On the other side of a simple pleasure is a boost to energy and focus. There are anecdotes after anecdotes of some of the world’s most prolific and beloved novelists finding the solutions to their plot holes not at their writing desks, but rather while walking the dog in nature, while gardening or while staring out the window at the clouds overhead.
We’ve been fed a steady diet of misinformation when it comes to the concept of simple pleasures. We’ve been told we need a day (or a week!) at a health spa or that pleasure comes in the form of handbags. Science tells us through Hedonic Theory that this isn’t the case, that the simpler the pleasure the greater the impact on overall happiness. This isn’t to question or shame people’s choices – in fact, a quick glance at my shoe closet, a temple at which I unapologetically worship, puts that to rest. My contention is that seeing pleasure as indulgent, or worse, as a vice (guilty pleasure, anyone?) is a great misrepresentation. Instead of seeing a simple pleasure as getting in the way of achievement or productivity, the reality is that the pause offered by a simple pleasure actually increases productivity. Small pleasures fill the well, they buffer against stress. By triggering a positive emotion, they bring a sense of calm and satisfaction within the every day. In the context of entrepreneur life? They lead to sustainable business success and energised business owners living a life they love.
I mentioned earlier that a simple pleasure means different things to different people. I’ve been sharing mine on my social media and I love the responses I receive, as people share their own personal simple pleasures. Here’s a list of pleasures, both mine and those of some of my favourite women for your reading, ahem, pleasure:
• A glass of gorgeous wine in the early evening with a friend
• Sitting in the sun for 10 minutes in my favourite chair
• A ‘good’ pastry with a coffee
• The smell and feel of sheets that have been line dried in the sunshine
• Having a hot tea from that first sip where the steam fogs up my glasses through to the final sip
• Walking near water
• Listening to a water feature bubbling away
• Silence by way of my noise cancelling headphones
As the Queen of Foodiness, food plays an important role in filling my tank of simple pleasures. I love sourcing food, preparing it, sharing it and of course devouring it.