It's the Little Things

How to stop, take a moment, and enjoy the little things that help to bring you joy within your everyday life.

My Morning Coffee: truly the only reason I can get out of bed at 5:30 in the morning.

A lot of life’s pleasures are big. You just got accepted into the school of your dreams, you finally landed the job of your dreams, you're excited to start your new life in the city of your dreams, or you no longer have to fantasize about a European girl summer because you'll be on a flight to Greece in just two weeks.

While a lot of life’s milestones and the excitement they bring into our life can be big, it truly is the little things that make up the full circle of what we envision our life to look like. Life's simple pleasures. The little things we do in our everyday that bring us little moments of joy.

Because as we've hopefully created the life we've always wanted, we didn’t just do it with the snap of our fingers. It was the little moments we looked forward to that helped to get us out of bed. The little moments that helped to bring us connections. The little moments that challenged us. The little moments that grounded us. And the little moments that made us pause and reflect, reminding us to appreciate all the little beautiful things life has to offer us.

Here are all the little things that help to keep going - the little things I look forward to and the little things that bring me joy within my everyday.

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Morning Movement

How you choose to spend your morning really helps set the tone for your whole day - for me, that’s morning movement. I truly love the feeling of starting my day with movement, whether that’s a walk along the Loyola beachfront, a quick little gym session, or a heated yoga class.

While it might seem small, my walk to and from the gym or my morning walk along the lake — is honestly one of the most peaceful parts of my day. I truly crave that little moment in the morning where everything is still quiet and calm. It gives me a chance to pause and take in the peaceful moments before the chaos of my day begins.

Since moving to Chicago for the summer, I’ve been super close to Loyola Beach, and it’s been the best little piece of the city I’ve been able to experience. Getting to watch the sun rise or set along the lakefront, see the city skyline, and take in the way people live their everyday lives in this city is the little moments I’ve come to love most about everyday.

Coffee

Who else goes to bed dreaming about their morning coffee??? My morning coffee is my ritual — it’s my motivation, and honestly, it’s the one thing that gets my butt out of bed. I love the little moments and the process that goes into making my coffee each morning. It gives me a chance to be creative in my own way, whether it’s figuring out what flavor combo I’m making today or getting to try out a new limited-edition Nespresso pod. There’s seriously nothing better than that first sip of espresso rushing through my veins LOL.

It’s the little moments, like my morning coffee ritual, that get me excited and motivated to start my day, because it’s something I literally go to bed looking forward to waking up for.

The "getting ready" Process

I’m just a girl, and to me, there’s nothing more exciting than putting on a cute outfit, fixing up my hair and makeup, and getting ready to take on the day. It’s my favorite part of my morning routine, the moment before the busyness starts, where I can enjoy the quiet and the calm.

I truly crave and love those smaller moments when I actually have the time to do my makeup, put on my jewelry, and sip on my morning lemon water. The peace before the day is something that is so essential for me.

Taking the time to get ready in the morning helps me to feel like the best version of myself. It gives me confidence. There’s just something about liking the outfit I’m in that shifts my whole mood. I mean, who doesn’t want to feel good about themselves? Especially when you’re heading into work to do something you love. That's one element of my routine I never realised how impactful it is on me.

Little moments and little elements like liking the outfit I'm wearing to work are the little things I love.

The “getting ready” part of my day sets the tone for everything else about my day. It puts me in a motivated and energetic mindset. A mindset that helps me to feel like I can take on whatever my day may bring, and a mindset to enjoy the little moments the rest of my day holds.

An Afternoon "pick me up"

After a long day, we all hit that little afternoon slump of exhaustion. That 3 p.m. crash — when we’ve been working all morning and still have two hours left before we clock out and head home. We’ve all been there.

One thing that’s helped me not dread that 3 p.m. slump is finding a little treat, drink, or break that gives me a moment of rest and refresh.

I usually take about 20 minutes for a quick break to enjoy my afternoon pick-me-up, which is usually a matcha or a Poppi, and I just take a second to sit and enjoy my bev of choice.

Depending on my mood, I’ll either go on a quick little walk to soak in some fresh air or, yep — I’ll do a little social scroll. Probably not the most ideal choice, but hey, beggars can’t be choosers… sometimes a scroll is just what we need.

It’s little moments and habits like this that help me stay motivated throughout the day — those small breaks that keep my productivity going and my creative energy flowing.

Relaxation

After a busy day, my ultimate treat and my ultimate form of self-care is the time I get to recuperate, reset, and relax. I have a nighttime routine for my self-care moments that starts around 7:30.

A nice hot shower, followed by my go-to body products, and slipping into a fresh, clean set of pajamas is the ultimate start to setting the tone for my night. After that, I’ll usually put on a little TV show and sip some peppermint tea all while cozied up in bed.

I try to shut my phone off around 8:30, then I’ll Gua Sha my face, read a bit on my Kindle, and it’s lights out for me around 9:30.

My nighttime routine is the moment in my day that I truly crave and appreciate. The little moments where I really prioritize self-care. It’s also a time for me to reflect on my day. I get to think about what went well, what I could’ve done better, and what I need to plan for tomorrow.

It’s little moments like this that remind me how much I appreciate the calm and the fact that I can prioritize my mental well-being, because that’s what helps me show up as the best version of myself.