Your Parents Did A Great Job Raising You If These 11 Old-Fashioned Things Still Excite You
Don't let the stress keep you from enjoying these small moments.
PeopleImages from Getty Images Signature via Canva How we spend our days is how we spend our lives, as author Annie Dillard thoughtfully explains. Even though we have responsibilities, like caring for our families, making money, and going to work everyday, there’s nothing more beautiful than intentionally finding moments of. joy and peace amid the chaos. If your parents did a great job raising, you'll find you still get excited by certain 'old-fashioned' things.
While many adults were offered this lesson by their parents as children — embracing the present moment, with gratitude and intentionality — others are learning to embrace it in adulthood.
From wake up to a perfect cup of coffee to cuddling with a furry friend after a long day, the ability to appreciate life's simple gifts and embrace gratitude for what we have is one of the most important things a parent can teach their child.
Your parents did a great job raising you if these 11 old-fashioned things still excite you
1. Watching sunsets
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There are many different mindfulness techniques and practices that you can adopt to promote a healthier mental and physical well-being, as a study published in the Clinical Psychology Review suggests, but many of them are hidden just underneath our noses. Like Dr. Andres Chou argues, subtle moments like watching the sunset can help us to feel rejuvenated and refreshed even when we’re not intentionally seeking out a mindful moment.
Not only does the beauty of a sunset encourage us to leave our stress and anxiety at the door, it can truly put our lives in perspective. Have you ever thought: “Wow, someone I love is sharing this experience with me, even though they’re a hundred miles away?” Or, “I really miss that person, but at least they’re under the same moon as me at this moment.”
Whether you’re reflecting on your day or simply enjoying the one-of-a-kind beauty we’re all privy to at the end of every single day, enjoying a good sunset is not just a sign that your parents did a great job raising you — to appreciate the little things — but a perfect intentional moment where you can simply be in the present moment.
2. Looking at the stars
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Experts like Dr. Joe Blanda argue that simple habits like observing and appreciating the night sky can truly be an excellent source of stress-relief and calm amid our chaotic schedules. Not only does star-gazing make our daily problems feel much less overwhelming, perhaps even minuscule in the grand scheme of things, engaging in the practice can help us to mindfully sit in the present moment, even if it’s just for a few moments.
You don’t even have to be an amateur astronomer to enjoy star-gazing, although that's certainly a great hobby if it speaks to you, you can integrate this kind of mindfulness into your life without a ton of effort.
Carve out a few minutes in your nighttime routine to enjoy tea on your front porch. Leave your blinds open while you’re getting ready for bed. Enjoy some fresh air while the sun sets, finding a moment to pick out constellations and stars. Even if you’re enjoying the stars behind a projector, fighting the smog and pollution of city life, there’s power in putting your life and chaotic thoughts to rest with an intentional practice.
3. Rain and thunderstorms
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Along with the general idea that thunderstorms and rain give us an opportunity to ground ourselves in our chaotic lives, reminding us to slow down and connect inwardly, research has shown that listening to rain boosts our cognitive abilities and acts as a stress-reliever.
While a rainy day can sometimes feel like a punch in the gut when we’re down in the dumps, tempting us to wallow in our struggles and self-pity, appreciating the calmness and consistency of rain can help us to stay present and reflect on the things that matter.
While it may seem counterintuitive to give into the solemn nature of a thunderstorm or rain, practicing reflective habits and mindfulness, your parents did a great job raising you if these old-fashioned things excite you — and of course, the smell of grass and the air after a rainstorm is impossible to beat.
4. Deep conversations
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While deep conversations often happen in the spur of the moment, there are ways to craft more meaningful connections with people you trust and care about. Starting with shared experiences, many people find a sense of understanding and trust with people they align with regarding values, personal struggles, and shared emotions.
Finding a way to bridge the gap between your experience and another person can make everyone feel more heard and comfortable. Although it seems simple in theory, encouraging another person to open up in practice with an intentional safe space can help them to feel heard in profound ways, as well — an important part of encouraging vulnerability and deeper connection.
Finding joy in providing empathy to others, using open body language to connect, and sharing experiences are signs your parents did a great job raising you, especially if deep conversations feel exciting, rather than intimidating.
5. Getting a handwritten letter
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While handwritten letters and “thank you” notes may feel traditional and old-fashioned, they’re truly a timeless mode of communication — encouraging a sense of thoughtfulness in your relationships and urging people to adopt deeper connection with yourself. Your parents did a great job raising you if these old-fashioned things still excite you, especially if you’re committed to keeping them alive in your everyday interactions and connections.
