Skip the misery

19 ways to squeeze more pleasure into an average day

One of my least favorite self-help tips? I keep seeing this one on social media: take cold showers. Usually the guru preaching this strategy is claiming that cold showers are good because they toughen you up. A little suffering boosts discipline.

To which I say…really? Are people’s lives so easy that they have to invent occasions for suffering? Do these cold shower proponents have nothing else in their lives that requires discipline, so they have to resort to unpleasant forms of personal care?

Let’s face it — life can be hard. Often we’re just trying to get through the day. Since that’s the case, I see no reason to seek out extra suffering. Instead, I like the idea of trying to consciously make little moments more pleasurable. Here are some ways to squeeze more pleasure into an average day.