a woman journaling on a hike

My Gratitude Journal

By / Rethinking Sustainability
  1. My zero waste blog
  2. That I finally figured out how to cook vegetable dishes that taste good
  3. Inherited furniture

In the complex combination of things that got me through the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic, keeping a gratitude journal was one of the easiest, fundamental, and life-changing contributors. The premise is simple: write down 3 things a day that you’re grateful for. Boy do those random things pile up fast.

  1. Having a partner to split up chores
  2. Nelson Mandela
  3. Sunny days

I don’t think that gratitude can fix all our problems, but it does put certain ones into perspective.

  1. Critical race theory
  2. Pens
  3. My therapist

Like when you’ve had such a long work week that can’t stand to talk to another person for the rest of the day.

  1. 5pm on Fridays
  2. My husband
  3. Frozen pizza

Or right before your big trip to Ireland, you read an article about how crazy airports have been, being understaffed post-pandemic and unable to handle the surge of revenge vacationers flooding the airports.

  1. Nice passengers
  2. That we made our flight
  3. Checked baggage

Or when you arrive at the the rental car company in Ireland at 6:30 in the morning and the sales associate tells you that “someone” canceled your reservation at midnight this morning, so there isn’t a car for you to drive your family to their ancestral homestead.

  1. Refunds
  2. Good breweries
  3. Cheese

Or you’re stressing out about the logistics of moving apartments, because your current landlord is sending multiple disparate emails with multiple attachments of various unnecessary requirements for moving out.

  1. That we’re moving far far away from this place
  2. Tupperware
  3. Free packing materials

Or you test positive for COVID days before your need to move out of your apartment.

  1. Grocery delivery
  2. That our COVID symptoms are mild
  3. Birth control

Or while you’re walking around your old apartment building for the last time, a giant tree branch the size of a pick up truck crashes to the ground two feet in front of you.

  1. That I didn’t die yesterday
  2. Our new dog walker
  3. That I never have to set foot in that awful apartment ever again

Or when you finally start to settle into your new apartment, and it’s easy to choose things to be grateful for.

  1. Good parking spots
  2. Having a gym across the street
  3. Our dishwasher

Of course, days like these–the ones where things are alright and there’s nothing to stress about–aren’t that hard to come by for me. I have a very blessed life. And gratitude journaling is great for that, too.

  1. Photos of my friends
  2. Getting rid of moving boxes
  3. Working at a desk, and not on the couch

In fact, at no point do I think, “Wow, I really wish I hadn’t made a gratitude list today,” even on dark days that are completely out of control. Like on the day of overturning of Roe v. Wade, I was able to write “birth control” as a grateful item. And good days, when things are going my way, or when something really great happens, it only makes those great days better. Like when my family and I traveled to my great-grandpa’s homestead and I was able to write “we had such a better time than I could have ever imagined.”

I’m not going to go into the science of this practice (check out this video if you’re interested in that), but I would highly recommend starting your own gratitude journal because it’s such an easier way to lead a happier and more content life. And when we’re happier and more content, we feel less of a need to satisfy our ennui with stuff that will one day become so much trash (there – I did it again! Zero waste blog for the win). After all, actual self care isn’t about blowing your budget at Lush (though that is fun). It’s about being mindful and grateful for what you have.