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What Soothes You? 

Life after the pandemic has left many people more sensitive to monotony, more prone to feelings of sadness or isolation, and overall, simply less happy. But simple steps, actions, and thoughts can inspire energy, joy, and even wonder... 

The New York Times reports on a new book, Enchantment: “It all started with a Post-it note. 

‘Go for a walk,’ it said, the no-nonsense command perched in a prominent spot above Katherine May’s desk. 

Ms. May, a British author who wrote the best-selling memoir ‘Wintering' about a fallow and difficult period of her life, had come across more hard times during the height of the pandemic. She was bored, restless, burned out. Her usual ritual — walking — had fallen away, along with other activities that used to bring her pleasure: collecting pebbles, swimming in the sea, savoring a book. 

‘There was nothing that made the world feel interesting to me,’ Ms. May said in a recent interview with The New York Times. ‘I felt like my head was kind of full and empty at the same time.’ 

In Ms. May’s latest book, ‘Enchantment,’ she describes how a simple series of actions, like writing that note, helped her to discover little things that filled her with wonder and awe — and, in turn, made her feel alive again... 

Entering a state of wonder is akin to using a muscle, Ms. May said. Put yourself in that mind-set more often and it gradually becomes easier. 

First, you must ‘give in to the fascination’ that you feel in everyday moments. For example, Ms. May gets ‘really excited’ when she sees light dance across the surface of her coffee. 

Don’t force it, though. The key, she said, is to keep looking for the things that make you marvel — and have faith that you will encounter them. 

What you find pleasurable might be quite simple: Ms. May has often felt awe when examining a small bug in her garden. 

‘We’ve told ourselves that everything needs to be so big,’ she said. ‘Actually, we can just breathe out and live quite small lives.’ 

Instead of thinking about what you find enchanting, which may feel too difficult to answer, Ms. May suggests asking yourself a different question: What soothes you? 

It might be going on a walk. Or visiting an art museum. Maybe you enjoy watching the shifting clouds...” 

So tell us, what soothes you? 

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