“I’ll be happier when…” This is a phrase I used to find myself saying in my head and out loud far too often. “I’ll be happier when I’m more successful, I’ll be happier when I get older, I’ll be happy when I find true love.” It wasn’t until more recently that I realized I might be waiting my entire life to finally be happier. By constantly waiting to be happier my actual life passes me by every day. I started to take a look around at the people I know are the happiest and tried finding underlying commonalities. There was definitely something I noticed among the happiest people, they’re usually the ones who appreciate the little things. They are able to make the best of even the most mundane days and tasks, and they’re truly at peace with being present. 
Through this observation, I started to practice the art of slowing down. I came across a term that’s becoming popular and being thrown around which says, “romanticize your life.” What does it mean to romanticize your life? When I think about some of the most romantic lives that are lived, it’s lives where pleasure and self-care are at the forefront.
The French are a great example of people who romanticize their lives. They take their time to eat a baguette while walking down the street to work, they enjoy a good glass of wine, they love a good chat, and they take time to relax and enjoy the finer things in life. In North America, we often don’t have the time within our busy lifestyles to actually slow down and appreciate these little things.
If you’re ready to start slowing down, showing yourself more love, and appreciating the simple things here is how you can start:
1. Take time to cook yourself a delicious meal: When was the last time you actually took the time to make yourself a filling and satiating breakfast? 
I am definitely guilty of rushing to put something together in the mornings because I wake up too late and need to hurry off to work. What if you actually carved out the extra time in your day to get scrumptious ingredients together and make a nice home-cooked meal? There’s just something about taking the time to chop, saute, roast, and fry delicious food and enjoying it afterwards. This tip in itself will help you romanticize your life. Try putting on some nice music and pour yourself a little glass of wine and you’ll basically feel like you’re in an Italian kitchen!
2. Create a playlist that makes you feel great: Music and sound are a form of therapy.
It has been shown time and time again that certain sounds can evoke certain feelings and emotions. Do you have a favorite genre of music that automatically makes you feel more relaxed or puts you in a good mood? Try putting together your own little playlist of feel-good music that you can listen to whenever you need a little pick-me-up. Playlists can be listened to in the car, on the bus, while you’re working, and anywhere!
3. Get dressed up for no reason: Sometimes I get into a bit of a rut and stop putting much effort into self-care or my appearance. This tends to happen because I’m stuck at home or there’s nowhere to go out. One thing I’ve really noticed that helps me feel good is getting ready and taking time for self-care. If you’ve been working from home throughout the pandemic, one thing I suggest is taking the time to get ready in the morning. Do your hair, throw on your favorite outfit and socks, and I swear to you that your day will go so much better by doing these simple things!
4. Eat the dang bread: Life’s too short to be scared of carbs, especially bread! I can’t tell you the number of times that family and friends of mine have stayed away from bread because “it makes you fat.” 
Where did this myth seriously come from?! Bread is a food that we all love and shouldn’t feel the need to restrict ourselves from in any way. If you’re gluten intolerant, that’s a different story, but even so, there are options available. Why bother completely restricting yourself from food that makes you happy? It’s all about everything in moderation anyways! If you want to start romanticizing your life a little bit more, go to your favorite bakery and get yourself a croissant or bagel this week. Enjoy it guilt-free and know that you deserve to eat delicious foods that make you happy!
5. Document your life: As I get older, I realize the importance of taking pictures and videos of special 
moments in life. One of my favorite things to do is look through my camera roll at memories from the past.I am so happy that I decided to take videos and pictures of moments that I wanted to remember forever. You can start romanticizing your life even more by taking more pictures of things! Take pictures of your food, the people you love, nature, your pets, and even yourself. We are very lucky to have technology at the palm of our hands that allows us to freeze a special moment in time for later on.
6. Spend time in nature: Does anyone else feel so present to how beautiful life is when they’re in nature? I sure do! Nature has a really good way of humbling you and making your problems seem insignificant. We’re surrounded by so much beauty around us and sometimes we forget because we’re so busy stuck indoors working and tending to other things in life. Going on a simple walk down the street, in a garden, or by a lake will help you fall more and more in love with your life and all the beauty that surrounds us.
7. Write letters to people you love and show gratitude: When is the last time you wrote a handwritten letter or card? I’ve always found that writing a special note to someone is one of the kindest and most simple acts of love. With phones, laptops, tablets, and smartwatches, so many of us don’t feel the need to write something out on pen and paper anymore. What if you took the time for the people you love? Your life will feel so much more full and romantic by writing a letter to someone or even to yourself! 
8. Take a bath: For the longest time I’ve been all about showers – they’re quick, efficient, and easy! On the other hand, baths actually force you to slow down, take a breather, and soak in the present moment..literally! Can we talk about just how romantic and relaxing a bath can be. Run the hot water, throw some bubbles in there, and allow yourself to let go of the day. I’m convinced that if we all incorporated more baths in our weeks we would be happier people!
9. Take care of your health: There’s nothing more loving you can do for yourself than taking care of your health. Taking care of your health is about the small actions you take every day. Making conscious choices to do good for your body inside and out will help you feel your best. In return, you will be so much happier! 
At NutraChamps we have over 85 products that compliment your lifestyle and optimize your health. Everything from beauty aids, to sleep supplements, collagen, greens, and more! Take your vitamins and feel amazing!
10. Rush less: So many of us are busy all the time! Being busy can be a good thing, but always being busy and not having enough time to enjoy life can be a bad thing. Do you find yourself rushing around 24/7? If so, it’s important to eliminate some of the things taking up a chunk of your time so you can enjoy your life a little more! What would it be like for you to have extra time in the mornings or evenings to do the things that light you up? Make time for the little things and remember that you deserve it.
If you want to start feeling happier, don’t wait until tomorrow, next week, or next year. You can start being happy today! It all begins with doing more of the things that bring you joy. With these simple tips listed above, you will begin to take on life at a slower pace and with more ease. There’s so much that happens around us that we can’t control, but one thing we can control are the decisions we make on a daily basis. Choose to be happier, because you deserve it!
