Develop an attitude of gratitude

 Wednesday 12th August 2020

“Gratitude is the wine for the soul. Go on. Get drunk.” Rumi

I'm doing a lot of reading and studying at the moment, I love to learn and yesterday I was reading about gratitude.  I've been reflecting over my day each evening and write a list of things I'm thankful for, things that make me smile, that lift my spirit and fill my heart with joy and it is making a difference to how I coping with my life.  

According to what I was reading yesterday, there is science-backed evidence that expressing gratitude and feeling grateful can go a long way to happiness and joy. You can be thankful for many things such as your health, your children, your home, or even the fact that you have food to eat.

Thinking about the good things in life and stopping to smell the roses along the way can help you feel happier in the moment.   What's the saying you'll never get a positive life with a negative mind!  I'm not pretending that there isn't any bad in my world, I'm not wearing rose tinted glasses, I'm just choosing to focus on the positives, the good stuff.  This is how simple it is, here's a little challenge for you, because I know some people find it difficult, I've asked in workshops for 3 good things in the past and members are, 'there isn't anything', so here goes.

List something your grateful for; 

- about your body. (there will be something, my back was hurting this morning whilst I was out with the dog, but I said to myself, at least I'm walking and able to feel that pain, there are plenty of people out there who can't walk!)

- What do you find beautiful?

- What's a song you love?

- A friend you're grateful for?

- A smell you love.

- Something that makes you smile. 

- A happy memory.

- something you like about where you live.

- A member of your family that you're thankful for.

- A food you love.

- An ability you have. 

- A person.

- Something you're looking forward to.

- A life lesson you've had. 

- A personality trait you have.

- Something you use every day.

- Something about work you're thankful for.

- Something that's made you laugh.

- A book you've read.

- a gift you've received.

- Something in nature that's lifted your spirit.

See there's a list of things that will help you put together lots to be grateful for!  

There were other things I read about that help increase happiness and the one thing that really stood out, especially with everything that's going on right now was that expressing physical affection is important. According to Virginia Satir, a respected American therapist, each of us needs four hugs a day just for survival! Eight hugs a day are suggested for maintenance and twelve hugs a day are suggested for growth.  Hugs create a sort of trickle-down effect and release of oxytocin, which can reduce stress and elevate your mood.

When you think about the isolation that people have experienced this year, myself included, we are missing this connection, no wonder so many are having mental health issues.

We need to make sure we're there for each other, we also need to make sure we're being honest about how we're feeling, we need to keep talking, keep being kind, be understanding.  

I was definitely anxious about returning to work, talking to my friends helped but I think talking to my employer was what helped me the most, I needed my concerns to be heard and they were.  I'm not going to lie and say last Thursday was amazing because it wasn't!  I loved seeing everyone but I didn't like the setting up, cleaning and sweating like a bitch side of it at all, I made it through though and hopefully it'll get easier standing for 5 hours wearing a face visor / mask.  Again I keep reminding myself how grateful I am for every health professional that's been wearing them to take care of people all over the planet.

Well that's enough from me for one day, I'm on my virtual later (5.30 Wolverhampton Connect Group) then I'm at Bloxwich again tomorrow for Express Weigh-in's - where's that week gone ay! 

Luv ya, mwah

Love me xx