Not only does a handwritten letter signal a sense of intentionality towards the person receiving it — reminding them that you took the time, energy, and effort to make them feel seen — it can serve as a moment of mindfulness for you as well, similar to journaling or expressing your emotions on paper in your alone time.
Text messages and phone calls are important in relationships, especially in our digital age consumed by accessibility and convenience, but there’s an element of sincerity behind a handwritten message that may be old-school, but will never be forgotten.
6. Smelling a loved one’s perfume or cologne in public
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While it might seem subtle and silly, our human senses — like smell — often encourage us to live in the present moment in unsuspecting ways. For example, walking through the grocery store and smelling your ex-partner’s favorite flowers. Catching a whiff of your grandmother’s old perfume when walking down the street. Smelling your favorite food at work after a stressful meeting.
We can’t control our human senses the majority of the time, but sitting and making space for them can be a perfect way to intentionally stay present.
Of course, smelling a loved one in public, especially when healing from losing them, often causes us to take a moment of mindfulness — flooding memories back into our minds provoked by something as simple as a smell. Even though we may feel overwhelmed by daily tasks and even resentful of certain people in our lives, contributing to a sense of disconnect in our relationships, mindful moments like this can feel empowering, exciting, and grounding, putting everything we’re battling in perspective.
7. Enjoying fresh air
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Getting fresh air and spending some intentional time in nature does wonders for our mental health, boosting our serotonin levels and general mood throughout the day. Even if we only spend a few minutes outside, breathing deeply and appreciating the fresh air, it’s these old-school habits for finding security and calm that make the most difference in our lives.
Your parents did a great job raising you if these old-fashioned things still excite you, encouraging you to make time for mindful moments like a walk outside after work or a cup of coffee on your porch in the morning.
It’s these small habits and routines that truly enrich our lives, giving us a chance to reflect, aspire, and appreciate the parts of our lives that go subtly unnoticed in the face of stress or anxiety.
8. Birds singing in the morning
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Listening to birds chirp and sing, especially when we’re first waking up, can subtly alleviate feelings of anxiety, stress, and paranoia, according to a study published in the Scientific Reports journal. While there’s certainly many ways to craft a morning routine that fits your schedule and your needs, the most important thing is crafting intentional time for yourself.
Whether it’s adopting Mel Robbins’ “5 Second Rule” for getting out of bed, making breakfast, or getting outside for a few moments, small and subtle things like listening to the birds outside your window can put everything in perspective and cultivate a productive, healthy, and happy tone for your day.
9. Calling a loved one for no specific reason
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When you think of someone, call them. It can be as simple as that. When we make time for the people that we love, even if it’s just with a quick text message, reminding them that we’re thinking of them, our relationships flourish and our mental health improves. In the same way that a kind message or thoughtful expression of gratitude from others brightens our day, we can make others feel valued in the same way by getting excited about connecting with them.
Your parents did a great job raising you if these old-fashioned things still excite you: calling someone you’re missing, reaching out when something reminds you of them, or expressing your gratitude that they’re in your life with a text.
Don’t forget that your intuition is incredibly powerful. If you’re thinking about someone unexpectedly, you never know what kind of difference it could make in their life if you reach out and remind them that you love and appreciate them.
10. Sunshine on a cold day
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Many studies, including one published in the Environmental Health Perspectives journal, note that sunlight can be incredibly influential in supporting not just our mental and emotional health, but also our physical well-being. Especially during winter, when the days are typically colder and longer, taking a moment to appreciate the warmth and brightness of sunshine for a few moments can help us to set a better tone for our days.
We’ve all been there: buried in work or stressed out about school and our responsibilities at home, only to feel the warmth of sunshine spreading across us — enveloping us in a feeling of comfort and safety that’s impossible to ignore. While the glare on the T.V. or across our screens might be subtly annoying at first, embracing the sun and all of its benefits can feel empowering and calming.
11. Eating breakfast
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While many of us not only skip breakfast with our busy schedules and daily chaos, your parents did a great job raising you if these old-fashioned things still excite you when you wake up.
From having a moment without screen-time in the morning, to naturally rising on the weekends, and moving our bodies before the sun fully comes out, you set the tone for your day with a healthy morning routine — promoting a more balanced, happy, and productive mindset as you tackle the rest of your responsibilities and commitments.
Even if they weren’t graced with an hour of free-time in the morning or a homemade breakfast as a kid, many of the adults that make space for a morning routine now — even if it’s just a few minutes — understand the power of alone time and intentional space to set the tone for their day.
Zayda Slabbekoorn is a staff writer with a bachelor’s degree in social relations & policy and gender studies who focuses on psychology, relationships, self-help, and human interest stories.