happiful september 2021

positive pointers
the rush you get when listening to
your favourite song in the car with
the windows down, here are five
ways you can find and harness the
romance of the everyday to make
your own, and others’, lives better.
1. BE PRESENT IN
THE MOMENT
Danielle encourages you to take
some time to immerse yourself
into the present moment. Just like
being in love, being wrapped up
in a moment – as if nothing else
matters – does wonders for our
wellbeing.
As Danielle explains, when you
tune-in to the simple things, and
get real joy from them, your brain
floods your body with oxytocin,
serotonin, and dopamine – ‘happy’
hormones that make you feel alive
and at peace.
2. PRACTISE GRATITUDE
Starting, and/or ending, your day
with gratitude can also help you
remain present and in love with
the moment. Danielle says: “You
can’t be practising gratitude and
feel angry, or shame, or jealousy,
or any of those uncomfortable
feelings. Practising gratitude
brings in all the joy, the
love, the hope, and the
optimism, and raises your
emotional vibration.”
You might be grateful for
the taste of your favourite
food, or the soothing sound of
heavy rain. You could have a bad
day, but there’s always something
romantic to be grateful for,
somewhere. Try making a list of
five things you’re grateful for in
the day ahead when you wake up,
and add five extra things before
you go to sleep.
3. USE ALL OF YOUR SENSES
Really paying attention to sights,
sounds, smells, sensations, and
tastes will give you more things to
find romance in.
We’ve all experienced
throwing open the
curtains to bask in
warm rays of sunshine,
and it's time to tap into
that feeling more
This is something Karen
Liebenguth, qualified life coach
and accredited mindfulness
teacher, believes in strongly. She
says we should also engage in
things we are passionate about,
like really immersing ourselves in
a piece of music, or finding bliss
in sinking our hands into the
dough when baking bread.
All of these feelings and
activities contribute to making
us feel relaxed, fulfilled, and
alive, which in itself can be
very romantic. At times, it is
impossible to hear the birds sing,
feel the dewy grass underfoot,
and see summer blossoms in
bloom without feeling in love
with yourself, your surroundings,
and your companions.
4. SPEND TIME OUTDOORS
Karen says: “Beauty can ignite
awe and wonder, [but that] can
also happen with meditation
– when we sit quietly with
ourselves, are connected to the
body and breath, and the mind
quietens down.”
Karen often meets her coaching
clients outdoors, and encourages
them to practise mindfulness
and meditation in green or open
spaces. This can help with a sense
of connection to life around us,
something bigger than ourselves,
which is key to appreciating the
romance of the everyday.
5. MAKE IT A HABIT
Danielle adds that this all needs
to be done regularly to appreciate
the effects. Your brain likes
consistency and evidence, and
will start to do these things on its
own once you’ve taught it to.
Pamela Rose, psychotherapist
and coach, says creating a habit
of appreciating the romance
around you will help you fall back
in love with your life, and boost
your wellbeing.
Pamela says: “Try starting a new
daily habit of picking one thing
that day you’ve loved. It can be
difficult to remember to do this
at first, so leave yourself a note
perhaps next to your toothbrush.
And while you’re brushing your
teeth, think back through the
day and pick one thing you felt
was perfect, just the way it was.
This helps to release serotonin
and fills you with peaceful calm.
Your brain will start to realise
how great this feels, and will
encourage you to do more of this
throughout the day.”
happiful.com | September 2021 | 51