As we get older our lives seem to get busier, our to-do lists seem to get longer, and the weight of stress that we take on seems to get heavier and heavier. The pace of our lives can speed up as a result.
However, we all have had little moments where time seems to sloooowww down. I had a recent experience of this – it was one of those days where nothing seemed to be going right. I frantically paced around my house getting ready for work, then sped across the lawn and hopped in my car. For a split second I look out the car window, and saw that for the first time all month, the sun was out. It sounds silly, but in that moment looking at the beauty of the sun, a blanket of peace cascaded over me.
Why is it that something simple like sunshine can slow down time? Melanie Rudd, Ph.D. led a study at Stanford University that showed how awe changes our perception of time. In her study, Rudd describes the concept of being “time rich”. She says, “How we feel about our time influences what we do, how we feel, and how we live our lives. The time rich, or time affluent, really feel like they have more time. And awe makes people feel this way, time rich. It changes our perception, instead of feeling stressed and pressed we feel like we really do have more time.” Inducing small moments of “awe” in your day-to-day life can “improve well-being, boost life satisfaction and meaning, and improve physical health.”
Here are 4 simple ways to make your life more AWEsome!
Take a picture:
Literally, figuratively, or BOTH! Throughout the day, pause at each thing you do and try to find one beautiful thing. Cooking breakfast? Take a photo of the bright colors on your plate or your steaming cup of coffee! Was there a beautiful sunset on your drive home? Pull over and take a quick shot! In time, you will start to automatically focus on the beautiful parts of your day.
Take a look in the mirror:
Leave the judgement behind and take a closer look at yourself. Notice the way your pupils dilate, the different textures of skin that cover your body, or even look beyond what you can see and visualize all the veins and structures behind your skin. You will soon realize how amazing you really are!
Just listen:
Listen to a playlist of your favorite songs, a recording of your favorite book, or the sound of the ocean. Put on your headphones, close your eyes, and fully listen to the beauty of the sounds.
Express Gratitude:
We all have wonderful things in our lives – even when life is tough! Take a few minutes each day to notice the good things around you and let yourself feel gratitude. Write down a list of 5 things you are grateful for each day, and you will start to notice all the good things around you in a whole new way.
Here’s a list of 5 things I’m grateful for right now! What are you grateful for?
1. I am grateful for being able to meet so many wonderful people on my trip, especially Gary & Susan (pictured). Gary is celebrating his 90th birthday, skydived at 85 years old, and survived 2 years at Auschwitz from age 15 -17.
2. I am grateful that we get to ride bikes EVERY DAY! In this photo I’m in front of the Cathedral in Cologne, Germany.
3. I am grateful to explore environmentally conscious areas and become inspired by them. Here is a picture I took of a beautiful “living” wall during my travels.
4. I am grateful for the smoking laws in the US. On one hand Europe is so environmentally conscious but on another they don’t seem to give credit to the dangers of long term smoking or the discarded cigarette butts all over the street. Reno just lost his dad to lung cancer!
5. I just realized today that my husband and I have been together 32 years! Boku has been a dream come true and we live and share our dream everyday! Thank you to all of our customers who have been part of our journey to LOVE LIFE every day. I am grateful for all of you!