How to enjoy life like an astronaut

Mike Massimino always complained about the weather growing up outside New York City. Then he went to space.

“There is no weather in space,” he told me. “No atmosphere. No seasons. Nothing.”

And he missed it all. His new book, “Moonshot: A NASA Astronaut's Guide to Achieving the Impossible,” is about what he learned as a veteran of two space flights. One big lesson was what he took for granted at home.

Now he enjoys the feeling of rain on his face even on the wettest and most muggy days. “It reminds us that the planet is alive,” he said, “and how lucky I am to be on this planet.”

In other words: Massimino is now taking the time to enjoy himself.

Enjoyment is the process of focusing conscious attention and awareness on the positive things in life, says Patrick R. Harrison, professor of psychology and neuroscience at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, who explores the subject.

And making a habit of savoring everything from small moments, like holding your partner's hand in a movie, to big life events, like watching a child graduate from high school, can reap mental health benefits , by increasing resilience Unpleasant reducing stress.

However, you don't have to go to space to appreciate the good parts of your life. Here's how to do it.

Pause to notice details and sensations.

Try to capture a moment in your mind by labeling it, says Fred Bryant, a professor of social psychology at Loyola University. Chicago who has been researching enjoyment for almost half a century. Psychologists call this 'coding'. Tune into your senses, he said, and ask yourself: What positive sensations am I feeling right now? Why is this moment important to me? What do I see or hear?

“You can't freeze a moment,” Dr. Bryant said. “But the best thing you can do is build a powerful memory of it.”

Dr. Harrison attempted to address his experiences when he recently became a father. While his wife was in labor, a nurse offered to hang a string of twinkling lights in the hospital room.

“It was the middle of the night and I noticed how peaceful it was, and I took in the soft glow of the lights, the warmth of my wife's hand as I held it, how grateful I was to be with her in the room, said Dr. Harrison.

Step out for a moment.

When Dr. Bryant realizes he is engrossed in something he should be enjoying, like a birthday party, he will get up and leave.

“I walk out of a restaurant and pause in the parking lot,” he said. He takes a moment to look at the sight of his loved ones from a distance and then goes back inside. If he withdraws for a moment, even briefly, he immediately gains perspective and his appreciation increases.

I accidentally did this at a recent dinner with my parents. I went to my car to get my phone, and when I came back I saw my parents, husband, and child laughing together in the dining room. Remember this, I thought.

Share good news.

When you receive happy news, said Dr. Harrison, please reach out to a loved one and enjoy it together. This form of enjoyment is known as capitalizeand it can help prolong positive feelings.

I often took 'emergency walks' when I had problems. But now when I get some good news, I enjoy it by taking a 'tasty walk' and calling one of my sisters or a friend.

Practice 'mental time travel'.

Enjoyment is not limited to experiences that are happening now. You can also try something called “mental time travel,” Dr. Bryant said, by focusing on the future or the past.

Dr. Bryant increases his appreciation for the present by imagining himself in the future and longing for his current life. He has a 7-year-old granddaughter, and sometimes he will pretend that she is grown, has moved away, “and that I would give anything just for one more day with her,” he said. Then he opens his eyes and tells himself that his wish has been granted.

“I'll see her later today,” he said.

As for Massimino, he makes it a daily habit to enjoy everything he missed in space. He loves going to ball games, being surrounded by crowds (“space can be incredibly lonely”) and hearing the sounds of birds.

“I even like the sound of horns now,” he said.

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