea when it’s a hot drink. Nothing worse than burning your tongue. I like to really savour a cup of tea with a few biscuits. The warmth of the tea in my hands, the steam rising off it. The soft milky texture of the biscuits after they’ve been dunked to within an inch of their lives.  Focusing on something simple has an immensely relaxing effect.

Be social

The rules of social interaction are kinda complicated sometimes, and we get a bit caught up in how to act around each other. Sharing simple pleasures with friends is immensely good for the soul.

Something a lot of women contend with is being nervous around silence when dealing with another adult. I think humans in general when talking have trouble with listening.

Try looking at a conversation from the perspective of learning something new about the other person. Give them your full attention, focus on what they say, and how they say it. What little quirks do they have? Do they speak fast or slow, do they pronounce certain words differently to others?

Ask questions, and really commit this stuff to memory. It’s excellent for strengthening bonds and also for refining your ability to pick up information.

Sometimes just a phone call, or a drink at a cafe, or maybe a walk can be just what you need to unwind. Try a movie, or a board game, or invite somebody round to try out a new recipe.

What simple pleasures do you really enjoy? I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Tags: de stress, de-stressing, health, relax, relaxing, simple pleasures, small pleasures, stress releif, unwind, wellbeing

This entry was posted on Friday, January 22nd, 2010 at 1:59 pm and is filed under Advice, Health and Wellbeing. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.