Grand gestures, extravagant holidays, opulent weddings and long-term plans are being replaced by appreciating the simpler things in life: 2021 is all about the micro joys…

You know the dreamy sequence: you close your eyes as you soak in a warm bathtub filled with exactly the right height of bubbles, you’re surrounded by scented candles while chillout tunes play in the background, and your phone (and the kids) are nowhere to be seen, or heard. This is a micro moment, or the experience of a micro joy, a small but perfect feeling of happiness or bliss. And after a year of living in a global pandemic, we’ve become connoisseurs of appreciating these simpler joys – so much so, that experts believe this gratitude for the everyday moments could mould how we continue to live our lives in 2021 and beyond, even as restrictions relax.

“These moments are low investment of cost and time, but high on return of joy,” explains Dr. Saliha Afridi, clinical psychologist and managing director of The LightHouse Arabia. “The idea is to drip joy into your life, rather than wait for the big gulps. Or it can be doing big things in a small way – this could be micro weddings, micro holidays, or micro shopping sprees where you’re still experiencing the big events in life, just done modestly.”

As a region, we’re known for opting for the extravagant and the luxury, so why are we embracing this new trend which means putting big plans on the back burner to opt for low-key instead?

“This is one effect of Covid-19, people realising that they can plan all they want, but since the future is uncertain, they are focusing more on the present moment,” says Dr. Saliha. “The thing is, the future has always been uncertain, we just had the illusion of certainty, so this is one gift Covid gave to some people – to keep them focused on the here and now.”

Image courtesy of @indg0

And the pandemic has also instilled a new sense of gratitude: “After experiencing isolation and quarantine, people can appreciate the simple things in life,” continues Dr. Saliha. “Instead of going away on an expensive beach holiday, a walk on the beach seems fulfilling.” Even better, this appreciation of the micro comes with health benefits: “When we are grateful, the parts of our brain associated with reward, motivation, and bonding are activated,” explains Dr. Saliah. “We have better sleep, decreased symptoms of depression and anxiety, and feel a deep sense of connectedness to ourselves and the people in our lives.” She continues: “One of the main chemicals secreted during the experience of gratitude is oxytocin, which is also known as the bonding or love hormone. It’s linked to positive experiences in humans including trust, empathy, positive memories, positive communication and being able to pick up on bonding cues in relationships. You are more relaxed, trusting, and experience psychological stability.”

And this connection to those dearest to us, be it the loved ones we’ve missed or lost during Covid restrictions, or those who were in our pandemic pods or bubbles, is one of the reasons for the rise in ‘micro get-togethers’ in place of huge parties and events to celebrate milestones. “Whilst sending out invites, people have an important thing in mind: quality trumps quantity,” reveals Rasha Badran, managing director at UAE events company The Purple Chair, as she discusses the increase she’s seeing in requests for smaller birthday celebrations and weddings. “They now want to celebrate with the ones dearest to them, prioritising their loved ones and keeping their guest lists small and their event more meaningful. Speeches are rich with emotion about appreciating the people dearest to them and emotions are high. Its very rare to find an unfamiliar face or a very distant relative at a wedding, which creates a more quality experience rather than filling seats just for the sake of a throwing a grandiose wedding.”

And so the term ‘micro wedding’ has been
 trending again, with couples forgoing guest 
lists of up to 300 for 30 to 50 people, or 
swapping huge ceremonies for smaller, more 
intimate, settings. “Less people doesn’t
always mean less of a wedding,” explains
 Rasha. “Covid has pushed everyone to be 
creative, with many clients splurging on fun 
entertainment, large-scale luxury balloon 
installations, customised masks or custom-
made cakes for every guest instead of a large cake so guests do not share. Some couples are opting for a more ne-dining experience or a weekend-away wedding.”

Frank Sorbier for Couture 2021

It’s a trend that Dubai-based Salma El Shahed, 28, and her husband Karim, 30, have adopted for the January wedding they were prepping for as we went to print. “Our pre-pandemic guest list didn’t go over 90 people, so we never really wanted to have a massive wedding, but 30? That was never the plan. And here we are, planning a micro wedding,” says Salma, who was engaged in December 2019 and has had the ceremony postponed twice. “Having fewer people at the big day does mean we can give them a better party, all while redirecting the remaining budget to a fancier and longer honeymoon, or that really expensive sofa for our new home.”

And lockdowns and Covid restrictions have helped the communications manager reassess what’s important. “I have been planning my wedding ever since I attended my aunt’s wedding when I was nine. Since then, years of other weddings, films, bridal magazines, and bridal social media have inflated the wedding of my dreams,” says Salma with honesty. “The pandemic has taught me that just because you’ve always wanted something, doesn’t mean it will happen. And that’s alright, because I learnt to find the magic in what I do have, which are the things that truly matter. And I have never felt better.”

And micro-weddings could be here to stay. “We believe that this trend has started out of necessity but ultimately people will realise there’s a lot more to gain from micro weddings,” says Rasha. “Most of our clients are indeed opting for this, they are turning their micro wedding into a micro experience.”


So will we be able to continue embracing the other micro joys we’ve come to appreciate? “To be grateful, and appreciative of the small joys in life, it is an intentional and conscious practice that we must continue to engage,” explains Dr. Saliha. “As we get more frequent and fluid access to the things we used to have pre-Covid, if we don’t become intentional about this practice, we are most likely going to adapt, and start taking them for granted once again.” But practice makes perfect: “It takes a mindful person, who makes an intention to be able to enjoy and be grateful for the simple things in life, again and again.”

Dr. Saliha Afridi On How To Find The Micro Joys

1. Find something small that you enjoy such as reading on the beach, walking in the park, having a foot soak while watching TV, or having a picnic with friends, and switch off from everything else to have your micro moment of joy.

2. Memorise the moment. Engage the five senses and take a mental and emotional snapshot. Just because you are having these experiences does not mean they will be encoded in your psyche, you have to go beyond paying attention, and actually notice the details of how you feel.

3. Slow down. If you are rushing around it is unlikely that you will pick up on the micro- joyful moments. Make a rule to not look at your electronic device while you drive or walk, and enjoy the beautiful blue sky or the warmth of the sun on your face.

4. Express it. Write about it, speak about it or draw it – do something to deepen the feeling you experienced in those micro-joyful moments. This further locks it into your memory as a positive experience.

From Harper’s Bazaar Arabia’s February 2021 Issue.

Image courtesy of Instagram/ @indg0 and Frank Sorbier for Couture 2021

Follow