Getting caught up in all the work and scholarship that must be done can quickly take the wind out of your sails. While you don’t need to shame yourself for feeling your feelings, shifting focus can be helpful. Pausing for a moment of gratitude can breathe life back into those sails to keep you going. 

But how does one go about exercising gratitude?

There are a few ways to do it. One way is to practice gratitude journaling. However, mindful gratitude will also do just fine if you are short on time and materials. Let’s explore both. 

Gratitude Journaling
When feeling overwhelmed, it’s okay to pause and rest. Gratitude journaling is taking a moment to call out and write about those things you are grateful for. Here are some prompts you can use to get you started:

When do you feel gratitude? Why do you feel it, then?
What banality are you grateful for?
Who are you grateful for? Who might not know about your feelings of gratitude towards them?
What natural element around you are you grateful for?
What element of beauty fills you with awe?
What sound fills your ears with gratitude?
What color or texture do you appreciate? 

Mindful Gratitude
Sometimes, stopping to journal can be too much to ask for when running from task to task. The good thing is that you need very little to practice mindful gratitude. Let’s run through a few exercises. 

Intentional Gratitude Practice
When the feeling of overwhelm is high, taking a moment to notice and sit with gratitude can lessen the feeling of chaos. For instance, you can think about the small or big things that support you at the moment you are grateful for – a warm and cozy sweater, a comfy chair to hold you, a flavorful drink, etc. 

Gratitude Countdown 
When my daughter has had a particularly hard day, I help her talk through the day. Before she goes to bed at night, I ask her to countdown her “gratefuls.” You can use a countdown method if you need help getting to gratitude. Start at one and work your way up to five. You can run down the five senses: sight, sound, touch, smell, and taste. For example, name one taste you are grateful for. Name two smells you hold space for gratitude. What three sounds bring joy to you? You get the idea.

Thank you for taking the time to read these words. I am thankful you showed up and took up space at UCR. I am grateful for your time and energy. I appreciate the intellectual gymnastics you do with your scholarship and research to improve this world. 

[Image Description: Dark purple background, with animated yellow lettering that says “Grateful For You.”]