Sometimes when we’re physically so worn out and in pain from CFS / ME / Fibro, it’s sometimes hard to see anything to be grateful for.
Or maybe we theoretically can see we have a lot to be grateful for, but in our current state of physical and mental health it’s hard to muster up any authentic feelings of gratitude.
I often reference Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs and this is another case where it applies.
If our physical health is not good, feeling gratitude is a real challenge, just as learning something new is nearly impossible to do if you are starving.
Yet, let’s surmise that our CFS / ME levels are at a point where it is possible for us to feel gratitude.
How do we do that?
It’s simply really. Just look around and find something you are grateful for. Then acknowledge it somehow.
It’s in the acknowledgement of gratitude that I believe the power comes.
5 Ways To Practice Gratitude
1. Do 365Gratefuls
Since January this year I have posted a photo on Instagram (and shared it on Twitter and my Facebook page) of something I’m grateful for.
It’s part of The 2014 #365Gratefuls #Spoonie Project I started on this blog on 1 January 2014. Today is my 142nd consecutive day of posting (yes, I’m proud! 🙂
This project was inspired by Hayley and Andrew Bartholomew’s book, 365 Gratefuls, a book of photos Hayley took daily with a polaroid camera for a year.
She says she was depressed when she started, but throughout the year, practising being grateful helped her depression lift.
It has been a challenge to remember to post a photo daily, and at times I’ve had to get creative and do a screenshot of something I’m grateful for, or put a photo from my camera into Dropbox or Google Drive before uploading it to Instagram (I had no idea you could only put photos up via your smartphone when I started it!).
But in committing to this project, I have truly come to see how much I have to be grateful for.
I’ve also connected with a wonderful, positive community on Twitter who have joined me in the #365Gratefuls #Spoonie journey – along with a few other non-spoonies who are doing #365Gratefuls.
You can still join in on #365Gratefuls on Twitter or Instagram anytime.
I encourage you to share your Instagram gratefuls on Twitter so that I can retweet you (I search the hashtag #365Gratefuls daily and RT all posts as a sign of my support and encouragement to all involved).
To see my first 45 gratefuls, I posted this blog with the Twitter links embedded in them. OR just go to my Facebook Page and look for the Instagram box at the top of the page.
2. Write A Thank You Note
Who are you grateful to or for?
Could you could write them a thank you note or letter?
Sometimes it’s easier to write how much we love and appreciate someone than to say it to them on the phone or to their face.
We can also use more words and REALLY say what we want to say in writing. Or I can anyway!
Give it a go and let us know the response you get – within yourself (an inner glow) or from them.
3. Thank A Blogger You Love
I’m sure there are bloggers whose blogs bring you joy daily, but you’ve never commented on their blogs.
Well now it’s time to go in and share your gratitude with them – Show them some love! 😀
Find a post you really loved or found valuable and leave a comment telling the author all that you loved about it (and them).
Bloggers love comments and so does Google, so it helps bloggers out to comment.
You could also Tweet their post out, or share it on Facebook, Google+ or other platforms.
And if you wanted to go all out, you could even email them via their contact page.
As a fellow blogger, I know I love comments and emails. Some bloggers are much bigger than me, but many still find time to respond, especially on Twitter.
But saying that, my favourite blogger/podcaster Pat Flynn has replied a number of times to me over the years – which was a lovely surprise every time!
4. Thank A Celebrity Who’s Inspired You.
Who doesn’t have at least one celebrity we admire and who inspires us?
Whether it’s an actor, singer, writer, director, athlete…… whoever. We all have someone.
And due to Twitter and Facebook it’s now much easier to reach out to them.
Let’s face it, despite their varying accomplishments, they’re all human, and who doesn’t love to hear thank you?
And considering how much criticism these people deal with daily, I’m sure they love getting positive feedback.
Don’t necessarily expect a response, because you may be disappointed.
But part of true gratitude is giving the gift of being grateful without expecting anything in return.
And if you get a reply – bonus! (And make sure you screenshot it! That’s what I do 😉 – yep I’m such a dork!)
I’ve written thank yous to a couple of my fave bloggers (and authors) via email and Twitter in recent times, and have been surprised and delighted to get replies.
