What is ‘Living Deliciously’?

 by Juliette Franks

Living deliciously is a phrase coined by Florence Given, a 24 year old feminist, writer, illustrator and influencer. She recently defined it in the episode of her podcast Exactly, entitled ‘Floss’ Guide To Living Deliciously' as:

 “Enhancing your experience of the world as though you are the centre of it, and as though beautiful things are happening around you constantly.”

Despite often speaking about very heavy topics such as sexual harassment, relationship boundaries and the patriarchy, Given explains that she is still an innately happy person, and finds ways to both want to change things about the world, and love it at the same time. Often activists are serious people, because their situations require them to be, however she describes how she is able to be a happy activist due to this concept of living deliciously.

Although it is similar to romanticising your life, she highlights the critical difference: living deliciously does not require any resources. It is simply noticing the small things around you that make you happy, then making them a part of your daily routine. It doesn't require any money to wake up half an hour earlier to watch the sunrise, to give yourself a beautiful start to your day. These simple efforts can make all the difference, by making you a happier person, leading to enhanced confidence and fulfilment. It is a mindset and a lifestyle that can be learned, because it only involves changing how you let the world around you impact you and your emotions and thoughts. By finding and noticing beautiful things, the inconveniences of life don’t bother you as much.

Given shares many examples of the things she does in order to live deliciously in her podcast and on her socials, including:

• Pink lamp shades over lights

• Leaving your house every single day

• Colour coordination of outfits

• Listening to the sound of bird song

• Moving towards the sun

• Buying yourself flowers

• Plaiting hair with velvet ribbons

• Candlelight

Many people can find it difficult to take the time to live deliciously because they see it as selfish, or feel guilty that they are indulging into something whilst others don’t have the same opportunities. However, there have been plenty of studies that clearly show that looking after yourself first, makes it much easier to look after others. You are able to be there for others more if you know how to be there for yourself. Given is defiant by declaring that every single person deserves to feel happy and to have nice moments every day. In fact, it is even more important for extremely busy people to think about their own happiness, because often they are too busy to consider how they are really feeling.

Living deliciously is thought to be related to being aesthetic, however Given explains that being aesthetic has recently become viewed with negative connotations due its overuse, suggesting that people are trying too hard to look cool or beautiful for an audience. Comparatively, she suggests that living deliciously is one of the few things in life that is not a consumable act. It is purely for the pleasure of oneself because you are doing the things that make you specifically happy, rather than trying to cater to the opinions of others.

Furthermore, Given offers some advice by suggesting that living deliciously helps people stop chasing love, because they can create romance for themselves. When you are always doing the things you love that make you happy, you no longer feel the need to find someone else to make your life fulfilled. Therefore, living deliciously fills a void that many people feel is there due to a lack of a partner, however it is simply there because of a lack of creating those moments for yourself.

Florence Given believes so fiercely in living deliciously that she got the words tattooed on her body. She wakes up everyday with a smile on her face. The effectiveness of living deliciously cannot be questioned: it makes people into more confident, happy, and fulfilled people.