I am grateful for my gratitude practice. When you are struggling, advice to focus on the positive can feel trite or dismissive, but from the stance of an ongoing practice it has been transformational for me. I have needed and benefited from both therapy and medication for depression, but finding three things I am grateful for each day and recording them has changed me.
My personal guideline is that I have to pick something from the same day and no pretending how I feel. It’s not something I should be grateful for but something I am grateful for.
Mostly it helps me focus on small things: daffodils, pizza, homegrown tomatoes. Sometimes it’s joy in my relationships: a walk with my friend, a date night with my husband, my mother-in-law buying us lunch. It is just a quick moment before I go to sleep where I notice that my son made us brownies, a coworker helped with a project, or my husband packed my lunch. I learned not to anticipate appreciation because after I was grateful that the dishwasher was getting fixed tomorrow- it did not get fixed that day, rather to appreciate the life I had: my daughter’s race went well, I went kayaking, the hoar frost on the trees was beautiful. I end each day with gratitude. Even in days full of overwhelm I can appreciate petting the dog, a cup of coffee, or clean sheets on my bed.
I’m Melissa Sloatman and that’s my perspective.
