The power of gratitude...

Wow, well what a week it's been. Firstly let me say congratulations on us all completing our first full week in complete lockdown. The bizarreness of the situation is incomprehensible and the control that the government currently has over every family in the UK is eerily alike that of Gilead (One for The Handmaids Tale fans there). Okay, maybe not that bad...but you catch my drift! There is a hypothetical elephant in the room across the globe right now, whispering Coronavirus into every corner of the room and wreaking havoc on our mental and physical health. 

Although I know that lockdown is the smartest thing to do within a crisis like this in order to prevent more deaths and strain on the NHS; I can't lie when I say that the anxiety of a strict lockdown rippled through me when I watched Ol' Boris make that announcement last Monday evening. Group chats on WhatsApp firing off and friends messaging me confirmed that I wasn't alone in this reaction. It's almost left me feeling like when that one naughty kid in class was acting up and so we would all have to stay behind at lunch. Damn you, James.



THREE WEEKS MINIMUM.             Holy. shit.

How on earth are we going to survive stuck in our houses for this long? 

With only 1 form of outside exercise being permitted a day and the weekly trip to the local Tesco now being regarded as a huge treat, it was undoubtedly known that this was going to be a very, very, very weird time to be alive. 

Nevertheless... being stripped of your daily routine and daily norm, not being able to go to work, the gym, out to see your friends and loved ones, has had a HUGE impact on the way we handle and have had to deal with our mental health during this time. I have never been more amazed and grateful for the love and support I have received from my friends and family over the last couple of weeks. I am also astounded at how, during a time like this, it truly is beautiful how as a collective, people in the UK have come together to shine bright for those who can't. Living in a world of utter uncertainty right now has ultimately created a national bond between all of us. A bond of support and love. (Call me cringey, I don't care hehe) 

And that, is something I will forever be grateful for experiencing during this time.

I've seen so many people across social media that have said "they will never take their normal life for granted again" and "how grateful they will now be for their 'normal' lives once all this is over". Now, it's sad that it had to come to a global pandemic in order to get us all to wake up and realise how fucking good we have it (pre-Coronavirus), but alas, at least we are realising it. 

Now don't get me wrong, I have STRUGGLED. I had already been in quarantine for two weeks when I got back from the Philippines last month and then it seemed like I was only back at work a week before I had to start self-isolating again about two weeks ago because I had developed a cough and flu-like symptoms. So when we got the nod that the 3 week lockdown was to commence and then only recently hear that it could actually last 3 months! I was feeling all sorts of anxiety and panic that I hadn't felt in a long time. For me though, it goes without saying that in times like this the best thing you can do is to truly look after yourself, everyday. And remain grateful for everything you still have.

Being grateful in the hardest and darkest times is the most powerful tool you can add into your daily routine. Gratitude isn't just some fluffy belief that isn't to be taken seriously, it's been proven in science to actually reduce aches, pains and uncomfortable ailments that you live with. Not only this, it obviously has multiple positive reactions in your mental wellbeing too, which has been proven to not only increase happiness but decrease depression. Which is why, during a time which is so easy to fall into a dark place, gratitude has never been so important. 

Practicing gratitude is a powerful practice that can eliminate envy, greed, resentment and bitterness from your life and daily thoughts. The simple act of writing 5-10 things down that you are grateful for everyday can have an unbelievable impact to your mental health. We can't control time or the future but what we can control is what we feel today and everyday going forward. 

How many of you have sat there and thought, god I can't wait until all this is over and to get my life back on track?....I can imagine the majority of you. 

How crazy is it that we are now seeing and being grateful for things, only when they are taken away from us...Being able to go to the supermarket and buy everything you need because the shelves are fully stocked. Getting stressed out in a traffic jam on your way to work because there are too many cars on the road during rush hour. Being able to go and meet your friend on a Saturday morning for a run in the park and then getting a post-run hot drink from the coffee shop. Being able to go for a routine checkup at your local GP or hospital. Being pushed around and bumped into by drunk people on a night out in an overpacked bar. Getting home from work after a somewhat boring day, to make a boring dinner and to just sit around and watch boring crap TV with your family on just a very, very normal day. 

How badly do you want all of that back? 

All the things we moan about on a day-to-day basis, we should have been grateful for. Because we honestly did not realise just how good we had it.

Being grateful for every aspect in your life, invites more love, compassion and empathy into your life. It encourages more goodness to multiply and as a result has a direct correlation to how we treat others, how hard we work and how other people end up treating us. 

We find ourselves in a pretty shitty situation right now, but one that we can still practice gratitude throughout. You are still alive, you are still here and healthy, you have an amazing NHS that are working around the clock to help those in need, you have FaceTime, House Party, Skype, Zoom, the list goes on of apps on your phone or tablet which keeps you in touch with your loved ones everyday. Heck, you even have a phone and/or a tablet to do this on! You have food in your fridge and a roof over your head. And I know that these are cliche statements that I'm sure you've heard before, but for gods sake, it's true. We are so lucky as a collective to have all of these things, because I am sure if these were to also ever be taken away from you, you wouldn't be too happy. We need to be grateful for all these things as it's painfully the sad case that others aren't as lucky to have them. 

I honestly hope that this time, this weird pause that we have all received, makes us all take a step back, assess the way we handle and view life, how it impacts ourselves and each other and realise that this can be improved. 

Make the most of your time at home, reconnect with family, play games, draw, write, get creative, dance, cook, clean, heck just watch a load of Netflix if that's what you want! Use this to reboot mentally and physically, realise how bloody amazing the people around you really are and how fantastic your life actually is.

I hope you all stay safe and well. 

Lots of love, 

Hannah xxx