Is it possible to be grateful during a pandemic? There might be quiet, positive moments throughout the day that you’ve come to rely on, such as hearing the birds chirp in the morning or the show you’re binge-watching for the billionth time. You might silently think to yourself about the few positives in your life right now, and it feels wrong. It feels extremely privileged to feel joy, happiness or peace when there are people around the world struggling because of the virus.
While we’re all in drastically different situations, there’s still room to reflect and be appreciative of the things that you do have, whether that be a strong cup of coffee, a neighborhood to walk in or a tightknit community that is working to uplift each other.
The following recommendations may help you push away the anxiety you’re feeling and reflect on the positivity around you. Try these activities in your free time, whether that be daily or weekly, to take a step back and center yourself around the joy that’s in your life. As Marie Kondo would say, focus on the things that “spark joy.”
1. Keep a ‘joy journal.’
While there are specific journals tailored to keep track of the things that bring you joy and helping you be mindful of your daily emotions, you don’t necessarily need a legit journal. This can be a note on your laptop, a piece of paper on your desk or a section in your planner for you to write down the positives of each day. This is a great place to start to kickstart a grateful journey because it will get you in the habit of focusing on the positives around you, writing them down and reflecting on them.
If you’re looking for something to help keep track, Passion Planner has space for monthly reflection in your work and personal life. Our team loves this planner because it helps balance all of the plates we’re juggling day-to-day and serves as a great record. There’s also ample space in the planner to jot down the happiness in your life. Pro tip: Passion Planner has a free downloadable version of its products for you to test drive.
2. Reflect on the positives.
Too often, we only focus on the negatives that happen: the meetings that go wrong, the arguments with friends, the times you wake up late, the milk that spills. These things tend to hold a lot of weight in our headspace, while all of the good moments fly by. Remind yourself daily to let the minor inconveniences in life slip away and to grasp onto those small, positive moments instead.
Tip: Place a sticky note on your mirror, desk or laptop to constantly remind yourself!
3. Engage in compassion meditation.
One way to alleviate some of the anxiety you’re experiencing is to engage in an activity called compassion meditation. That’s what Julie Brefczynski-Lewis, assistant research professor at West Virginia University, recommended to West Virginia Public Broadcasting’s Brittany Patterson.
“Compassion meditation is part of mindfulness, but it takes it a step further and does an imaginative exercise where you purposefully cultivate a positive feeling of compassion,” Brefczynski-Lewis told Patterson. “It can be for yourself; it can be for others…So, starting with someone you really care about, and you know, just thinking of them makes you smile, and wishing them happiness and wishing them joy and [the] ease of their suffering. And from there, you can step to other people or maybe yourself if you have trouble having compassion for yourself.”
We challenge you to try this technique at least once this week. Read the full conversation between Brefczynski-Lewis and Patterson on WVPB’s website.
4. Watch your language.
Take a quick moment to look through the texts you’ve sent your best friend or significant other. We tend to only share moments of discouragement or anger with others rather than the good things that happen (many times it’s because we don’t want to feel like we’re bragging). If you find yourself picking up the phone to complain about something that’s forgettable, instead ask the person you’re messaging how they’re doing. As we detailed in the first piece of this series, checking in on others can go a long way.
Side note: Of course, this one only applies to the minor inconveniences that you’ll forget within a few days, or that aren’t worth the negative energy. This is a hard time that we’re all living through and we are not discouraging you from expressing the way that you’re feeling or the problems you’re experiencing to your loved ones.
While we know these tips won’t fix what’s happening around the world, in our communities and even within our own homes, we do hope that they release the tension and anxiety you may be feeling. Have your own tried-and-trued mindfulness techniques? Share them with us (@WVUStudentMedia)!