Grateful for Family, Friends…and Weekly Nasal Swabs?
I’ve gotten tested every three days for months, and I’m grateful
Along with the rest of my university, I get tested for COVID-19 every three days. I’m separated from an employee by a sheet of glass, desperately trying to avoid eye contact, feeling like a zoo animal, a lab specimen, a rogue kid at an amusement park trying to get a cheap laugh by shoving a Pixy Stix up my nose.
And this year, COVID-19 testing is at the top of my list of things to be grateful for. And no, I am not kidding. While many people have never been tested, or had to wait in hours-long lines to do so, I’m fortunate enough to get frequent access to such precautionary testing.
Despite the sheer strangeness of the encounter, and the crushing realization that no one can look hot while swabbing the interior of their nose, I feel grateful.
So… twice a week, I am caged in a glass box and surrounded by generic hand sanitizer — and you know what? It’s wonderful. Strange, inevitably, and deeply awkward, but definitely something that increases feelings of safety, reassurance, and, ultimately, gratitude.
At least, that’s what I learned when I actually looked up what gratitude is.
SO… WHAT IS GRATITUDE, EXACTLY?
As humans, we tend to obsess over what we want — shoes, straight As, a star-crossed meet-cute with an A-list singer and subsequent honeymoon to Hawaii — rather than focus on what we already have. It seems a lot more glamorous to drool over display cases of brand-new Nike sneakers and dream up celebrity affairs rather than admire all of the wonderful things we already have in our life.
Gratitude, however, changes this want-driven mindset into an internal, grounded sense of appreciation, satisfaction, and contentment. It gives us a moment to pause and reflect on the positives and fortunes of our life, thereby increasing a sense of morality and happiness.
Gratitude also helps us remember these great moments in our lives, and take time to really feel and understand the full impact and importance of these little memorable situations.
In other words, cultivating gratitude is about the FUTURE. A mechanism for POWER and ACTION. Your lightsaber of self-fulfillment and satisfaction, if you will.
YES, SURE, BUT I’M ALREADY A GRATEFUL PERSON. I SAY THANK YOU TO PEOPLE WHO HOLD DOORS OPEN FOR ME AND PUT LOOSE CHANGE IN TIP JARS. WHAT NOW?
Gratitude is more than telling your parents that you appreciate them, or even saying “I love you” to your Uber Eats delivery drivers. Such kindness and basic human decency is important, of course, but gratitude stems a little deeper.
It’s about thinking beyond yourself, cultivating a sense of community, and taking time to truly focus on and contemplate everyday experiences that are often taken for granted.
No matter what stage you’re on in the process of developing and increasing your gratitude, it can always be improved, increased, focused on, and further cultivated.
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF CULTIVATING GRATITUDE?
Research reveals that gratitude can benefit your relationships, stimulate internal peacefulness, and create empathy. And that’s just the mental side.
The science shows that on the physical side, It can also lead to better sleep, improved health, better blood pressure, less stress reactivity, and even increase your willingness to exercise.
INCREASE YOUR WILLINGNESS TO EXERCISE? OK, YOU SOLD ME. WHAT ARE SOME EVERYDAY WAYS OF DEVELOPING GRATITUDE?
Ah, yes. I’m glad you asked. There are many great ways of infusing more gratitude into your daily life. Some proven methods and suggestions include:
- Meditation. Grounding yourself and taking time to step away from the chaos of everyday life can help you recalibrate, focus, and enhance your focus and purpose. Personally, I like to take a little nature walk after I get swabbed. It’s a good way to decompress and let my sinuses return to normal.
- Think about someone in your life you’re really grateful for, and why. Even better, send them a text or write them a thank you note to express your genuine appreciation! It will mean a lot to them, and help you cultivate gratitude as well. A recently sent Message on my phone: “WOW. You’re amazing, and I appreciate you! Thank you so much.” [Insert ridiculous number of emojis here.]
