As we’ve all experienced in the last 16 months, times have been difficult. Fear. Illness. Loss. Grief. We’ve been through so many stages. Through it all, I’ve been trying hard to keep cultivating gratitude.
Gratitude has been my absolute go-to in the darkest times of my life. It has helped me claw my way out of darkness into light. It has helped me look back on difficult times with a new understanding of how they fit into the story of my life and the life lessons I’m meant to learn.
It follows then, that cultivating gratitude has become even more important for me during the Pandemic.
Cultivating Gratitude During The Pandemic
What does gratitude mean to me during these times?
#1 The Harvard Medical Schools defines gratitude as an “appreciation of things that are valuable or meaningful to you”. Never have I been more grateful for life, for my husband, for health and all the comforts and security I enjoy.
#2 A study published in Psychological Science found when people focused on being grateful, they were more able to practise patience. While I still have a long way to go, I do see myself becoming more patient and accepting. It was difficult to wait patiently for the second dose of the vaccine as the Government seemed to keep extending the prescribed gap between doses. But I decided to focus on staying safe rather than worrying about this. I got my second dose exactly on the (new) date it was due!
#3 Gratitude is about appreciating life and whatever it brings. I’ve been learning to appreciate all the lessons these times have been teaching me.
#4 Gratitude is practised daily in the mundane moments of life. I’ve been enjoying the quiet. The lack of pressure to engage socially. Connecting with people I want to. Reconnecting with long lost friends and acquaintances. Cooking more. Cleaning more. Taking up more causes. And investing in learning.
“Cultivate the habit of being grateful for every good thing that comes to you, and to give thanks continuously. And because all things have contributed to your advancement, you should include all things in your gratitude.”
– Ralph Waldo Emerson
Do you have a gratitude practice? How has it been going during the Pandemic?
Nice read
Thank you!
Corinne Rodrigues recently posted..Persistence In Practice
I’m always grateful for each day. It’s a gift that I refuse to squander.
Have a fabulous day and week. ♥
Sandee recently posted..Awww Mondays
I see your joie de vivre evidenced in your lovely blog, Sandee. I believe that joy is a natural outcome of gratitude.
I like the way you’re reframing this pandemic. There’s definitely something to be said for looking for the good in hard times.
It’s the only way I can get through it, Lydia! Thank you for stopping by. Hope all is well in your world.
Thank you for the reminder. One of the first things my therapist required of me was to work through 21 days of gratitude, which turned out to be a list of articles/videos talking about the science and brain chemistry and cultivating a practice of gratitude. I appreciate your musings.
Oh that’s interesting, Tess. I have done a 21 day gratitude challenge before and it changed my perspective. I’m wondering how this helped you too.
So important to remember those good things in life, especially right now! Practicing gratitude is now part of my daily routine and remembering what I’m thankful for is really helping my mindset right now. Thank you for sharing.
Glad to know that gratitude is part of your routine too, Jordanne. It’s so important for me too.
Thank you for stopping by.
I feel only a few of us value and honor gratitude in our daily life. Some experiences in life is telling me that I’m seen as a fool for valuing the little joys in life. But I’m happy with celebrating the little joys in my life and only I know how much they help me.
Vinitha recently posted..Fiction Monday – 55
Oh dear, I pity people who don’t see the value and importance of the little joys! Their loss, Vini. We know how much that helps us keep our perspective!
I spend every day in gratitude. Looking back at the preceding years, how I was struggling with the lack of hope and love, and comparing them with my present times – the healings that have come, all I have is gratitude towards God. The dismantling of my old self was in the process for many years. The pandemic and the pressures of being confined in a small box-like home with people for 24 hours for months proved to be the pupa stage for me. Though the pandemic had not ended, the pupa stage has definitely ended.
The absence of pressure to engage with people is one of the blessings, in a way, of the pandemic.
Anamika Agnihotri recently posted..I Miss School by Ryan Reaves #BookReview
I can fully empathise with your feelings, Anamika. I’ve garnered the strength to take some very difficult decisions over the years, but during the pandemic, even more so. I am grateful too for God’s grace and my husband’s unflinching support through this. The lack of pressure to engage is so freeing, I can see me carrying this on in future!
I see now where you were coming from when you said practicing gratitude had made you patient. I see the wisdom in that.
Tulika recently posted..The House in the Cerulean Sea #BookReview
It tied in with my comment on your recent post, right? Baby steps for me, but I’m getting there. I start with being patient with myself.
I have been practicing gratitude for a long time, however, never knew that gratitude increases patience. I have indeed become a more patient person. During the pandemic, I have become more grateful for whatever I have. I loved reading this post as it echoed with my values a lot.
Yes, I realized the patience connection only recently too, Balaka. Kind of made sense to me. I’m glad this post resonated with you.
Being grateful every single day for all small things in life has really helped me to keep sane during this period. Yes, there were times when it was difficult to feel grateful but the habit of writing my gratitude list at the end of the day, helped me find things to be grateful for.
Absolutely, I think a grateful attitude and a gratitude practice has kept many of us sane through these crazy times.
Gratitude makes us see things in a very different way and I can tell you that I take absolutely nothing in the world for granted now, The pandemic taught me to be patient and live with the uncertainties of life but more than that it taught me how to be grateful for the minutest of things for they eventually add up to a lot. Gratitude in our hearts makes us view life in a very different way, Corinne!
Taking nothing for granted – absolutely right. That’s one thing that these times have underlined.
Corinne Rodrigues recently posted..Simone Biles’ Brave Act Of Self-Care
I’ve kept a gratitude journal off and on through the years but currently I am not. It would have been a good thing for me to do during these pandemic months/years. My husband mentioned to me the other day that I was being critical about several things; it made me stop in my tracks to hear it. It’s certainly not the way I want to be. I appreciate you sharing these words to add yet another reminder to myself to be more grateful, not critical. God has been very good to me.
What would we be without our husbands, Lisa. Thank you for sharing. I write down three things I’m grateful for into my Bullet Journal at the end of each day.
Corinne Rodrigues recently posted..Simone Biles’ Brave Act Of Self-Care
I nearly lost my sense of gratitude when the pandemic started, Corinne. It was so difficult to look into the brighter side of things when Covid was everywhere, especially at my workplace. But thanks to my church community, I slowly learned to find the good in all that is happening. I thanked God for every negative swab test result that I get, for the good health of my loved ones, for just being alive and healthy. The pandemic did teach me to appreciate even the smallest and seemingly insignificant blessings that I would otherwise fail to recognize if there wasn’t any pandemic. Gratitude does work wonders, doesn’t it? ❤
P.S. I am happy that you finally completed your anti Covid vaccine. What a relief to finally have a certain degree of protection from this deadly virus isn’t it? That’s how I felt when I got my 2nd dose in May 2021. I am hoping to have my sister get her first jab soon. ❤
Stay safe, Corinne. And may God bless and protect you and your loved ones always. ❤
Thanks for stopping by, Irene. Yes, the vaccine does make us feel safe, but we continue to be careful with masks and interactions etc. I hope your sister gets the vaccine soon.
Corinne Rodrigues recently posted..Simone Biles’ Brave Act Of Self-Care
I’ve been practicing gratitude since a very long time, and it does have a significant impact on many aspects of life. Especially in these times, focusing on the small joys and little blessings makes it much easier to navigate through all the uncertainty and anxiety.
Shinjini recently posted..The Eternal Return: How Nietzsche’s philosophy can help you find the key to a contented life
Yes, it’s the little joys and blessings that make our every day meaningful and I’m grateful we can enjoy them.
Corinne Rodrigues recently posted..Simone Biles’ Brave Act Of Self-Care