What little things do you do to make daily life a little bit more enjoyable?

Drink vast quantities of tea.

Be nice to a random stranger.

Sleep

Have a cup of good coffee. Life is too short to drink bad coffee

Drink coffee
Smoke tobacco
Cook
Sleep
p/s: listen to German minimal techno with ear buds

Finding enjoyment in the small things is a good way to help you out of a slump, for sure.

Joking apart, things like taking time to make a decent lunch and then taking time to eat it for example. Audio books, podcasts on subjects you enjoy, short walks to break up the day. For me, adding in something you can slowly get better at over a period of time, that has tangible upside really helps. Swimming once a week. Technique, fitness etc, that sort of thing.

Routine is a blessing and a curse!

Decent walk to see the deer in the fields at lunchtime

Nice beans for the coffee machine

Cheeky glass of vino midweek

Stop watching the news

All of the above!
Nice coffee and walking the dogs in the fields is always good.
Cooking takes my mind off troubles also.

Sex, nice food, disconnect from social media and the news, go for a paddle.

Not necessarily in that order!

For me, it's the breadmaker. I work from home most of the time and make a variety of loaves for my lunch; decide what is today's recipe, put it together and get the machine going. Enjoy the process, the smells and the demolition..

at the moment i keep thinking/saying march 12th date as it is the date that my nightmare neighbours will bleep off out of my life for ever (their tenancy won't be renewed).

i seem to say it a lot by their wall.

C&H.

Honestly, January blues are pretty common. My g/f gets it bad every year, it's (for her at least) a combination of a lack of sunlight and a crash after the holiday season. (Blue Monday isn't a thing though, it was invented by a holiday company to sell more holidays.) Maybe a SAD lamp or a vitamin D supplement might help? Or I guess, just know that you're not on your own and it will pass.

Why are you bored? Lack of motivation or lack of anything to occupy yourself?

Time with the dogs.
Nice beer - really into the Vault City modern sours atm.
Cheesy guilty pleasure tv 😁

The dog.

Just makes life more pleasurable overall. From his stupid sleeping positions, constant desire to play with balls, toys, tear up cardboard. And long weekend walks.

I’d be lost without a dog.

I like a decent breakfast. Nothing too out there, but make porridge with nice things in (dates yum), some fruit while it cooks, a nice coffee, and watch the birds if I time it right. Then cycle to work.

Also, go on to a four day week if at all possible. That has been a game changer for me.

Getting outside is essential. Half an hour stroll outside everyday, even it’s looking gloomy, really helps me. Only just started again after a period of the winter coughing that’s been going around.

I have a nice large mug of coffee every day about 11ish

Nowt too fancy just good  coffee (Monsoon Estates) from the aeropress - v strong with extra hot water to make a long black

It seems to help

Getting out for a ride, even if it’s just for an hour.

Coffee*

Tobacco**

Steak***

* Not sure tasimo pots actually constitute a real cup of coffee, but addicted to those milky latte's.

** This is actually doing damage now, need to quit but finding it impossible.

***Nothing beats a good steak, cooked medium with some smoked salt and a blue cheese sauce.

And a little bit of weed now and again, once or twice a year to the value of 20 quid.

Take the time to binge-watch some really good TV. Also get out for a walk every day as well.

Lucky enough to be able to ride to work every day; only 20 minutes, but never fails to lift my mood. Also like to pop the headphones on and listen to a bit of music before bed when everyone else is asleep.

Try a home workout fitness app as you have a weight loss goal. No equipment required and no need to go anywhere, so no excuse not to. I've managed to make it a post-work routine and it gives me a bit of a pick up and feels good to make some progress.

Coke and hookers.

Failing that, a sunny stroll down the towpath in my lunch break, getting a proper coffee in a nice cafe, helping a colleague or friend with something.

Oh and strangely, not only drinking coffee, but I find drinking out of a nice mug or cup also makes a difference!
It's the same when cooking - very nice pans make it much more enjoyable for some reason (personally)

look after my 2 and 3 year old grandkids as much as possible.
today was local playgroup day. 20 screaming wailing noisy toddlers......... awesome.

ride my bike every single day, short rides, longer rides, pub rides, cafe rides.

listen to music loudly on my earphones. dont help the tinnitus but i love it.

and every thursday,me and the mrs have a bit of slap n tickle............ magic.

