10 Ways to Make Life Lovely

We might look around with envy at the lives of those we see on social media or in magazines, but creating a beautiful life isn't about having all the things. It's about making the life you have right now something beautiful and romanticised. Even if we were presented right now with the life we strive for, if we can't enjoy what we have we wouldn't enjoy that life either. Creating a lovely life is something we all want whether we realise it or not.

Everything you have to make life beautiful is within your grasp and ready for you turn into a beautiful and lovely life. And you can start today!

I have 10 ways that can make life lovely for you right now:

Enjoy simple pleasures

This is the easiest and simplest way to make the lives we are already living beautiful. We need to romance and embrace the beauty of what we already have. Simple pleasures are the simple everyday things that bring us those small moments of joy. It might be enjoying using the special crockery you've been keeping for best or realy appreciating the view you have on the way to work, or the quiet moments you have when you are the first up in the morning and make your first cup of coffee. It's nothing fancy and huge, but the simple everyday things that we often overlook, but are beautiful.

Treat yourself once a week

In the Nordics we have a very specific time to treat ourselves. It's usually once a week on either Wednesday or a Saturday. It's all about saving a special treat for those days and not overindulging all through the week. We like to live a healthy life the rest of the time knowing that we are not penalising ourselves but saving that special treat for the weekend. It can be a few candies, some indulgent chocolate, or a trip out to a favourite place. It can even be an activity you look forward to. There are no rules!

Get outside

You will always hear me talking about this! I never stop talking about getting outside. In Norway we are outside every single day. Kids at school spend every breaktime outside come rain or shine, but as adults we should be a doing a little of that ourselves. It makes life so much more joyful. We connect with nature, enjoy some fresh air and give our bodies a feeling of good health. Being out in nature raises our level of happiness and improves our mood.

Make your home welcoming

There is nothing better than coming home after a long day to a welcoming and beautiful space that we have created ourselves. This is probably not something you can do in a day, but take your time and think about how you want your home to look and feel. Maybe move some furniture around, get out some trinkets and favourite items that you have put away and think carefully about making cosy, warm lighting. In fact lighting is the easiest way to start. Read my article about hygge lighting here.

Decluttter

It doesn't seem to matter how many times I declutter there is always something else to do. Decluttering is a lovely easy way to bring some space into our lives. Maybe it's just a few old magazines you need to throw out, or perhaps it's a complete room declutter. However small or large the decluttering it brings a calmness to our lives and gives us space both mentally and physically.

Bring the outside in

In the heart of the winter it's nice to be reminded that life still grows outside even though it might be all brown and dead looking. In the Nordics we bring the outside in all through the year. In the summer we love to little vases of wild flowers (some might call them weeds) on our windowsills and you will see people all over the place picking bunches of dandelions and ox-eye daisies, but in the autumn and winter we can also appreciate nature and bring it inside with us. I like to bring in a few beautifully shaped twigs and put them in a vase. As the spring arrives I cut pussy willow and dogwood so that I can watch the beginning of the buds forming into leaves and be reminded that the armer weather is on the way.

Do something to help other people

If you want that warm cosy feeling inside then helping others is the way to do it. The world is rather full of people only thinking about themselves, so helping others in any kind of way is a wonderful antidote to even some of the problems in the world. If you are thinking that it needs to be a be a expedition to a far-flung destination to dig wells, then you are wrong. Of course if you have that kind of time and money, wonderful!!! But we can all help in small ways like donating unwanted things to a charity shop, picking up litter, or taking part in a dugnad. It will definitely go a long way to making your life feel and look lovely.

Less is more

This doesn't have to apply only t the space we live in. Less is more can be everything in our lives. Do we really need another pair of shoes or another blanket? But it can also apply to ourselves. Do we really need to push ourselves to be perfect or to have the perfect home and life? Living a more simple life can be liberating and freeing. It can help us appreciate what we have by having less. More of anything can be a weight rather than freedom.

Eat well

Making a beautiful and pretty life also includes what goes on inside our bodies. We will feel much happier and more upbeat if our bodies are healthy and happy too. Consider what you are putting into your body everyday. Make a conscious effort to eat as healthily as possible and include as many fruit and vegetables as you can. Eat the rainbow! It sounds romantic and it can be romantic too. If we include foods of lots of different colours (that does NOT include Skittles and red velvet cake!) our bodies will thank us for it.

Are you ready to make your life even more beautiful than it already is? What are you waiting for!