Finding gratitude in difficult times

I guess it took a pandemic to get me to write again. For months, I’ve wanted to write, but every time I sat at my computer, the screen remained blank. But that changed recently. For several weeks, we have been living in exceptional circumstances, as we are all trying to find a way to deal with the current happenings in the world. So, now the words are flowing. Here we go.

Dear 2020:

Are you finished?  No? Gee, 2020, you are a clusterf*ck of epic proportions, and it’s only March.

For years, the WHO warned us of a coming pandemic. We were well overdue for one. But we humans are stubborn. We’re also good at ignoring what’s in front of us, so we continued on our merry ways. But, Mother Nature always has the last word and here we are in the middle of the forecasted pandemic: COVID19.

Around the world, millions of people are isolated. Hundreds of thousands have tested positive. Tens of thousands have died. These are scary times for many.

Social distancing and isolation

In Quebec, schools have been closed since mid-March and are not expected to re-open before early May. I’d say that’s optimistic. All businesses, apart from grocery stores, pharmacies and other essential businesses are closed. People are working from home. Others will lose their jobs. Some companies will close. The economic impact will be severe.

As of right now, we are still allowed to go outdoors, but, understandably, we have to maintain a distance of at least 2 meters (6 feet) from each other. Those that have travelled need to self-quarantine. The updates are constant. Some days the situation changes hour by hour. This is incredibly scary and stressful. Yet, I do appreciate that in Canada, we are luckier than many. It seems like our governments have heeded the warnings from China and Italy and are taking steps to protect the population.

Dealing with the inevitable stress caused by the pandemic and the ensuing isolation

One thing that I started doing last year – something that I’ve continued to do, because it’s so helpful in not only calming my nerves but also allowing me to stop, take a breath and appreciate things – is this: every morning, typically before I start my day, I write down 3 things I’m grateful for. Sound easy? The challenge is in coming up with different things.  Some days it’s tough! My objective in writing down 3 things I’m grateful for was to stretch my gratitude beyond the obvious: I’m very grateful that my family is healthy, that we have each other to lean on for support, that we have a roof over our heads, and food on the table.

This morning I woke up and I just knew it would be hard to write down 3 things. I woke up with a headache. Then, mid-morning the rain started. A relentless, cold rain. The day was dark. I felt sad, gloomy, hopeless, even. But, after doing a workout (get those endorphins going!), I wrote down my 3 gratitudes for today:

1. Seeing 2 robins in my backyard before the rain started.
2. Doing an online spinning class. Great burn!
3. Having Tylenol on hand for this headache that refuses to go away.

As the weeks of isolation drag on, keeping this gratitude journal has allowed me to slow my thoughts and be more mindful. Many things are outside my control. What is in my control is how I react. Taking a few minutes to write down what I’m grateful for has helped me focus on the positive even as the situation changes constantly.

Do you keep a gratitude journal? If so, do you find it helps?