Hello, lovelies!
As this weird year goes on (seriously, so weird), I’ve been trying to take some extra time to focus on my mental health and take care of myself (and I hope you are practicing self care, too!). Like many of you, my summer plans are not working out the way I originally expected them to. I had a LOT of events and travel plans that I had been looking forward to this summer that were all canceled due to COVID, and even a lot of the little things that I would normally enjoy I simply can’t do right now. My husband and I are living in an area where the COVID case numbers are insanely high, so we are choosing to stay home as much as possible – which means no girl days at the mall with my best friend, no beach getaways with my family, no spontaneous dinner dates at our favorite restaurants, no trips to the bookstore just to look around and be inspired, the list goes on. And while I recognize that I could have it so much worse than I do, it’s still okay for me to feel these feelings and be disappointed that things aren’t working out the way I thought they would. BUT while it’s 100% okay to feel these feelings, I also recognize that I can’t let myself get hung up on them. It’s important to keep a clear perspective and also recognize all the good in my life – because there’s a whole lot of it!
One of the simple things I’ve been doing to take care of myself and my mental health (as well as my sanity) is to practice gratitude – specifically by keeping a gratitude journal. Gratitude journaling is a practice that I’ve done off and on throughout my adult years, and believe it or not I also did it for a short time as a kid. After my grandmother passed away when I was young I was deeply sad, and I remember sitting down at night with my mom as she would help me write out 5 things I was grateful for. I don’t know if I recognized the point of it at the time, but it helped me to see that “yes, this sad thing happened… but look at all the things I can be happy about, too!”. It helped me to process the sad, but not to let it overwhelm me.
There’s no “right way” to practice gratitude, but the basic idea is to consciously be aware of all the things you are grateful for, and to regularly take time to acknowledge how grateful you are for them.
I personally like to keep a gratitude journal at my desk, where it is easily accessible, and list out 5 things I’m grateful for each night while I’m winding down and getting ready for bed. I try to make my 5 things relevant to that day, and I try to be as specific as I can be – because if I just wrote “my husband” every night, it would get pretty repetitive. To give you an idea, here are some of the things that I have written down in my gratitude journal over the last few weeks:
- The vast amount of good vegan food in Austin
- Long phone calls with my dad, just to say hello
- A nice cool breeze during a hot run in the summer heat
- A husband who is always willing to help do the dishes
- The flexibility to take off work an hour early to meal prep
- Yummy summertime watermelon from the farmers market
- A walking trail right outside my apartment
- The ability to video chat with a far-away friend when I miss them
- A balcony big enough so that I can practice yoga outside
- The availability of medications for the bunnies when they need it
These are just a few examples, but I think you get the point. They are specific enough that I can look at my list from 2 weeks ago and be able to recall some of the events of that day, because they are represented in my list. In a way, it’s kind of like simply journaling the events of the day through a highlight reel! Sometimes I will also add a paragraph or two of actual journaling underneath my gratitude list, particularly on days where I’m feeling lots of feelings, but sometimes I just write down my 5 things and call it a night. I really love doing this at night because it makes me go to bed on a good note. Sometimes in the morning I like to read over my list from the night before to start my day off on a good note as well!
You’ll also notice that not everything on my list is profound and deep. One of them is watermelon, guys. These can be as simple or as deep as YOU want!
The great thing about this practice is that it’s a really simple thing. You sit down, you write down a few things you’re grateful for, and you’re done. BUT it can really make a much bigger difference than you probably anticipate. Now I’m consciously looking for the great things in my life so that I can include them in that night’s journal entry – which makes me realize how many great things there truly are (because it’s really pretty easy to find those things when I’m looking for them!). I’ve also caught myself being more grateful throughout the day by taking quiet little moments to appreciate things, and by telling my loved ones that I appreciate them. It’s shifted my mindset so that I’m focused on the positive things throughout my day, rather than the negative. This shift in mindset has helped me to be less stressed, smile more, and even sleep better because my mind isn’t in a negative loop when I go to bed. PLUS, I feel that it has also boosted my self esteem because I am more appreciative of my personal accomplishments as well!
If my personal experience isn’t enough to convince you, there has been quite a bit of research done to show the positive effects of gratitude as well. According to Harvard’s summary of the research;
“gratitude is strongly and consistently associated with greater happiness. Gratitude helps people feel more positive emotions, relish good experiences, improve their health, deal with adversity, and build strong relationships.”
I don’t know about you, but that sounds like a train that I want to be on!
If journaling isn’t your thing, you can still practice gratitude in other ways! (Side note: if you choose to start a gratitude journal, you now have an excuse to buy a new journal. You’re welcome.) Maybe for you this looks more like taking a quiet moment at the beginning or end of your day to think about the things you are grateful for, or sharing some of those thoughts with a friend or family member. You can also take things a step further and act on your gratitude by volunteering, fostering the relationships that are important to you, or by fitting more random acts of kindness into your day. It’s your gratitude practice, so do what works for you!
And on that note, I am grateful to you all for reading my posts and staying connected with me! Thank you for being part of the Joyful Balance community <3
Do you practice gratitude or keep a gratitude journal? Let me know in the comments!
Peace & love,
Brava. Nothing like a little gratitude.
Indeed!