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TUNE INTO SEASON 3 of the HEALTH HOME HUSTLE podcast

TUNE INTO SEASON 3 OF the HEALTH HOME HUSTLE podcast

DIVING INTO ALL THINGS WELLBEING WITH A ROSTER OF AMAZING GUESTS!

Being Deliberate About Delight

January 27, 2022

Being Deliberate About Delight Monica Beatrice Blog

I was listening to Arielle Lorre‘s podcast—The Blonde Files—a little while back, when I landed on an episode on ‘how to manage stress’ with Dr. Samantha Boardman. In the episode Dr. Boardman encouraged people to be ‘deliberate about delight’; I found myself thinking about this small but mighty piece of advice for days afterwards.

Dr. Boardman, when asked by Arielle for advice on ‘something we should all start doing’, shared:

“Be deliberate about delight. Find something every single day that delights you, and share it with somebody else.”

I LOVE the idea of being ‘deliberate about delight’. Not only does it roll off the tongue (v. here for some alliterative advice), it also feels like such an assertion of positivity.

No wishy-washy delightfulness here.

Deliberate delight only!

Since listening to the episode, I’ve been thinking about ways to be more deliberate about delight in my own life.

What I have noticed since, is that being more cognisant of delight, has helped me to enjoy the things I already enjoy with a greater appreciation. Additionally, I have found myself making room for more uplifting moments.

And who doesn’t want to welcome in more feel-good-feels?

Below I’ve listed 3 simple ways I am being ‘deliberate about delight’ + some more mini-delights I want to recognise.

Though these are neither new nor groundbreaking, just being more aware and intentional about them has boosted my happiness levels. I hope you enjoy diving into my list, and if you feel like sharing, I’d love to hear your ‘deliberate delights’ too!

Being Deliberate About Delight Monica Beatrice Blog

3 Simple Ways I am Being Deliberate About Delight

1. When there is an opportunity to step outside, I’m taking it

Being a long-time work from home-er (10 years and counting!) I know all too well how easy it is for a day to pass without getting any real steps in. Annoyingly, to the kitchen and back does not count. Not only does this make me feel lethargic, I know that it’s bad for my overall health.

In another recent episode of The Blonde Files (yes, I’m a fan!), Arielle had celebrity trainer Harley Pasternak on. Harley shared that after many years of training celebrity clients, one of his greatest takeaways is how powerful walking is. Not HIIT training, or lifting weights, or *insert high exertion exercise*, but simply walking a good distance daily. I’ll allow you to listen to the episode to get Harley’s full take. But for me, being deliberate about getting outside to walk every day, has had major benefits. 

Benefits I’ve experienced include: a greater connection with nature (which has been proven to be a mood booster), less stress, a clearer mind, a more regular circadian rhythm (my sleep/wake cycle), including more low-intensity exercise. The list goes on.

Furthermore, when I had a consultation a little while ago with Wild Nutrition, Jodie—the nutritionist I was teamed up with—suggested taking a walk first thing in the morning to help set my circadian rhythm up for the day. This is, I learnt, especially important in the winter months when it can be harder for your energy levels to rise naturally in the morning.

Nowadays, even if I don’t feel like it, I try to push myself to get out for a walk whenever the opportunity arises. Even 10 – 15 minutes makes a difference.

Side note: I track my steps on my iPhone, but I don’t think it’s that accurate. So I’m thinking of getting a Fitbit, do you have one? If so, what do you think?

Ideas for getting outside more often: organise a ‘walk + talk’ date with a friend, take your work calls whilst walking, install a treadmill desk at home (I would SO love this!), park your car further away from where you need to get to, walk short distances instead of driving, build a morning coffee walk into your routine, take an afternoon ‘power walk’, take a ‘passegiata’ after your evening meal.

2. Being present

There was a time when I was addicted to checking my phone. I would pick it up reflexively, checking for notifications, scrolling, satiating my boredom . . . and consequentially my attention span became shorter and shorter.

That feeling of being half in the moment, half somewhere else, robbed me of my full delight. How can you fully embrace a moment, when you’re not fully there?

I broke my phone-checking cycle thanks to an article a friend shared with me, which— embarrassingly—highlighted symptoms I recognised: short attention span, poor memory, struggling to ‘switch off’.

Since then I’ve created some helpful phone boundaries, which have majorly improved my ability to be in the present and my relationship with my phone, including:

  • no phone first thing in the morning, or last thing at night
  • no social media notifications
  • wearing blue light filtering glasses in the evening
    (so that my body doesn’t think it’s daytime for longer than it is)
  • no phone during time with Oli/family/friends
  • if I want to take a photo, I take the photo, then tuck my phone away
    (editing + posting can be done later)
  • when I’m not working, I log out of my main IG account, and into my personal one, which I only use for close friends and family

Being present is perhaps the most effective tool for being more deliberate about delight, since if you’re truly IN a moment, you can more easily recognise the joy in it.

3. Celebrate wins, both big and small

To be deliberate about delight you need to seek opportunities to celebrate!

As I shared in this article on pre-celebrating your successes, if you’re not recognising your achievements, who is?

I encourage you to celebrate your wins, no matter their size, they all deserve your delight!

If working with the Health Home Hustle framework resonates with you, why not create a list of goals, big and small, for each category?

What is something you’d like to achieve within your own Health/Home/Hustle pillars?

Be sure to keep your goals front of mind, and celebrate/pre-celebrate them!

On my list:

Health: increase my daily step count, I’d like to achieve 10k
Home: clear dishes and kitchen detrius every evening, so that I wake up to a visually calm kitchen
Hustle: begin to share videos to TikTok

What’s on your list?

Deliberate About Delight Monica Beatrice Blog

A List of Mini-Delights

Watching the sun rise
Watching the sun set
Getting into clean bed sheets
Shaving my legs and moisturising top to toe
(+ then getting in to clean bed sheets! Why does this combo feel SO good?!)
Having a great conversation
Seeing someone’s eyes light up when they see you
Hugs
Enjoying a really good cup of coffee
A night in
A night out
Sharing good news
Feeling the warmth of the sun on your face
Being cosy inside, when it’s cold outside
Flowers in bloom
Completing a task

A Final Note on Sharing Your Delight

Dr. Boardman noted that a key element of being deliberate about delight, is sharing that delight with others. Be it a picture, video, link, time . . . whatever is it that makes you smile, it’s worth sharing.

What’s Your Take?

Are you going to be more deliberate about delight? If so, how are you going to go about it?

Can’t wait to hear your thoughts!

Love, Monica x

Photography by Charlotte Bryer-Ash

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