“Life is made up not of great sacrifices or duties, but of little things, in which smiles and kindness and small obligations given habitually, are what preserve the heart and secure comfort.” — William Davy
Uncertainty is all around us, never more so than today. The current COVID-19 pandemic has heightened uncertainty over the economy, employment, finances, relationships, and of course, physical and mental health. Yet as human beings, we crave security.
We want to feel safe and have a sense of control over our lives and well-being. Fear and uncertainty can leave you feeling stressed, anxious, and powerless over the direction of your life. It can drain you emotionally and trap you in a downward spiral of endless “what-ifs” and worst-case scenarios about what tomorrow may bring.
However, we still have so many blessings in our lives and yet most of the time we fail to notice them. We don’t recognize them properly, forget them, or simply take them for granted. We lose sight of them, and that’s a critical mistake.
Photo by Victor He on Unsplash
While COVID-19 has been a stressful time, it has opened the eyes of many humans to appreciate the little things in life.
Appreciating the little things in life means that you focus your attention on what nurtures and sustains you in life. On everything that brings you even the smallest amount of pleasure.
It also means practicing gratitude by noticing these everyday things that you take for granted so easily.
By appreciating small things in life, it will not stop negative things from happening to you.
Additionally, you will learn how to stop emphasizing the meaning of bad events in your life.
Consequently, you’ll find a valuable source of mental balance. Learning how to appreciate the little things in life, you’ll be able to enhance the presence of positive emotions in your life and reap the benefit.
People naturally feel excited during big life events — weddings, newborn babies, first homes, job promotions, and so on and I don’t mean to diminish their importance.
However, oftentimes when we reminisce, it is enjoying the small things in life, those everyday moments that have truly made up the fabric of our lives.
Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash
“Enjoy the little things in life because one day you’ll look back and realize they were the big things.” — Kurt Vonnegut
Thinking only about the big things without appreciating the little things sometimes can be detrimental.
There is both outer and inner pressure connected to these kinds of grand achievements. Being under a lot of pressure will negatively affect your mental and physical health.
Always wanting more instead of enjoying the simple things we have can also lead to a very unsatisfying life if left unchecked.
While goals and dreams are certainly beneficial, an insatiable desire to have more can leave you feeling like you are less than. Constantly striving to get further will cause you to feel as though you are falling behind.
This type of mindset takes the focus off of what you have or what you have done and puts it on a place of lack. However, a grateful heart will allow you to see the good in what is currently going on in your life.
The ability to appreciate the small things can upgrade your life in a big way. There is reason to celebrate the small things and be grateful every day with just a slight shift in perspective.
Finding moments of joy in difficult times can have a big impact on our well-being.
The Little Things That Can Be Appreciated During COVID 19:
- Parents spending more real-time with their children.
- Neighbours interacting more, having meaningful conversations over fences in their backyards.
- People coming out onto their porches or balcony at the same time to bang on pots and pans for frontline works.
- People finishing a book that was sitting on your bookshelf.
- Children playing more outdoors (outside their homes, streets, woods, etc).
- Strangers waving enthusiastically to you while on a run, walk or bike ride!
- People walking around their local neighbourhood and checking out all the beautiful spring flowers.
- Families having dinner at a normal time because everyone is already home when work is over.
- People supporting local businesses (restaurants, bike shops, farms, etc.) in their community.
- Children adapting to the new normal and continuing to learn online from a distance.
- People learning new skills and hobbies while self-isolating.
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Social distancing, self-isolating, staying at home — no matter where you are in the world, it’s likely you’re doing one of these things. Losing your routine and being confined to the house can be challenging.
During this challenging time, it is important to stay positive and keep a high spirit by appreciating the little things.
Sometimes, little things make a big difference.
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This post was previously published on medium.com.
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Photo credit: Toa Heftiba on Unsplash