There are days when I feel like I want to make my life more wholesome. I’m not sure I can describe this feeling accurately, but it’s a feeling like I need a long, big, tight hug. Like I need something that is real and palpable. I think spending a lot of time on the internet contributes to that feeling. Like there is something more tactile missing.

I’ve struggled for some time to find ways to satisfy that need, but right now, I already have a few on my list. They aren’t 10 or 20 because I didn’t want to come up with ways just to fit the title. These are all things I actually started doing or do on and off, and I feel they have really helped with my mental health and overall well-being.

Someone has pointed out to me that this is actually a list of easy ways to incorporate mindfulness into our lives, because these tips rely on the same principle, which is anchoring our consciousness onto the present moment and onto our surroundings. I was blown away by that, as I hadn’t been able to make that connection.

There are other things you could be doing, like exercise, for instance, but I wanted these to be very tiny and not require much time or effort, because I knew that when I need them the most, I’m usually lacking focus or energy to do something big. I also have a very active 2-year-old, and therefore, I don’t really have much time available for things that would need preparation and uninterrupted time.

Here we go, the 7 ways I’ve been able to add tiny wholesome moments in my life:

Add a bit cinnamon

It’s incredible how something so simple can make such a huge difference. Adapting to having a baby was really complicated and it took a long time, and I missed some daily rituals I was able to have before my son was born. One of the things I would do would be yoga every morning, even throughout pregnancy.

After he was born, I wasn’t able to continue doing it because he would wake up and immediately require my presence. For me, yoga wasn’t really “exercise”; it was a moment of calm and connection, and I missed that, even more than the movement.

One day, I just remembered to add a pinch of cinnamon to my morning latte, and I have to say, the smell of it coming from my hot beverage just took me back to those moments of calm. It’s like that sweet smell just brings me back to the present and soothes me. Plus, you get all the health benefits that come with it, plenty, according to Healthline. There’s something about cinnamon; it’s just so cozy and heartwarming.

Add a little scent

Although this seems very similar to the previous one, this is more generic. If you’ve read The Power of Habit* I’m sure you remember how important smells are, particularly in the creation of habits. If I’m not mistaken (I read it about 10 years ago, wow!), he mentions it in the Febreze case example.

But unlike the smell of cinnamon, you can use this one on whatever you like. I have to be honest, I really don’t like having a bunch of different smells around the house. I don’t use scents on clothes, cleaning products, or candles. My weakness is the vacuum. I have a Xiaomi Robot Vacuum, and I love it. I have two cats and a toddler, and honestly, my house would be a complete mess without it. I call it my “helper”, and mine is an older version of the one I linked above but I’ve had it for maybe 8 or 9 years, and it works EVERYDAY, really.

I’m not sure Xiaomi’s Tech Support would subscribe to that, but I add a few perfume pearls inside the deposit (I have these exact ones), and then the smell just spreads gently around the house while it’s working. It’s great. It makes everything feel nicer and cleaner, and it’s just an overall good sensation because the smell is very subtle, not aggressive. I guess the same method could work with something you may already have around the house and other types of vacuums. I have some baby cologne I was gifted; I may try that when I’m all out of pearls.

Change the place

This is so important. In recent years, there has been a huge focus on building habits and on creating routines, and I’m all for it, I believe strong habits may help us navigate harsher moments of our lives and be our anchors when we feel out of touch with ourselves and with life.

But I also believe that we live most of our life in autopilot mode, especially now, that we tend to delegate most tasks where we need to engage our brains to machines and technology. So I think it’s good every now and then to throw a curveball to our brains. And you can do this by doing something different, like just changing the place where you do some routine task.

For instance, in my case, I moved my desk to a place right by the window. This has been a game-changer. I have become more organized, and I’m able to have more focused time each day. So, just try to take your coffee outside, change the route to the store, or even fold the laundry outside or move your daily shower to another bathroom, whatever. This novelty factor will wake up your brain, telling it that something different is happening, and you’ll gain a new vision of everything around you. It will make such a difference to your day.

Remember to breathe

I really liked the book Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art. I’ve read it very recently, and I have to say that I loved it. James Nestor speaks about several studies on the benefits of various breathing techniques, but, for me, what I have actually retained from the book was about the importance of correct breathing. Honestly, I thought there wouldn’t be anything new about the book, but I like the way it’s written, and it has really helped me keep in mind the importance of breathing and to gain the habit of checking in with my breath.

Nestor specifically emphasizes the importance of breathing through the mouth and slowly, especially because it seemed so simple to do and so impactful. I’m not getting into it, but basically, the point is just that. Just remember to breathe. In particular, remember to keep breathing through the nose. It seems so ridiculously obvious, but I’ve lost count of the times when I caught myself forgetting to breathe or breathing through the mouth. And it makes a huge difference.

Again, engaging your brain in breathing is a way to be more aware of the moment. It will instantly relax you and slow you down. And slowing down is a huge part of living a wholesome life.

Add art

If you’re like me and you think there is nothing artistic about you, you may want to reconsider. I don’t believe there is a single human who is not capable of doing something artistic. Of course, I don’t think everyone can paint something so beautiful that will last for centuries, but I know we are all able to create something with our own hands.

I was always considered lacking talent when it comes to the arts. While some people struggle with sports, I always struggled with arts and crafts. I can’t really draw, paint, or do anything beautiful with my hands. Think about it, the most simple thing, I can definitely ruin it. But the thing is, it really doesn’t matter.

I think there is something really innate in humans, which is the necessity of creating something. Some of us are able to tap into that and actually apply it in our lives, some don’t. Some people like to cook, others sew, others do origami, others do music. But some of us don’t really know what we can do.

So my point here is this. Just do something. It doesn’t have to be useful, beautiful, or even original, or even identifiable. Just start with something. Maybe try to doodle, or just take some notes with pen and paper, if you want it to be really small. Then, if you feel the need, just go from there. Maybe get a colored gel pen, and do little doodles on titles, etc. See how it feels.

If doodling isn’t for you, maybe try something else. Quilling, macrame, beading. There are so many things. And I said this was about “tiny ways”, for most of these things you really don’t need to purchase anything or have more free time. You can even make it work in your daily life. Instead of just putting food on the table, stop to look at it and think of a way to make it prettier; write the week’s menu by hand; organize the fridge by colors, whatever.

Whenever you tap into your creativity and express yourself visually, you are doing a huge good for yourself. I would even dare to say that you can even start by going to one of the many free AI powered text-to-image generation and experiment with that. I like Leonardo.

Remove something

I don’t consider myself a minimalist, but people who visit my house usually do. And the reason is because I choose to own less. I have a two-burner stove because I don’t need or want more. So it’s not because I am fixated on being a minimalist. It’s just that I don’t want to have to deal with two more burners. Or rugs, or tableware, or just stuff in general.

I may explain this later, but the point is, everything that gets into your house has consequences and effects. So if you want to feel that your space is more wholesome, analyze your surroundings and see if there is something you can take out. Usually, there will be something that you think is not worth the work of maintaining it, something annoying, something occupying much-needed space, or something just plain offensive to your senses, that you have kept merely for a sense of obligation or inertia.

A big part of living a more wholesome life is being able to let go of what you don’t need anymore, be it physical items or memories, feelings, etc. I mean, life keeps and will continue throwing things we didn’t ask for in our face, so why should we have to deal with things we don’t want in our private spaces (be it our home, our car, our minds)? Just shape your surroundings to fit how you want to feel. We don’t have control over many things in our lives, so let’s take what we can.

*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.