Might not be your thing, but we’re really enjoying board games as an alternative to mindlessly scrolling through tv/streaming services.

Favourites at the moment are Catan for the family, Root for the older folk.

And pastries; pastries are ace. Offset by exercise to get fresh air (even on bad weather days) and to work off some of the pastries-based calories!!

I know for most on here the answer will be to ride your bike

Yep, that and decent coffee. Life's too short for shite coffee.
I always cut down on booze at this time of year, although not completely. The rule that applies for coffee works here too, as it does with food in general.

Have a wander down to your local one night, midweek, and just sit and have a couple of pints and read the paper or a book for an hour or so. It’s the male equivalent of having a nice long bath with some scented candles

Just remember the ground rules

Once that happens, we then refer to it as a ‘Midweek Sports Special’, and it will often involve watching the footy and more than ‘a couple of pints’ 😃

Oh and strangely, not only drinking coffee, but I find drinking out of a nice mug or cup also makes a difference!
It’s the same when cooking – very nice pans make it much more enjoyable for some reason (personally)

That's true for me too.

I recently bought a £5 mug just to drink my coffee and tea. Nice design and the right weight.

Same goes with having a good casserole pot, bought one too recently, which have I used it for deep fried, stewing and making soup.

I sack off work, then pick the young un up from school, then we go out and fly his RC plane.
I say we, basically its watching him fly it as I had the audacity to crash it when I tried.
He has autism , and usually kicks off after school due to having to reign it in all day, so this couple of hours make him happy and we go home with a smile on his face. Which puts a smile on the wife's face , which puts a smile on my face.
Don't know what's going to happen if its raining though 😉

Sounds lovely.

I go to bed earlyish and then read for an hour (French novels), then fall asleep listening to the news in French on the radio (France Info). Normally half wake up a bit confused about 11.30 and take the earbuds out.

I know for most on here the answer will be to ride your bike

As someone here once referred to as cyclotherapy.

Get out the house before WFH for a walk (or maybe a ride)

Get out the house at lunchtime for a walk (or maybe a ride)

Drink loads of tea

Drink loads of sodastream

Buy bike parts to tinker with

Go for a walk in daylight if you would otherwise be in a building or car all day

Beer

Book or plan a spring/summer trip or purchase, makes working to pay for it seem more meaningful.

Just read the whole of the OP’s post, didn’t read the last bit.
Doh, I think for me, it’s more than just riding a bike. It’s the wildlife I see or the amazing light or clouds or sunrise/set. Yesterday, just riding through the local woods and I got a very quick glimpse of a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker which really did make my day.

I was struggling with that feeling through dec/jan. Getting outside helps for sure. Now the weather has picked up I've been feeling much better as have been getting out of the house more. Not riding at the moment but walks and gardening. Always feel great when I've done something in my garden. Another thing that gives me joy daily is tending to my house plants. Growing things from seed is ridiculously satisfying. My 1st batch of chillis have just popped up and I like checking their progress every day. Nurturing them from a seed right through to a delicious home made hot sauce is awesome.

Walk on the beach . Unless its pouring down .
Get stuck into a Jigsaw puzzle .
Occaisional bars of dark chocolate .
Bakewell Tarts and Custard ( not a euphanism) heated , lush.
Wholesome food . Been using the slow cooker, big wedge of bread and a stew.

-At least 5 minutes outside in daylight.
-Say the random nice observations you make in your head out loud - tell people their dog is cute, their dress is fab, the music in the cafe is good. People like it and it feels good to be smiled at.
-Make proper food/lunch with care and love, rather than just as fast fuel.
-Do something that’s on your ‘I should really…’ life admin list. They weigh on you more than you realise.

Make things. Doesn't have to be an amazing wooden piece of furniture or a detail perfect model. A cake, waffles for breakfast, a picture, whatever.
Go outside. Just for a bit.
Be nice. Do something good that makes the world a tiny bit better. Pick up a sweet wrapper, get a neighbour's bin in, let someone out in a car.
Tiny acts.

I go into the local primary a couple of times a week and read with some of the kids. I love it. It's my 'lunch hour' and it's way better than sitting on the internet.