5. Make a List
Your gratitude doesn’t have to go public. You can keep it to yourself in your own private journal.
Make a list (that you can add to regularly) of all the things you’re grateful for.
Add to it every day as a ritual when you wake up or go to bed.
And if there are any people in that list (which there probably will be) make sure you make a point of thanking them in some way for how grateful you are to them for their contribution in your life.
Today’s Action Step
Post a #365Grateful photo and explanation on Instagram and Twitter. Then share it with me by tweeting me @GetUpnGoGuru. And/Or write a list of 10 things you’re grateful for.
BOUNUS: Do all 5 🙂
Until tomorrow (I hope)
Keep Smiling
Louise
*References: http://abcnews.go.com/Health/science-thankfulness/story?id=15008148
Related Posts
Day 1: 31 Days To A Better CFS Life – 3 Myths of Acceptance That Hold Us Back
Day 2: 31 Days To A Better CFS Life – It Is As It Is. Choose It!
Day 3: 31 Days To A Better CFS Life – 5 Ways To Control Our Thoughts When In Overwhelm & Despair
Day 4: 31 Days To A Better CFS Life – 6 Things You Can ALWAYS Do Despite CFS / ME
Day 5: 31 Days To A Better CFS Life – 7 Ways To Focus Your Thoughts On Something Uplifting
Day 6: 31 Day To A Better CFS Life – Being Present – 7 Simple Mindfulness Techniques To Help Manage CFS
Day 7: 31 Days To A Better CFS Life – Learning To Ask For Help – 5 Simple Tasks You Can ‘Outsource’ To Help Manage CFS
Day 8: 31 Days To A Better CFS Life – Discover Podcasts – 5 Steps To Finding & Listening To Good Podcasts
Day 9: 31 Days To A Better CFS Life – Listen To Your Body. I Am Today!
Day 10: 31 Days To A Better CFS Life – 10 Ways To Nurture Yourself & Fill Your Bucket
Day 11: 31 Day To A Better CFS Life – 5 Ways To Combat Spoonie Mother Guilt on Mother’s Day!
Day 12: 31 Days To A Better CFS Life – My 5 Fave Ways To Connect With The Online CFS / ME Community
Day 13: 31 Days To A Better CFS Life – How & Why Audiobooks Are A Great Illness-Management Tool
Day 14: 31 Days To A Better CFS Life -10 Top Audiobooks I Recommend
Day 15: 31 Days To A Better CFS Life: 5 Tips For Getting Tasks Done When You Have CFS / ME
Day 16: 31 Days To A Better CFS Life – What Are You Struggling With Most Right Now?
Day 17: 31 Days To A Better CFS Life: What Are You Doing WELL In Managing CFS / ME / Fibro? What Are You NOT Struggling With?
Day 18: 31 Days To A Better CFS Life – 3 Things I Struggle With At The Moment & How I Manage Them
Day 19: 31 Days To A Better CFS Life – 101 Ways I Manage CFS / ME & Electrosensitivity Pain
Day 20: 31 Days To A Better CFS Life – 5 Benefits Of Writing To Help Manage CFS / ME
Day 22: 31 Days To A Better CFS Life – A Letter To Partners Of People With CFS / ME
Day 23: 31 Days To A Better CFS Life – 7 Healthy, Safe Ways To Release Emotions
Day 24: 31 Days To A Better CFS Life – Letter To The General Public From Those With CFS / ME / FM – Part 1
Day 25: 31 Days To A Better CFS Life – Letter To The General Public Pt 2 – How You Can Support Someone Who Has CFS / ME / FM
Siobhán says
I’m grateful for articulate,selfless insightful, wise people like you who have made my acceptance of cfs and fibro a living reality. (shared on twitter don’t have a working camera at present) xx Siobhán
Louise Bibby says
This comment, when it went up on Twitter, made my heart swell & tears well up in my eyes. It was such a beautiful compliment, and considering how tired I am at the moment, finding it hard to get up the energy to finish my 31 blogs, this just gives me extra motivation to finish them.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart!
The next 10 blogs will be up very soon I promise. But pacing is also important because I don’t want to go downhill again. The delicate balance of it all 🙂
Keep Smiling
Louise