Have you engaged in Wordle today? Or taken a moment to observe a bird or enjoy the fragrance of flowers?
A recent research study suggests that incorporating brief moments of pleasure into your daily routine can have positive effects — and we can enhance these benefits by actively seeking out more of these experiences.
Published in July in the journal Leisure Studies, the study explores the occurrence and significance of everyday leisure moments and their impact on individuals.
Lead author Karen Gallant, an associate professor at Dalhousie University, emphasized the importance of acknowledging and embracing these small moments of enjoyment or relaxation.
Gallant, along with researchers from Dalhousie University, Brock University, and the University of Waterloo, conducted interviews in Halifax between 2022 and 2023 to investigate people’s experiences with everyday leisure moments.
Participants shared various activities such as watching the sunrise, blowing dandelion seeds, engaging in photography, solving a Rubik’s cube, preparing coffee, or having a brief chat with a colleague.
Gallant noted that despite their brevity, these experiences provided individuals with emotional benefits.
“People described experiencing stress relief and gaining a fresh, more positive perspective from these moments,” she said.
Spontaneous Nature
Gallant differentiated everyday leisure moments from structured or commercialized activities typically found in traditional leisure settings like gyms or community centers.
These spontaneous moments can occur anywhere and at any time, whether strolling down a street, riding public transportation, or in one’s backyard.
They are accessible to almost everyone, regardless of their daily responsibilities.
Gallant shared an example of a busy single mother who allocated an extra five minutes each morning to tend to her plants, which significantly impacted her day positively.
Participants reported feelings of joy, accomplishment, connection to nature or others, and the simple sensory pleasures like feeling the warmth of the sun or savoring a piece of chocolate.
While some may argue that focusing on brief moments is a compromise due to time constraints in our fast-paced world, Gallant emphasized that this perspective is inaccurate.
She mentioned that for some participants, these leisure moments were a way to resist societal pressure for constant productivity and helped them reaffirm their individuality beyond their work roles.
Dr. Rebecca Boehm, a psychologist in Nova Scotia, emphasized the importance of slowing down, being present, and noticing the surroundings to reduce cognitive overload in today’s society.
Boehm suggested taking “micro-moments” of tranquility, focusing on a single sensory input to calm the mind and body.
“This focused attention can help in slowing down the brain and body amidst the overwhelming influx of information from various sources,” Boehm explained.
Creating More Leisure Moments
Gallant pointed out that cellphones often consume time that could otherwise be spent on spontaneous leisure moments.
However, she also mentioned that smartphones can provide opportunities for such moments, like playing a quick game or capturing and sharing a photo.
To incorporate more leisure moments, Gallant suggested carving out a few extra minutes daily or