How gratitude revolutionised my mindset

I have spoken at length elsewhere about my battle with low mood and anxiety. One tool that I have embraced this year has been a gratitude journal. This simple technique has revolutionised my bedtime routine and mindset. I own a multitude of pretty journals that I have dipped in and out of over the years. My trustiest shiny pink diary had a little key, and consisted mostly of lists. Angel Delight, playing tennis against the wall, and jogging up and down the lane featured strongly in my pre-teen lists. It developed as a teenager into a slightly more adult affair: lists of who I had kissed; where I had kissed; nationalities/counties of people I had kissed – vital statistical information for sleepovers. I have sometimes found these journals to become a chore, and I would feel anxious if I missed a few days of vital lists.

I am an avid reader, and love all sorts of novels. Marian Keyes has always been a personal favourite author of mine. Her books walk a fine line between humour, warmth, and serious issues (often related to mental health). Her book “The Brightest Star in the Sky” was the first in which I read a mention of “Gratitude Journals”. In the book, the protagonist writes down three things she is grateful for each evening, and also documents the “random acts of kindness” that she carries out during the day. This idea percolated for a while, and earlier this year, when entering my characteristic February low mood I decided to try this gratitude journal myself.

I have yet to attend counselling when in a low mood, as the thought of it makes me more anxious and sends me into a downward spiral. I rely on exercise, healthy eating, and a good support network of family and friends when feeling low. I have always been a fan of a motivational quote, and the simplicity of the gratitude journal appealed to my low energy state of mind. I had a weekly planner that I had purchased in Penney’s, and decided to kill two birds with the one stone. I wrote down a vague plan of the week’s activities, and then added in the details of each day when in bed that night.

I decided not to set any strict rules for myself on the amount of items I had to feel grateful for. I read somewhere that if you were particularly hard-up for things to write down, you should include basic amenities (running water, electricity etc.). I have yet to reach this level, so all in all I can be grateful for a full life. Day by day I noticed longer entries, more details of all the wonderful events and people in my life. I keep all of my weekly entries on my dresser, and some days will flick to a random week and read all of the fun things that I did that week. A lot of my entries focus on being fed by kindly pals, as sharing meals is one of my favourite things to do. I also include two or three quotes/mantras that I try to focus on for the week in question. These are sometimes profound, but more often are simple reminders e.g. Spread smiles; Add value; Sprinkle kindness.

In the past few months, I have cultivated a positive attitude, and am currently beyond content with my lovely life. The more positive I am, the better my life and experiences tend to be. I seem to attract kindred spirits, and I love to share good vibes with these new friends. I stumbled across a quote that encapsulates this nicely: “Sometimes you get lucky and find a soul that grooves with yours”.

I have beautiful pals, who will indulge me when I demand attention for my headstands, crabs, and handstands. They will join me in dance breaks when I can’t quite contain my truth-filled hips. As Nietzsche put it “And those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music”. This vibrates very closely with a line my father used when describing me: “that youngest one, she’s busy dancing to the voices in her head”. I’m grateful for good music, friends to dance with, and a healthy body which allows me to throw great shapes. I’m grateful for summer, festivals, and cherry blossom trees. I’m grateful. I’m happy. I’m well.