Being Grateful in Quarantine

Now more than ever, I am faced with so much time on my hands when not very long ago, I remember hearing myself complaining that I didn't have enough hours in a day to do everything I wanted to do. Now, the world is at a standstill and I'd probably shorten the days if I had the power to do so as with every passing hour my anxiety surges and fear of the looming catastrophe consume my thoughts. There are many things that we could do to preoccupy our thoughts in these times; being productive, learning a second or third language, sharpen editing skills, finally learn to cook, to name a few- and while these are all practical activities, I propose a more mental work-out that if done right, channels positivity throughout your entire being! I am talking about practicing the art of gratitude. Of course, gratitude starts in your mind (with your thoughts) then seeps through in your attitude which then transcends into your behavior and the way you speak.

Here are 5 ways I practice gratitude to keep my head above the tides.

1. Thinking about what I have versus what I don't have

With so many losses being experienced right now, job loss and even more importantly loss of lives due to the onset and spread of this pandemic, it's hard to focus on what we still have.

Don't think for a second I'm trivializing the impact of the Corona-virus on families and our health workers on the first line of defense risking their lives for us; I'm inviting the idea of also thinking about what we have and using what we have wisely to achieve and hold on to some positivity that we all need to endure this global crisis. 2. I wrote down 5 things that I'm grateful for each day in my journal for a month Hey, you can do ten! I had made it my routine to jot down 5 things I'm appreciative of at the end of my day at least for a month. This project does't have to even have an end date, but I gave myself a month. In doing this, I realized that we take so much for granted and the simplest of things that we overlook, are major wins that we ought to be grateful for; example: being able to breathe or having a clear nasal passage.

3. Appreciating evidences of love that I receive Evidence of love means a gesture someone does to show they love you, it could even be the spoken word. Sometimes if you are waiting for en evidence of love from a particular person, you could miss all the other evidences of love around you. You may have a special someone who isn't doting on you anymore, and because of this, you feel very alone and unloved. But you may be missing the calls on your phone from your best-friend, you may be ignoring that "how was your day" text from a friend who actually cares enough to want to know about your day in these times. Pay attention to every instance where you are being served love and appreciate it!

We all need a little love, don't we? :) 4. Sharing These are indeed perilous times that we all want to get through together, alone. Cool oxymoron huh? 😉 My point though, we gotta get through this, but we have to isolate ourselves to protect each other, it's an individual-group effort! Okay I gotta stop with the cool oxymorons now lol. But even in isolation, if your friends and families need a little help with anything, maybe even food or toilet paper and you have enough to share, go ahead and send over some! We all need each other. Don't hesitate to share or give in to the "every man for himself mindset". We need each other!

5. Reaching out. I get the fear, I have an aunt as we speak risking her life on the front lines in New York City, and a grandmother who believes she is superwoman and caring for patients. Despite how scared I am of a dreadful call, I call or text them to let them know that their efforts are appreciated and I am proud of their hard work and selfless dedication. I don't just reach out to family members, but to friends as well.

Sometimes we get so caught up in ourselves that we sit and expect others to reach out to us, and forget that we can be the torch bearer too. Reach out to your people, and let them know you are thinking about them. There are much more you can do to remain thankful in these times,

and continue to practice those ways of showing gratitude even in isolation!