The only thing certain is uncertainty
Since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic the message we have all been hearing is “don’t take anything for granted, appreciate what you have, practice gratitude”. Wasn’t this always true? Why does it take a pandemic to remind us of the importance of being grateful? Life is not constant, it has and will continue to be uncertain. Being safe, happy and healthy is never a given. Nonetheless we took comfort in the illusion that we could predict what tomorrow held. A pandemic does an effective job of stripping hope and the illusion of life’s predictability. Many of us are now hopeless, fearful and anxious realizing what we always took for granted is temporary and fragile.
Most of us have never experienced this much emotional upheaval and uncertainty. As scary as this is it is also a huge unifier. We are finally able to understand how our fates are linked. Undeniably this pandemic continues to cause immense pain and suffering that will have a ripple effect for many years. We will never be the same. However it will also compel us to discover our true selves and what we value. It will teach us empathy, solidarity and resilience. It will at the very least help us become better versions of ourselves. The future is unknown but the choices we make today have a compounding effect on our future.
“Let us rise up and be thankful, for if we didn’t learn a lot at least we learned a little, and if we didn’t learn a little, at least we didn’t get sick, and if we got sick, at least we didn’t die; so, let us all be thankful. ”
The quarantine has allowed my family to eat all of our meals together, something that wasn’t possible before due to varying schedules. My 5 year old son is relishing in all of this togetherness. Totally unprompted he decided to practice gratitude by initiating a new dinner tradition of going around the table and identifying our rose (highlight) and thorn (lowlight) of our day. On most occasions he chooses to identify several roses and no thorns, choosing to focus on the positives of his day. This has taught the rest of us to appreciate and celebrate the little things we often took for granted. I never imagined that the biggest life lessons would be taught by my children.
“Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today and creates a vision for tomorrow.”
Practice gratitude daily to increase happiness, strengthen resilience, build confidence, shift energy, improve sleep, mental and physical health. Practicing gratitude is a habit that takes time and dedication but will pay dividends.
6 WAYS TO PRACTICE
GRATITUDE DAILY:
It is perfectly natural to feel scared, overwhelmed and anxious right now. Do not judge these feelings and do not compare them to the feelings of others. Allow your emotions to enter, recognize them and label them. You are not alone. Realize that this is temporary and will pass. Practice daily habits to help create a positive mindset. A positive mindset will shift your energy and enable you to navigate this and future storms.
I created the below guide to help combat overwhelm and build resilience during times of chaos and uncertainty. It helps me and hope it helps you as well.
Rewire your brain to enjoy more happiness boosting chemicals with these 5 habits.
Find activities that put you in an effortless state of flow.
Express gratitude frequently.
Engage and nurture social connections.
Live in the moment. Stop worrying about the past or the future.
Seek new experiences and adventure.
Brené Brown’s new podcast Unlocking Us is nothing short of inspiring and empowering. Recently it has been my go to podcast when I want to escape from my day-to-day.
Brené on Anxiety, Calm + Over/Under-Functioning
We all have patterned ways of managing our day-to-day anxiety, and these patterns often reflect the roles and expectations of our first families. In this episode, we’ll talk about over and under-functioning in anxious times, why anxiety is contagious, and how we can cultivate a calm practice.
Thank you for reading.
With gratitude,
Polina
