Gratitude practice for the win

"Gratitude is the fairest spring blossom of the soul."  

Henry Ward Beecher

Firstly, I want to acknowledge that this is really, really hard. Having noticed the tentacles of anxiety slowly beginning to creep into my being, I knew it was time to take action before I allowed them to restrict my momentum. The choice was either to grow a story that would assure me a front row seat in a place that would be tricky to get out of, or park the thoughts and shift focus. 

Like many others, in Lockdown 06 I'm experiencing feelings I've never had before.  Having generally managed well throughout this global health crisis, I've been lucky enough to rely on regular work, secure living in a beautiful environment, close contact with other humans and resources to support me. Please know that I am very aware of my privilege, so nothing to complain about here.

That said, what's going on is not normal! The ongoing uncertainty coupled with last minute changes, I've had trouble recalling what day, week or even year we are in. Let alone which school term we are in the midst of. My resilience has worn thin, after watching too many news headlines, scrolling past exhausting debates and reports from many in my realm about how bored they are.

What I did know was that a shakeup was required.  A few quiet words to myself resulted in a decision to drastically reduce my exposure to said distractions and refocus towards something that was going to nourish me. After much internal grappling, I slowly but steadily navigated through my resistance to investigate how a little making with my hands might help. A practice I have not used much these past 18 months, but one I know from experience can make all the difference once started.

To feel better, I needed 

-  To connect and engage with something positive outside of myself. 

-  To create something for myself or someone else that I could enjoy, both during the act as well as from the result.  

 - Something to bring me into the present 

-  To shift me from observer and judge, to simply being.

Sure, I can get a bit of this in the garden being absorbed by the colours, textures and noises but that wasn't going to cut it. I also have my long-held yoga practice, but at the moment this seems more like maintenance and a lifelong commitment rather than small moments of joy. Some get the results from an art practice or cooking. Or like my partner, giving the dog crazy haircuts.

The profound shift in my wellbeing from making this deliberate choice to engage, transported me directly to a place of gratitude. Reminding me that gratitude as a practice is a salve for the unsettled mind. That the act of using my hands to create or do something that is seperate from the 'must do'  list, appears to have a compound effect in strengthening my gratitude muscle and therefor lightening my mood and brightening my outlook. Since the unexpected shift I have committed to #10minutesofmaking everyday and it's working a treat. 

How are you making space for gratitude in your life?

One of the most well known ways to cultivate gratitude is journalling which I love. I've some links below if you're interested in checking out a couple of the many practices available.

My friend and fellow coach Sarah has some excellent weekly journal prompts to inspire possibility and living intentionally - click Sarah's headshot to grab them

My future Self Journal from the Holistic Psychologist is an absolute favourite that I have done regularly for some time. Grab a free download from Dr Nicole.