It’s easy to get into a habit of thinking that the “fun” parts of life are always just around the corner. You have plans in the calendar, and everything up until then is just counting down the days until the fun can really begin. Then, once these events are over, you feel that deflated, defeated feeling of having to go back to your normal life until the next thing you have to look forward to.
You might find that you’re able to make yourself much happier by finding real joy in these in-between periods, in your home life and in the smaller aspects of your day. This mentality shift can be transformative, so it’s worth at least giving a go.
Food and Drink
For many people, the events that they have to look forward to might involve these things. Whether it’s going out with friends for a meal, or perhaps doing something social and having some drinks, you might find them to be core pillars of many events. However, you also eat and drink at home, so why shouldn’t the same level of enthusiasm be applied here? This could be something that you work toward by putting more energy into the food you make at home, getting the mental health boost from healthy foods and leaving you with a more satisfied result.
Alternatively, you might find that due to conditions like dysphagia, these pastimes are rendered relatively unenjoyable or difficult. In this case, finding solutions, like SimplyThick thickener powder or gel, can allow you to enjoy what you eat and drink.
Moments of Calm
If you’re under the impression that fun can only come from the times when you’re doing something big or planned, it might be a good idea to turn the dial right down to the other setting, and see what you can get out of it. Learning to enjoy moments of calm can be therapeutic and beneficial. This might be through a dedicated act, such as meditation, but it might also be that you enjoy going somewhere calm, peaceful, and natural, and simply spending time there in the quiet, listening to the sounds of nature.
These might not be moments that you actively get excited about in the same way as upcoming events like festivals or vacations, but sprinkling them throughout your day wherever possible might add a lot of enjoyment.
Your Pastimes
A lot of the time, the different ways that you opt to spend time might simply just feel like that — time-fillers. However, reframing the way that you think about them might also allow you to enjoy them to a higher degree. Say if you come home from work and you’ve got nothing else to do for the evening so you play some games that you had on the backburner. Even if you enjoy gaming, the way that you think about this as being a time-filler might impact the mentality you have toward it.
Instead, when you have some free time, think about it as something to look forward to. Treat yourself to a game that you’ve been wanting to play, get some snacks to have alongside it, and do your best to get immersed in what it has to offer.