MoreCashThanDash
Full Member

Coke and hookers.

Daily?!?

I know what you mean, this time of year can be a bit grey and dismal in many ways.

To try to keep the blues at bay I will often do some small comforting, relaxing things. Off top of my head some are:

Reading a book, listening to my own spotify playlists (on decent headphones uninterrupted) or podcasts (listened to Blues Kitchen Radio today, your tastes may differ), doing puzzles, small DIY projects, wildlife photography or board games with my son.

A bit of fitness and fresh air does help my mood, so bike, walk in countryside, or work out for me (used to enjoy a run round woods before knees couldn't take it).

Wholesome food . Been using the slow cooker, big wedge of bread and a stew

@singletrackmind - that’s what I do auite often. As I’m working from home a lot, I find it the perfect way to break up the day. Take a proper break at lunchtime and potter around the kitchen with a nice coffee, making something really nice to go in the slow cooker for the afternoon

Has the added benefit of the house smelling great all afternoon too and prevents the usual comment from Mrs Binners when she comes in… “it smells really farty in here*” 😃

* I can’t imagine why!

Get out,slow down and focus on the details,sometimes we miss a lot when we are trying too hard.
A clear sky tonight would have been good for comet watching,but a walk up to the observatory is still a good walk.

My OH knows I hate this time of year, and I'm basically in hibernation mode like all simple animals. Riding sucks at this time of year, eating and sleeping are all I want to do. So I do those things plus.

Avoid the news, reduce FB, Twitter, STW etc a bit. Frees up the hour you need to do the next two.
Force myself to go for a walk even though I WFH. I listen to a football podcast that makes me laugh, but listen to music or daydream if that appeals more.
Force myself to do some exercise almost every day (Turbo trainer, Apple Fitness, some of the Nintendo Switch games etc are great). Anything to get me sweating and a bit of an achy feeling afterwards. 25 mins unless it's the turbo.
Get a dog/cat.
Good music, and make ridiculous Lego things with the kid
OH gave me a little vase of tulips for my office the other day which made me unreasonably pleased. Small acts of kindness for others has a similar effect too.
If you're lucky to have your own space in the house, take loads of time to sort it the way you want it. Especially if you wfh, given how much time you have to spend in it.

tl;dr It's the worst bit of the year so give yourself a break.

ride your bike

as well as that 🙂 yes 1. coffee, two large mugs in the morning, Cafe Direct stuff, £4.50 a bag now but I need it... plus 2. a decent Scotch, usually when I am watching Newsnight, poring over a map or two = both of these consumption 'high points' bookend my waking working day at the mo, as I hold out for brighter, warmer, lighter days ahead...

Make an effort to notice the things you enjoy.

We're not wired that way, we look for danger and bad things. But, actually there is lots of good, notice it, and enjoy it.

Make time for it as well. Various suggestions above. If you like coffee, food etc. take the time and savour it. Go for walk outside. Talk to people you like. Do something nice for someone.

Or buy a new bike 😉

Might not be your thing, but we’re really enjoying board games as an alternative to mindlessly scrolling through tv/streaming services.

In case you missed it,

https://singletrackmag.com/forum/topic/board-games-whatre-you-currently-playing

As said many times before, go outside if you can, and notice the first signs of spring. Catkins, new leaves on the honeysuckle, first shoots of the bluebells, drumming of woodpeckers, snowdrops, daffodils and crocuses getting ready to pop open, brighter light and longer days. It's all happening. Well it is down here in the Tropical Sarf anyways.......😁

Don’t watch/browse the news.
Get some good noise cancelling headphones and listen to podcasts or your favourite music genre.
Bake something, I find it very satisfying measuring the ingredients and making something tasty to eat.
Go outside and find somewhere to watch the sunrise, and take a flask of coffee/tea
Go to a live music show.

Do something together with your wife, daily if you can (it doesn't have to be sex) tried scrabble?

Coffee. Get an espresso machine. The whole ritual of making a coffee is relaxing in itself, and with practice and the right beans you will get a better cup than most of those you pay £3.50 for.

Music. Go for a walk with some decent earphones and listen to something good.

Go and sit in a nature reserve (Hampton Wood is a good one near you). Just listen.

Smack your wife on the @rse when she walks by, like really hard. Totally childish but an absolute guaranteed day brightener.

