Why we all need a summer full of Whimsy
My explore pages across various social platforms lately have been full of “Whimsy”.
If you spend any amount of time on Instagram, TikTok ( search #whimsy and #whimsical), or Pinterest you may have noticed the trend. It was a huge buzzword on TikTok over the past 30 days. The term “Whimsy” even spiked in Google searches 400% year over year, per Good Morning America.
Some are calling it a “vibe shift”. At it’s core it’s simply a mindset about enjoying life. But even more than that it’s about bringing back a much needed sense of playfulness and brightness to our everyday living to counteract the weighty status of the world we live in. This video “What is Whimsy” from Instagram creator (article photo credit) and this carousel post from @megmstudy also lists some ways to add whimsy to your week. Creator and author @Davidlarbi spread positivity and whimsy or joy and happiness in the little things and writes poems about them.
This mindset shift feels especially timely with Summer Solstice right around the corner. Summer’s used to be for playing, sleepovers with friends, riding bikes until it got dark, movie marathons, swimming in the heat of the day, and eating sandwiches with chips by the pool. Most adults I know have days brimming with responsibilities and commitments whether its keeping kids home from school entertained for the next 8-12 weeks, working a 9-5, figuring out how to make rent, or all of the above. It’s easy to get soo busy and bogged down with the state of the world we forgot to make room for wonder or add a little color to our lives or to those around us. While whimsy is also being used as a marketing aesthetic to counteract years of trending minimalism and the ‘sad beige aesthetic’, you don’t have to wear color-embroidered socks, beaded bracelets or faerie dresses to participate in having some “whimsy” this summer ( although maybe you do want to mix things up in your wardrobe a bit!) Why do we all need some whimsy this summer? Because the obsession with productivity and optimization for everything can actually end up leaving us with time for nothing. And because joy, creativity, and a little tenderness is something our world can always use more of, and because these can be small acts of resistance to a world trying to outsource all humanity matter. It also seem like this trend has risen in response to burnout culture. So here are some ways you can make life feel more whimsical this summer:
Eat meals outdoors whenever you can! Take advantage of longer daylight hours. Whether a work lunch outdoors instead of at your desk, or dinner at the park or your back porch or balcony there is nothing more whimsical than dining outdoors!
Bring some color back into your life. A colorful headband or accessory, some fresh flowers indoors, or even more colorful ingredients in your meals, or going on a color walk- what is one small way you can add more color to your day?
Start a collection of items for fun, stickers, postcards, coins, spoons, something that will get you out of your normal sphere meeting new people and checking out new places or reaching out to strangers on your local FB groups.
Send some hand written notes to loved ones. Parents, a sibling, a coworker or best friend from college.
Make playlists for cooking, commuting, or folding laundry, light a candle while you do boring stuff. Create a whimsical environment.
Have a monthly craft night with your partner or friend. Do a paint and sip, check out a pottery studio, or make a craft date and go to Hobby Lobby and pick something to decorate: a totebag, a hat, a mug, a frame, a candle, bookmarks, the possibilities are endless.
Whimsy doesn’t just sprinkle joy, silliness, and color into our own lives, it can also help us connect with others. Sharing whimsy with others can help lower stress and it can also help to build trust. Being silly can provide a sense of safety and let others know its okay to let their guard down.
Dr. Vinay Saranga, a psychiatrist and founder of the North Carolina Institute of Advanced NeuroHealth, said, “It seems like every day there is a new TikTok trend that people are latching on to, but the ‘whimsy’ trend is one that I like, and that makes a lot of sense, and is good for mental health. Sometimes we take ourselves much too seriously, but adding more whimsy to your life inspires playfulness, creativity, curiosity, and fun,” per Vice.
Whether you decide to add more whimsy to your day by lighting candles at dinner, adding a pop of color your outfit, or having a special playlist for the commute home, these little acts of novelty and spontaneity can go a long way to counteracting the more mundane aspects of life.
