So many people tell me that although there were some good things that came from the pandemic, mostly they feel exhausted, sad, and overwhelmed from such a scary and unsure time in their lives. I have very similar feelings. The pandemic, subsequent shutdowns, concern about the health of those I love, a divided country, and a very unstable future led to me struggling to find my optimism and hopeful nature. I kept myself busy throughout the pandemic and yet I think that business was a cover for all of the other emotions that I was experiencing.
Often, people in the wellness and mental health field recommend gratitude as a way to counteract the challenging situations in our lives. I’m on board with gratitude, and yet sometimes it feels forced and robotic and thus unhelpful. One day in early summer, I was feeling melancholy about a still unclear path out of the pandemic, the status of my business, and the ongoing health concerns of older relatives and friends. I tried my typical, “I’m so grateful for my family” mantra. Although it’s true that I am grateful for them, it wasn’t hitting me at a deep, more authentic space.
Finding Gratitude Through Our Five Senses
I decided to truly stop everything I was doing and get completely present in the moment. I engaged all of my senses in that moment and allowed myself to feel anything and everything. Fairly quickly, I was able to truly sit in a space of gratitude. It was a beautiful day and I could smell the trees, grass, and flowers just outside my door. I looked around at my dated and somewhat cluttery home and I saw items that meant something to me due to their history and their connection to the people and experiences that I love.
My dog was snoring gently at my feet. I looked at her sweet, content, 14-year-old face and felt such profound love and gratitude for all of the comfort she gave me and my family during the pandemic. A delicious cup of coffee was in my hand. It connected me to the sense of warmth, the bitter taste, and the inviting aroma that a good cup of coffee can bring. I was leaning against some ratty old pillows that don’t look so great, but are still so outrageously comfortable that we can’t seem to get rid of them. I was covered with a warm, cozy blanket and in my other hand was an excellent book.
Connecting deeply with yourself, your thoughts, feelings, and senses can lead to a powerful release of negative feelings and a genuine experience of gratitude. #gratitude #pandemic #happiness Click To TweetIn that moment I felt such gratitude and powerful emotions for some very simple aspects of my life, and yet aspects that I often take for granted. The pandemic was starting to end, my family had all been fully vaccinated, and we were alive and well, gainfully employed, and still had our homes or apartments. This pandemic hit so many people in horrible, painful, devastating ways. It was easy to feel hopeless and discouraged. I know I felt that way frequently.
Yet a quiet moment in which I focused on the sensory experience of that moment and all that I am grateful for lifted me up on that day and so many that followed it. Connecting deeply with myself, my thoughts, feelings, and senses led to a powerful release of so many negative feelings that had built up over the past fifteen months. I strongly recommend you try this for yourself. It was truly a vaccine for the spirit.
Love,
Lisa Kaplin Psy. D. PCC