In my experience as well as enjoyable activities an effective way of bringing about positive changes is by trying to change your own perception of situations by training your brain to put a more positive spin on things.

Some people do this through meditation and affirmations, but for me when I'm at a low point, stressed or worried about a work or family matter, I purposely try to step back in my head and say to myself how can I look at this another way.....a better or more positive way.

I don't know if I've explained that very well, and I feel a bit of a hypocrite saying it because I often find it hard to do myself, especially when the black dog is at my door and I'm acting like a belligerent curmudgeon.

My 1st batch of chillies have just popped up and I like checking their progress every day. Nurturing them from a seed right through to a delicious home made hot sauce is awesome.

More info please, We had chillie plants from garden centre last year which we were still harvesting in December, absolutely ace. Seeds ? indoors ? chillies all year round? the holy grail

I go for lunch time walks some days, not so much when muddy, but had a nice quick 15 minute stroll Thursday I think, sunny, not bitterly cold, across the fields and back from the office.

My 1st batch of chillies have just popped up and I like checking their progress every day.

Argghhhh. Bought some seeds late last year to sow.. Not done it yet. Need propagator... Somewhere to put it... Uninsulated shed with a couple of windows facing east be okay?

Do something that’s on your ‘I should really…’ life admin list. They weigh on you more than you realise.

This. Pratting about learning Japanese, trumpet and drums this year, is filling time gaps very enjoyably.

I try to get in a middle of the day 30-45min snooze most days which I find make daily life a lot more enjoyable this time of year. Also going the Chubb Club for the first time which is giving me a lot of motivation to get more exercise in and a small amount of motivation to eat \ drink less.

Comedy in any and every form. I couldn’t get through a day without it.

I just adore looking at the spring bulbs just starting to show. They really make me smile.

Ambrose
Full Member
I just adore looking at the spring bulbs just starting to show. They really make me smile.

Ah yes, life coming back to, well, life. Happens every Spring but still magical. I'll spend a long while just looking at the new buds growing on trees as well.

Argghhhh. Bought some seeds late last year to sow.. Not done it yet. Need propagator… Somewhere to put it… Uninsulated shed with a couple of windows facing east be okay?

I found that putting the propagator on top of the sky box put it at the perfect temperature for chilli seeds to germinate

If you don't already own some and/or have access to a big music collection - buy a nice pair of headphones and a high quality streaming subscription service. When the blues take hold, bang them on. Even play the blues if you want

Yep, love getting out for a quick spin on the bike before work or lunchtime and trying to spot the first daffodils that are flowering.

A snooze at lunchtime helps for me too. Like a meditation.

Book the last Monday of each month off. My SO suggested this to me to add a change to the routine.

This Monday I went on the monsal and high peak trails in glorious winter weather.

Next month I might do something urban - irwell valley, then up to Bury.

Go for a walk every day? Not far, 10km is enough to be a break and get to see and hear some nature.

MoreCashThanDash
Full Member

Coke and hookers.

Daily?!?

Working from home was a revelation!

footflaps
Full Member
I go to bed earlyish and then read for an hour (French novels), then fall asleep listening to the news in French on the radio (France Info). Normally half wake up a bit confused about 11.30 and take the earbuds out.

Lean into this. It's called biphasic sleep. In the pre-indistrial era people used to have two sleeps, and in between they'd eat, read the bible, write letters, visit the neighbours, and have sex. That should brighten your day.

visit the neighbours and have sex

There's a term for that.

Lean into this. It’s called biphasic sleep. In the pre-indistrial era people used to have two sleeps, and in between they’d eat, read the bible, write letters, visit the neighbours, and have sex. That should brighten your day.

I miss those days 🙁

I like to grab a bus north for 5 miles and walk back down the Basingstoke Canal.
Usually stop at the Swan for a pint.
I could cycle obviously, but you miss a lot even on a bike.
Than back to work or play guitar a bit or cook.

The midweek pint thing chimes with me. Since I stopped work I find myself popping into a local pub for a pint or two of Stout early teatime once or twise a week. Never more than 2 and often only 1. School nights isn't a thing now but I still find myself looking forward to weekends because my wife works as do my family etc so I look forward to dragging them on long dog walks that end in the pub on a Saturday or Sunday. I also have a glass of wine most nights but as I am not recovering from a hard day or dreading the next one I find it easy to have a single one. My alcohol consumption has dropped since I finished work notwithstanding my more regular pub visits...

