A fancy vacation and an Instagram-worthy dinner at a new place is fine but whatever happened to the little joys of life? 

Do you remember the last time you woke up early just to watch the sunrise? Or when you actually sat down with your parents and had chai? Or wrote a letter to the friend who lives abroad?

Call them old school or call them passé, but these are the very things that can light up your day instantly. Here are a few so called “old school” things that we should start indulging in again.

Write a letter; because the feeling of receiving a hand-written letter in this day and age cannot be described in words.

Mails, social networks, phones and WhatsApp messages just can’t match a letter. Sit down today, pen down your thoughts, and send it to your grandparents or that friend you haven’t spoken to in a while.

Sit down with your parents and share a cup of chai.

If you live with your parents, don’t miss the opportunity to spend some quality time with them. Friends can wait, our parents won’t be around forever. Start your day with a cup of chai and chit-chat with your old folks.

Read books. Real books.

Remember the last time you picked one? A real book. The sensory satisfaction you get from leafing through a real book can’t be matched by any E-Reader.

And keep a diary.

Someone once said, “We often forget things when we don’t have anyone to share them with.” So, be that person for yourself. Keep a diary and write your heart out. Write down the places you want to travel to instead of just pinning them on Pinterest. Ten years down the line, you will be glad you did.

Get up early in the morning just to watch the sunrise.

For once, get up early just to watch the sunrise. Watch it and you will be ready to take on anything the day throws at you. And when you’re at work, spare a few moments and step outside to watch the sunset. It won’t take more than a couple a minute but it’ll fill you up with peace.

Walk barefoot on grass.

If you have a garden, do this everyday! And if you don’t, jog to a nearest park and wander aimlessly, barefoot on the grass.

Unplug yourself from technology.

All right, all right. I know you’re reading this because of technology. But how about switching it off for a while? When was the last time you switched off your mobile phone, kept your laptop aside and just took a moment for yourself? The world won’t change if you unplug yourself from technology for a few minutes. 

Have a conversation. A real, meaningful conversation.

Remember when we were kids, we could talk for hours? Even with complete strangers? Fast forward to today and we are always rushing to do something or go somewhere. We’d rather plug in our headphones than talk to someone sitting right beside us. Let’s stop and take a moment to interact with people, shall we? There are so many stories waiting for you.

And last but not the least, do nothing and savour it.

I know. The concept can be a little scary because there’s so much to do, right? But you have got to give it a try! Do nothing and don’t feel guilty about it. Remember, it is okay to slow down every once in a while.

 It’s time to sit back, relax and indulge in some old-school habits.