With all of this uncertainty in life right now, the one thing that is certain is that our country and our entire world are still in the grips of the COVID-19 pandemic. We have no idea what the future will hold. We are not sure if schools will open in a few months when we will return back to the office or what the cooler winter months will bring. All of this “not knowing” can lead to a great deal of stress and anxiety. We may not even be aware of the anxiety we may be holding in our bodies. Some clues that we are experiencing stress may include not sleeping well, feeling a bit on edge, or possibly flying off the handle when its least expected. Whenever I start to feel these things coming on, I remind myself to pause and to slow down, to look around and take stock of what really matters to me, and to practice gratitude.
Gratitude is a very powerful practice that has the ability to shift us from focusing on lack of or desiring something to be different—to noticing the goodness that is already here in the present moment. It helps to change our perspective and focus on the positive instead of the negative. Research has shown that practicing gratitude has many benefits of increased health and wellness, positive emotions, better sleep, and increased self-esteem. The more we practice gratitude, the easier it becomes, and we begin to take in the world in a more positive light by actually changing our brain neuropathways. Practicing gratitude also helps us to feel a deep connection to ourselves, others, and something larger than ourselves.
A great way to practice gratitude is the G.L.A.D. technique. I’ve been teaching this technique to my patients in hospice care, and also in the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction groups that I lead. The G.L.A.D. technique helps you to focus on what’s going right in your life instead of what’s wrong or wanting things to be different. The G.L.A.D. is an acronym for ways to find more joy, purpose, and balance in your day (this practice was developed by Donald Altman).
Here is how to do The G.L.A.D. Technique:
G—Write down one thing that you are grateful for today. This can mean basic gratitude for the pillow you laid your head on when you slept, or the water that is coming out of our kitchen faucet to drink. This can also be gratitude for a person, an experience, a job, etc…
Today I am grateful for the sunrise I was able to see from my porch rocking chair.
L—Write down one new thing that you learned today. This can be about yourself or something new that you learned from others. It can mean learning a new fact about something, or what you learned from an experience. This allows you to see that each day is full of new things!
After a long day’s work, I learned that taking a hot bath before I go to bed, helps me to sleep better.
A—Write down one small accomplishment that you have done today. We often believe that an accomplishment has to be something big and grand. It can be ordinary acts of self-care that you did for yourself or for someone else.
For example:
Not skipping meals
Taking medications or supplements correctly
Getting enough sleep
Paying bills on time
D—Write down one delight that touched you deeply today. Consider anything that gave you joy or made you smile. This could be noticing beautiful flowers, laughing with friends, connecting with someone, or eating a great piece of chocolate!
I was surprised and delighted by a chocolate ice cream treat my coworker got for me today on our lunch break.
This G.L.A.D. technique can change our mindset to a more positive outlook for our lives. It’s even more effective if you date each entree in your journal, and then look back on how much goodness there is in your life that may have gone unnoticed.
We may not have much control over what’s ahead for us right now, but we do have an opportunity and a choice to see the good that is around us. You can practice this G.L.A.D. technique by journaling as a quiet mindful practice, or share it with your family or a group of friends to do together! Try this practice daily for a week, and notice how this grateful state starts to remain with you throughout the day, and possibly even reducing some of the stress and anxiety you are experiencing. Gratitude is free, keeps us in the present moment, and helps us to let the good in, which we can all use a dose of right now!