Finding Magic in the Mundane

How to make your life a little more whimsical

I yearn for a little more magic in my life.

If you haven’t read my most recent post (which here it is! Go read it!) I was recently diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder and started taking medication for it. With this new found lightness I’ve been experiencing in my mind and body I realized I haven’t been living the way I want to. While finances, employment, and paying bills are all obviously at a regular chatter in the background, I don’t want my life to be dedicated to only figuring out the next place I can make a buck. I miss being silly, I miss being spontaneous, I miss being whimsical.

Whimsy is defined as capricious humor or disposition; extravagant, fanciful, or excessively playful expression. Basically, to be whimsical is to bring a little magic to the mundane. There was a time when the world didn’t seem so heavy, when we didn’t care so much about curating the perfect aesthetic and just thrived in our own weirdness. That’s the vibe I’m trying to get back to and it seems I’m not the only one.

When I initially decided to make 2026 my year of indulging in more whimsy, I didn’t realize that I was buying into a new trend, I just really felt the need to make my life more fun, more joyful, more colorful. But the fact that creating a more whimsical life has become such an aspiration going into this year for so many of us goes to show that we are in desperate need of playfulness, magic, being fanciful, and imaginative. And who’s to say we can’t live the whimsical lives we want to?

But how does one go about creating a life with more whimsy? Honestly? It’s way simpler than it might seem. It’s not about buying things (though you can) or prescribing to the TikTok-ification that inevitably befalls all lifestyle trends like this, it’s about doing small things every day that bring you joy, a smile, a laugh just because. It’s about adding a little magic into your everyday life. Still not sure how to add more everyday whimsy into your week? Let me help you out!

Here are a few things I’ve done so far to help make my life more whimsical:

April’s lock screen by the artist Valfre, found on Pinterest

• Every month I change the lock screen on my phone to a piece of art I’ve found and loved

• I finally started using the pretty candy colored keyboard I bought ages ago. The colors make me happy and the click clack sounds of typing are A+

• Embracing the fact that I can decorate my purse/bag with whatever I want. I love the bag charm trend and I don’t think I’ll ever give it up

• Invested in a Kodak Charmera camera for the fun of a blind bag and to bring back taking photos not just on my phone. In high school and college I always had a digital camera on me and I want to bring the feeling of purposefully documenting moments back (next step actually printing photos again)

• Wearing glasses that allow me to change my  look whenever I want (to be fair I’ve been doing this for the last few years thanks to Pair Eyewear (not a sponsor, but I’ve included my refer a friend link that lets you get money off and me get money off if you use it…no pressure obvs) and I love not being tied to one glasses look for years

• Lighting candles more often just because

And here’s a list of other ways both me and you could help the rest of 2026 take on that whimsical feeling:

• Use your fancy dishes for breakfast just because

• Dress up in your favorite outfit just to clean the house or run some errands

• Spritz on your perfume even if you’re just lounging around the house

• Take a shower by candlelight

• Talk to your pets! Most of us probably already do this but tell them all about your day, and if you’re feeling extra playful make up their responses

• Oh! and don’t forget to make little ditties about your pets to sing at random

• Use holiday themed things whenever you feel like! Halloween shaped pastas in April? Yes. Poinsettia paper plates in August? Why not?

• Give a genuine compliment to anybody you interact with that day

• Give silly names to your tools, silverware, or appliances

• Door hinge charms. They provide nothing but some joy and fun and I love whomever came up with them

Adding more whimsy into your life isn’t just a trend, it’s also good for your health! According to a 2012 study of almost 900 university students, more playful individuals reported lower levels of stress compared to their less playful peers and were also more likely to focus on taking care of whatever particular stressor they may be facing instead of choosing more negative or avoidant coping strategies. Another study from 1987 had a group of participants watch five minutes of a comedy film before tackling an “insight problem,” or a problem where the solution seems impossible until all of a sudden it doesn’t. The group that watched the comedy film had a 75% success rate on solving the problem in the time allotted compared to only 20% for the group who watched five minutes of a serious film beforehand and an even lower 13% for the group who didn’t watch anything before tackling the problem.

These experiments show that just by adding a little playfulness, a little whimsy, it can improve mood and lessen stress therefore creating a healthier and more adaptable individual. By taking things a little less seriously you open yourself up to experiencing joy, to being more resilient in the face of mistakes or failures, to improved mental health because you’re not constantly beating yourself up over the little things, and ultimately better relationships with others since you’ll come across as more easy going and less rigid.

Living a more whimsical lifestyle is for anyone and everyone. No matter your age or gender identity there’s no reason you can’t benefit from living a life with a little more magic in it. So even if it feels silly or awkward at first, say hi to your favorite tree on your next walk around the neighborhood, make up a new holiday to celebrate once a month, or create elaborate backstories for strangers you pass on your commute. Your mind, heart, and health will thank you for it.

How do you add more whimsy to your life? Share your suggestions in the comments below!