December is often a hectic month. End of year reports, the beginning of flu season, holidays, longer lines, more traffic, never-ending to do lists... on top of everyday life. Extra time for a leisurely walk? Doubtful, since a complete conversation, or
even a full night's sleep can seem out of reach.
What is a simple, free, instant antidote to this chaos and overwhelm?
The Experience of Delight
When we delight - we take pleasure in - find gladness - we enjoy! Science has shown that even a momentary positive experience has benefits. It sensitizes our negatively biased brain to the positive. Our body releases endorphins and we feel a surge of positive emotion. Our soothing (parasympathetic) system kicks on, our heart rates slow down, breathing becomes more restorative and we experience a sense of wellbeing.
There are infinite possibilities for experiencing delight. It is there in the moments of giving and receiving. Delight is outside us, within us, concrete and imaginative. It's in remembering, anticipating and it's in the here and now. The experience of delight is universal and it is also unique to each person.
To "delight" requires the capacity to notice and attune. We've known how to do both of those since the day we are born. Funny how sometimes those skills become harder as we grow up! Yet when we pause, we can notice. Pausing doesn't take long- it's only meant to be a brief, temporary stop. To attune, all we need to do is pay attention with any of our 5 senses. Everything we need is already within us. That is no small miracle!
Experiment:
I invite you to give yourself moments in the day to pause, notice and
actively
experience what brings
you
delight.
- Use as many of your 5 senses as you can
- Pose the question, "If I wanted too, what could I find right now to take delight in?
- Savor your experience for 5-20 seconds, about 1-3 breaths
- Let yourself feel the release of endorphins in your body
- Repeat steps 1-4
If it's working for you, don't be shy, encourage someone else to try it!
