My Bliss List

August 25, 2016 General Interest

A couple of days ago I was listening to a great episode from one of my favorite podcasts called RadioLab. In this particular episode the researchers were talking about “bliss” and they invited a variety of scientists to finish the sentence “bliss is…” And so I thought it would be fun for each of us to think about our own “Bliss List.” Before you read any further, close your eyes and think about what things in life represent the meaning of the word “bliss” to you.

I have a lot of things on my “Bliss List” and will share five of them here with you.

1. Uncontrollable laughter

2. Climbing into bed with newly cleaned sheets

3. My favorite perfume

4. Getting a massage

5. A freshly baked chocolate chip cookie (or put more accurately, a couple of freshly baked chocolate chip cookies with a cool class of milk)

After I made my list I noticed that it contained areas of “bliss” from all of the different senses including sight, sound, smell, touch, taste, and feel. And I didn’t even realize that when I made the list. Take a look at your bliss list. Do you notice any themes in terms of the kinds of “bliss” you listed?

I love this concept of knowing and living from our “Bliss List” because this actually supports our health. It’s easy to get into ruts and routines in life. But if our daily routines do not consistently include items from our “Bliss List” this actually may be a risk factor for overeating, eating in a compulsive way, or binge eating. When we are not feeling satisfied in life, it becomes easier to overly rely on food as a way to feel good.  Without regular doses from our “Bliss List” we are at risk of higher levels of anxiety and greater rates of depression.

So as the days get colder, take a look at your list and see what you can do to find a little extra bliss today.

What’s on your list? I’d love to hear about it!