With my happiness project officially in full swing, I get to do self reflection for the theme this month. Mind you, I self reflect all the time on my life, mostly past, and future. My depression keeps me in the past and the anxiety keeps me fearful of the future. But, I have been really focused lately on staying in the present.
I have been trying to complete my 5 minute journal on a daily basis. The trick is you have to do it first thing in the morning and then again in the evening. In the morning you write down 3 things you are grateful for, 3 things that would make today great and then a positive affirmation about yourself. I find it tends to be more of a to do list, but I try put a little more thought into it. Then, in the evening, you have to write 3 amazing things that happened that day and then 1 thing that would have made the day even better. It’s hard. It’s actually a lot harder than it sounds. Some days I just want to write the same thing as the previous day, but it works best if you put some thought into it and dig a little deep. I also tend to forget to do the evening portion.
This month my goal is to complete the 5 minute journal morning and evening portion every. Single. Day. TBH, I have already been off to a rocky start. Since, I haven’t gone back to work yet, it is very often buried on the coffee table under books and other miscellaneous things, so it gets forgotten. I go back to work tomorrow so I plan on getting right back into it and will be un-burying it shortly. I challenge you to try out your own gratitude challenge. You can ask yourself the same questions and you don’t really need a fancy journal to make it work. I just have tried in the past to answer gratitude questions in the morning and do the whole morning reflection thing, but it never works. Having a book definitely helps. Plus, there is always a pretty quote at the top to get you thinking. And there is even a little ribbon that you can use as a bookmark as you go along.
Anyways, my 5 minute journal isn’t the only way I practice gratitude. Another way is to practice mindfulness. By being mindful of the present, it helps us become grateful for what we have. We live in a world so focused on the future and the next step and the next Instagram photo, that we forget to appreciate the moment. The right now. Every day, multiple times a day, I try and be present. Enjoy your surroundings, look around and appreciate where you are. Whether it is looking away from your phone and enjoying the company you are with, or sitting down to give your pet some attention, it helps us to enjoy the moment. Today for example, I asked my husband to make me breakfast. He asked what I wanted and I said surprise me. The fact alone that he is making it for me is enough for me. To appreciate the gesture rather then the result. To enjoy whatever he makes, even if it is not the way I would make it. It’s enough for me. Today we also have set aside some time to spend together. It is our last day off together before we go back to working opposite shifts. We plan on enjoying each other’s company. No matter what that may be. Be mindful and grateful for the people you love that are in your life.
“The most wasted of all days is one without laughter”
~ E. E. Cummings
Someone once gave me a journal with that quote written on the cover and I don’t know if they realized how perfect it was for me. It has become one of those quotes that I think about almost every day. Because it is so true. How often do you think about the days that you did not laugh? More often than not, they are bad days. Negative days. Having depression means that I can get caught up in my head looping over the same thought again and again. Before I know it, hours have gone by. One thing that has consistently brought me out of my head is laughter. I remember when I was younger, asking other people to just tell me a funny story or just to make me laugh. I knew that if I could just get laughing, it would push the dark cloud away a little bit.
So, I am grateful for the days that I laugh, the days that I laugh so hard I cry. Grateful for the people in my life that still love me when they haven’t seen me in months. Grateful for everyone who believes in me even when I don’t. Grateful for this blog in giving me an outlet for my rambling thoughts. Grateful for my dreams and goals which will hopefully one day become my reality.
What are you grateful for?
