Oh, how I love gratitude. This seemingly simple tool has transformed my life. Not even being dramatic! I once heard that when experiencing mental health struggles, gratitude can be significantly beneficial. So when I was in a dark time, I tried incorporating it into my life. I started by reciting three things I’m grateful for each night before bed. It seemed easy enough, and a nice way to build a daily habit of practicing gratitude.
I noticed my gratitude list ranged from naming something grand—like biking cliffside in Ireland with my best friends—to acknowledging something that was just as magnificent but more mundane, like decorating a Christmas tree with my father on an enchanting winter night.
Including gratitude as a nighttime ritual gave it a spiritual quality, like I was praying each night, thankful for the chance to live and for the fulfilling moments from each day. Even bad days, I realized, weren’t so awful when I reflected on how much I had, not just what I was lacking. Talk about glass half full!
This practice made me meet each next day with anticipation: What would I find splendor in? It also rewired my brain, encouraging my inner voice to be kinder to myself: Look at all you have; you are blessed! And kinder to those around me—maybe I had something on my gratitude list others might not.
It would be amiss not to acknowledge that it is completely valid to have moments where you feel sorry for yourself or frustrated with your circumstances, especially in the face of tragedy. Sometimes, it truly is hard to practice gratitude—and we’ve all experienced that. Still, I do believe this tool can offer some mental health support during these trying times.
I continue to say three things I’m grateful for each night, whether I’m in a great mental space or not.
Gratitude…I am grateful for you!
Julia Burke 