- Get involved in your community, and volunteer your time to help others. I was a leader of the CHAARG group on my campus last year, and the opportunity to plan educational and inspirational health and fitness events was incredibly rewarding. So if you’re interested in the selfish angle of gratitude, this one’s for you! Win-win. (:
- Think about (or write down) 3–5 things you’re grateful for. It can be from the past day, week, month, etc — but be specific! For me, it would have to be pineapples, sparkling apple cider, and the dogs I pass by on my daily walks!
- Right before bed, during meals, or at another scheduled time of day, make it a habit to think about something you’re grateful for. This is a great way to help incorporate gratitude into your everyday routine. I challenge you to think about or jot down 3 specific things you’re grateful for during your next meal!
Looking for another super easy, yet super powerful way to increase your gratitude? Then it’s time to talk about the gratitude journal.
HOW DO I START A GRATITUDE JOURNAL? IT SEEMS INTIMIDATING.
I’m totally with you. After watching an “inspirational” video about professional doodling and calligraphy during the bullet journaling trend, my brain immediately decided “you can’t do it as well as Sally YouTuber, so why try?” Haven’t seen the journal since.
But the truth is, gratitude journaling doesn’t have to be complicated at all. In fact, it’s easy! And you can adapt it in whatever way works best for you, just as long as you’re focusing on cultivating appreciation, and grounding yourself in specifics.
STILL NOT CONVINCED?
Pawnee legend Leslie Knope gives a great example of a realistic gratitude statement: “We need to remember what’s important in life: friends, waffles, and work. Or waffles, friends, work. But work has to come third.”
Gratitude journaling doesn’t have to be complicated at all. It should actually be fun, rewarding, and sustainable enough to do on a regular basis. So relish in those waffles, and with every mountainous bite of delish whipped cream, jot down a flavor palette you’re grateful for. Oh, and, uh — something about your gratitude for friends and family, too.
WHAT ARE SOME PROMPTS FOR GRATITUDE JOURNALING?
Gratitude journaling is flexible and adaptable, allowing you to adjust the questions or topics as you see fit, and write down what’s relevant for you. On that note, here are some loosely-structured prompt ideas to get you started. Try to think of specifics from your life:
Prompt Idea #1:
[A PERSON WHO MADE ME FEEL GRATITUDE]
→ example: The barista who concocted the most delicious cup of coffee I have ever had… right after my second COVID test of the week. Sometimes, things just go your way.
[A SITUATION I’M THANKFUL FOR]
→ example: Bundled-up walks around the elementary school with my dog!
[I ATE OR DRANK SOMETHING GREAT!]
→ example: Who’s up for some post-nasal-swab smoothies?
[I ATTEMPTED A CHALLENGE]
→ example: I tried an at-home workout video (15 minutes of intensity, followed by a delicious slice of chocolate cake.)
[I CRACKED A PROBLEM]
→ example: I reset my email password in the fast-moving COVID-19 testing line.
[I READ SOMETHING INTERESTING]
→ example: An article about a woman in my hometown who illegally owns hundreds of goats.
[WHAT’S A NEW THING YOU’VE TRIED?]
→ example: Finally catching up on all of the TV shows I keep saying are “on my list!”
Prompt Idea #2:
Fill in the following statements from your own life. Feel free to add an explanation, details, and specifics.
A person I am grateful for today is _________.
→ example: The administrator in the COVID-19 testing facility (despite the awkward eye contact).
A situation I am grateful for today is _________.
→ example: No lines outside of Trader Joe’s, and free hand sanitizer samples at my apartment!
A small thing I’m grateful for today is _________.
→ example: Granola bars, TV streaming services, and long FaceTime calls with close friends.
This Thanksgiving, when someone asks, “What is everyone grateful for?,” I won’t choke under the pressure. And it’s all thanks to consistent gratitude journaling — and my newfound appreciation for the 20-odd trips of getting an overgrown cotton swab shoved up the depths of my sinuses.
So bring on the appreciation and the COVID-tests, and the mashed potatoes. Not even a begrudging, masked-up Turkey Trot — seriously, whose idea was that? — can bring me down this week.
This post was written by Katherine Wright!
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