Gratitude, COVID-19 and I

Gratitude, COVID-19 and I

Gratitude should be part of everyone’s self-care goals. As you may know, science shows it can boost our immune system and mood, and help decrease depression by being grateful.

While we have a national holiday to celebrate gratitude, unfortunately, for many of us, remembering the importance of appreciation is not part of our daily routine. It’s only on Thanksgiving that we set a time to give thanks to family and friends.

When we learn to be grateful, we realize that we have more and more things to appreciate. It’s a sign to the Universe to open the doors of happiness for us. That’s because when we change our perception of reality to see the bright side, we have more. We always find what we look for.

Social Media and I

I have been distancing myself from social media. I know it’s a great way to connect to my inner circle and know what’s going on in the world around me. That said, it has also trigged anxiety and frustration, which are not great feelings to have in the middle of a pandemic.

Social Media and Comparison

Negativity and comparison can quickly kill our joy and leave us with the feeling that our worth depends on how others perceive us. Maybe your highs are not high enough, and your lows feel like the lowest ever.

In previous blogs such as Five Rules of Wellbeing and  Project 20|20: Gratitude, I suggested writing three things we are grateful for at the end of each day. I know that it may be tough to do that at first, mostly we are going through a turmoil. I totally understand, mostly when we are not in a ‘good wave.’ But believe me, it gets better and more natural.

Our gratitude list can be as simple as ‘I had the energy to play with my kids today,’ or ‘I had a delicious meal.’ In today’s time, we can go even be straightforward – I can breathe. Try to consider things we may take for granted, right?

Practicing Gratitude

Develop an attitude of gratitude, and give thanks for everything that happens to you, knowing that every step forward is a step toward achieving something bigger and better than your current situation. – Brian Tracy

Why don’t we stop and give it a try right now, and celebrate our most significant resource as live beings – our ability to breathe. Let’s pause for a quick minute meditation.

• Take a deep breath in counting slowly from 1 to 5
• Hold your breath for 4 seconds
• Release your breath counting slowly from 1 to 5
• Repeat 5 times

Can you take another step and think about a couple events in the last 24 hours that made you happy, loved, appreciated, or proud of yourself? Use compassion and be grateful for it.

And for the last step, grab a pen and write down a list of things you have in your life that you are grateful for. Honor your true-self and embrace your flaws as they make you unique.

Our self-worth, as the words say, is based on how much we love ourselves. It’s impossible to love others and be happy when we skip the very primary step of loving ourselves, just like who we are.

Don’t compare yourself, your life, or your happiness to others. Be your own judge, and nurture your needs of being loved with gratitude.

Yours truly,

Hope

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