Sometimes the Best Part Is Knowing It’s Waiting

There are certain parts of the day that seem to pull us through everything that comes before them. That first sip of coffee after the alarm goes off. The shower you promised yourself after finishing one last task. Fresh sheets waiting upstairs. A candlelit evening with the book you have been meaning to get back to.

What’s interesting is that these moments don’t only feel good when they happen. Sometimes, simply knowing they are waiting is enough to shift the day.

If you’ve ever thought, “I cannot wait to get home and take a shower,” you already know what we mean. At that point, the shower has not happened yet. You have not felt the warm water, smelled your favorite soap, or wrapped yourself in a warm towel. Still, something has already changed. Your mind has started arriving before your body does.

The Ritual Before the Ritual

We often think relaxation begins once the water runs, the candle is lit, or the bath begins. But sometimes, the ritual starts much earlier. It begins when you decide tonight is the night you will take your time. It begins when you choose the scent, set the towel out, pick the playlist, or reach for the book you have been saving.

It turns out there is science behind that feeling.

Researchers at Stanford University found that the brain begins responding to anticipated rewards before they are received. As we look forward to something enjoyable, the brain's reward system becomes active, suggesting that anticipation itself is part of the experience rather than simply the time leading up to it (Knutson et al., 2001).

That same pattern appears in everyday life. In a study examining vacations and well-being, researchers found that people often reported greater happiness while anticipating a vacation than after returning home. Planning, imagining, and counting down to the experience contributed significantly to overall happiness (de Bloom et al., 2010).

Neuroscientist Wolfram Schultz's work on dopamine helps explain why. Dopamine is often called the brain's "feel-good" chemical, but its role is more nuanced. Rather than responding only to rewards, dopamine also responds to the expectation of reward. In many cases, our brains begin motivating and preparing us for something enjoyable before it actually happens (Schultz, 1998).

We can even think back to being a child on Christmas Eve. The gifts were still wrapped. Nothing had been opened. And yet, it was often one of the happiest nights of the season. You went to bed imagining what the morning might bring, and somehow, the excitement was already part of the celebration.

As adults, we may not wait for Christmas morning in quite the same way, but we still look forward to things. The weekend. A dinner reservation. A spa appointment. A long-awaited visit with a funny friend. Or sometimes, something much smaller.

Perhaps that is why we savor the time spent looking forward to a warm bath, a favorite candle, or an uninterrupted evening. 

Something Worth Looking Forward To

Somewhere along the way, many of us got into the habit of saving things for “special occasions.” The beautiful candle. The luxurious soap. The good towels. The perfume we do not want to waste. As if Tuesday after a long day has not earned a little softness.

But what if the ritual is the occasion?

What if the thing worth looking forward to is not always a vacation, a reservation, or a milestone? What if it is twenty quiet minutes, a warm shower, and a scent that makes the day feel a little less rushed?

At Undisturbed, we think everyday rituals deserve more intention. Not because every moment has to be elaborate, but because ordinary days are where most of life happens. A candle waiting to be lit, a shower waiting to become a reset, or a soap bar waiting beside the sink can become small reminders that something good is still allowed to belong to today.

That same idea has been on our minds as we prepare for Studio Sessions.

The experience will last only a little while, but we hope it begins much earlier—when you reserve your place, wonder which fragrance you will choose, imagine the colors you might be drawn to, and begin looking forward to an afternoon shaped by scent, color, texture, and creativity.