I make sure that I go outside every day. With a dog that is of course rather easy. Without a dog during lockdown, I did the same. Being indoors all day is never a good thing. We used to put babies outside in prams, maybe it's ingrained.

That and decent coffee beans. Spending more on the smaller luxuries is a classic example in economics. Sales of lipstick goes up in a recession, for example, as people need treats.

Use what you have. It's all well and good saying go for a ride if you have a nice loop of lanes or some woodland with a jump run in it, but if all you have is dual carriageways and brownfield then it's less useful. I live near a path that goes through some woods - in the middle of a huge housing development - but I walk down there to Costa a few times a week. My own coffee is significantly better than Costa, but it gets me outside. I sit at one spot by the stream for a while each time, and because I do it regularly I can watch the seasons change and the plants die back and grow again. I have also been watching and learning how the stream erodes its path which appears largely to be due to the trees on the bank being slowly undermined during storms and then eventually falling in, which radically changes the water course.

As said many times before, go outside if you can, and notice the first signs of spring. Catkins, new leaves on the honeysuckle, first shoots of the bluebells, drumming of woodpeckers, snowdrops, daffodils and crocuses getting ready to pop open, brighter light and longer days. It’s all happening. Well it is down here in the Tropical Sarf anyways…….😁

A couple of us here were talking about how it's getting brighter for our rides in, and I said that spring is on the way - I heard two woodpeckers this morning, and the catkins are out. It always cheers me up. 😀

I try not to have too much routine in the evenings, but it's difficult when the dark nights last so long. I'm currently learning how to play the bodhran. And when my wife tells me stop 😀 , I pick up a guitar, which means I can waste hours without noticing.

Great thread with some awesome contributions.

Like some others, it's spending time in nature for me. Which I do most days thanks to the doggo.

Without reading the detail, this is probably the most-positive thing I've seen from the UK Gov for years...
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-64456455

Nature is key. Our brains are predisposed to feel better looking at natural colours, and looking at distances further than a screen really helps. There's a bacterium called Mycobacterium Vaccae in soil that stimulates the release of serotonin, which is another reason being in the woods is good. Also applies to gardening and MTBing.

Thanks everyone for the replies, some really interesting stuff and plenty to give me some food for thought.
One thing I’ve just started to realise is the impact of home working on me. I now work from home 3 or 4 times a week and in pre Covid days I’d have snapped your arm off if offered this. I’m not a particularly social person at work and the idea of no commute and more time at home would of been a dream.

But the reality has been surprisingly different. I’m now in situation where I spend all day in online meetings which is draining and has none of the social aspects of office life. Even with saving commuting time I seem to spend more time working and with fewer breaks. Been worse during winter where spend whole day sitting at my desk which leaves me feeling cold and lacking in energy.

Definitely need to rethink some priorities and routines!

Food. Cook something proper either for lunch or dinner, once a week or more often. Getting lazy and buying easy meals for the often makes eating boring if you do it every time.

Music. Not as background, but to sit in front of your speakers and listen without doing anything else.

Fix stuff. Controversial I expect but it makes me feel better when I do something that's been niggling for ages, such as the front door that catches on the frame. 10 minutes with a screwdriver and a piece of paper to adjust it to stop draughts. That reminds me, still need to glue the hoover hose into its sockets that always falls out...plenty more little things.

@rockbus - working from home gives me proper cabin fever. A few days of it and I'm climbing the walls, especially at this time of year. Hence the advice about having a walk for a quiet pint somewhere, just to get out of the house.

I was meant to be going out for a lunchtime ride today, but the weather is truly grim and I've zero motivation to go and get cold and wet.

But we've a local bar that does great pizzas that has a really good midweek deal on food, so we're going to wander down there later. Its become a regular midweek thing. A couple of beers, a pizza, and we'll mention to local mates that we're heading down there, so a lot of time some home-working mates will have a stroll down and meet us there for a natter over a pint and some food.

It doesn't cost much but feels like a bit of a treat at the apex of the week and something to look forward too when its cold, wet, dark and miserable outside