The Beauty-Happiness Connection
Many of us would like to feel happier more often. We strive to achieve this and obtain that, thinking that once we have those things we will feel content. What if the way to increasing our level of happiness is less complicated? What if lifting our mood could be as simple as allowing time to pause, notice, and appreciate the beauty in our surrounding?
Aesthetics is a set of principles concerned with the nature and appreciation of beauty. It’s the awareness and appreciation of pleasant sensory experiences. There are theories that beauty rewards the pleasure centers of our brain, and everyday aesthetic activity and experiences can be a great source of happiness.
Appreciating aesthetics can help our physical and mental health. When we experience that feeling of awe and enter into a state of transcendence - we step out of the bubble we often find ourselves in. The bubble filled with worry and anxiety about the future. For a moment in time, we are present. We feel connected to the world and part of something beyond ourselves. We feel calm within.
As children, we naturally notice our surrounding. Small things captivate us - like a butterfly flittering about in the air or leaves dancing in the wind. Children are fascinated by beauty and know how to live in the moment. Being mindful comes naturally to them.
When we enter into adulthood we tend to lose this part of ourselves. Life gets busy and we get stressed with our endless list of things to do. It’s hard to be mindful when our days speed by and we are scrambling to keep up.
As adults we tend to push children out of living in the moment by rushing them along and filling up their schedules. Eventually, mindfulness becomes a thing of the past. Children are encouraged to put their heads down, work hard and focus on the path ahead. Over time the fascination of their surrounding and this natural skill of observing how beautiful life is around them begins to weaken.
But this skill of being mindful, of appreciating beauty - it’s essential to our wellbeing. We can relearn how to be mindful and rekindle our appreciation of beauty.
Five ways to enhance beauty in our daily life
Slow down and observe. Within our daily life, there is so much beauty to be seen and enjoyed. If we can practise stepping out of our bubble, slowing down, and looking, we see all the wonderful details around us. Like the way the hair of your child gentle blows in the breeze or how their eyes move around a room. How light filters through windows, and dances on the walls. Or how amazing and juicy a fresh peach tastes in the heat of summer. Slowing down helps us develop this deep connection with our surrounding.
Create beauty in our surrounding. Creating beauty in our surrounding can help lift our spirits and inspire us. When we live and work in a space that feels welcoming and is pleasing to the eye, it can be a great source of joy. We can do this by keeping our surrounding simple and favouring beautiful, quality pieces. We don’t need to spend thousands on a piece of art. A framed pressed flower or photo taken from our travels can be beautiful. A collection of favourite books stacked together with a piece of driftwood or a stone sitting on top can create a nice detail in a room. We can also prepare our daily meals using fresh seasonal ingredients and present them with care.
Enjoy beauty created by others. Beauty created by others can inspire us and help us feel happy. Like a piece of beautiful music, a book of drawings by a talented artist, or a film that leaves us feeling moved or inspired. Art has a way of transcending us.
Create beautiful experiences in daily life. We often feel bored and weighed down by the repetition of daily life. We can feel different about monotony by creating beautiful experiences. We can sit outside and enjoy the sunrise while we sip our morning coffee. We can kindly share a piece of wisdom or sing a tune with our child as we sit in traffic on the way to school. We can dress a table in linen and light a candle at dinnertime. When our senses are ignited by beauty, we feel happy.
Treat yourself kindly and be kind to others. There is beauty in kindness. This goes for being kind to others, and also to ourselves. When we feel at peace within, we are more likely to be kind to others. The beauty that radiates from a person can be uplifting and those who we share our kindness with are likely to pass it on. Remind yourself daily of the things you love about who you are. Be open to telling another what you love about them. Allow time to care for yourself, and give focussed attention and love to others.
When we develop an appreciation of the beauty all around us, we begin to open our eyes to life rather than glaze over it. We radiate energy and inspire those around us. We also tap into that innate sense of wonder that we once had as a child.
