{"id":3462,"date":"2025-06-24T16:40:34","date_gmt":"2025-06-24T23:40:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bellagracemagazine.com\/?p=3462"},"modified":"2025-06-24T16:40:34","modified_gmt":"2025-06-24T23:40:34","slug":"small-rituals-big-comforts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bellagracemagazine.com\/blog\/small-rituals-big-comforts\/","title":{"rendered":"Small Rituals, Big Comforts"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Words: Christen Hammons<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n

Most mornings begin the same way, and I find comfort in that. Whether I\u2019m in the office that day or working from home, it always starts by brewing a pot of coffee. While it starts to percolate, I step outside for a few minutes to feel the sun on my face while our dog, Marjie, runs around in the grass. I try to take my time and not rush through my morning routine and do my best to savor it before the busyness of the day sets in.<\/p>\n

Romanticizing My Workdays<\/h2>\n

On the days a week that I work from home, I change into something comfortable, and turn an ambiance room on my TV. I settle down at my desk, which is really just a drop-leaf table that doubles as our dining table and sits in front of a large picture window. I work in the light that streams through the curtains. When it\u2019s time to take a lunch break, I put my laptop away and set the table for my meal. I take the time to enjoy my meal and the brief respite from a busy day, and sometimes watch a few minutes of a favorite comfort TV show before bringing my computer back out. Just before the workday ends, I jot down the next day\u2019s to-do list in my carefully chosen notebook before packing everything away in my work tote \u2014 an oversized tote bag with a cheerful pattern that always makes me smile \u2014 to prepare for being in the office the next day.<\/p>\n

When I\u2019m in the office, I try my best to create the same sense of comfort and coziness I feel when I work from home. My daily commute is not one I particularly enjoy, so I treat myself to a podcast or audiobook I only allow myself to listen to on my way to and from the office. Instead of the throw blanket I keep near my \u201cdesk\u201d at home, I hang a super soft, worn-in cardigan draped along the back of my chair, ready go grab when the air conditioning begins to feel frigid. Much like at home, my office desk is next to a window, though it offers little sunlight to work from. Two table lamps fill the small space with a warm glow and provide me with plenty of light. Gentle instrumental music plays on my computer\u2019s speakers all day long. A candle warmer helps fill the room with a soft scent. When the weather permits, I take my lunch to the park that\u2019s just a short walk away and read while I enjoy being out in the sun. On my desk sits a luxurious hand lotion that a dear friend brought back with her from a trip to Australia, and I delight in breathing it in whenever I apply it.<\/p>\n

No matter where I\u2019m working, I\u2019ve learned that the difference between just getting through the day and truly experiencing<\/em> it often lies in the smallest details \u2014 the softness of a sweater, the ritual of lighting a lamp, the comfort of familiar music playing quietly in the background. These things don\u2019t change the tasks at hand, but they do change the way I meet them.<\/p>\n

Romanticizing my workdays isn\u2019t about pretending they\u2019re always peaceful or perfect. It\u2019s about choosing to notice the beauty tucked inside the ordinary. A cup of coffee savored instead of gulped. A well-loved tote bag that feels like a companion. A few quiet minutes in the sun, alone but not lonely.<\/p>\n

These are the choices that remind me that even on the busiest days, I\u2019m allowed to feel cozy, cared for, and connected\u2014to my work, my space, and myself.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Discover ways to romanticize your life with our special edition, A Romanticized Life<\/em> Issue 1<\/a>, available July 1st!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Most mornings begin the same way, and I find comfort in that. Whether I\u2019m in the office that day or working from home, it always starts by brewing a pot of coffee. While it starts to percolate, I step outside for a few minutes to feel the sun on my face while our dog, Marjie, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":3463,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5,128,129,7,130],"tags":[19,292,290,287,291],"class_list":["post-3462","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all","category-everyday-magic","category-inspiration","category-life","category-lifes-beautiful-journey","tag-comfort","tag-rituals","tag-romanticized","tag-romanticizing","tag-workdays"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bellagracemagazine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3462","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bellagracemagazine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bellagracemagazine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bellagracemagazine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bellagracemagazine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3462"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/bellagracemagazine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3462\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bellagracemagazine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3463"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bellagracemagazine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3462"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bellagracemagazine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3462"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bellagracemagazine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3462"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}