Practicing Gratitude
Finding and practicing gratitude may be difficult when we are dealing with a breast cancer diagnosis. It’s important to be able to recognize and process the emotions we are experiencing such as anger, confusion, sadness, grief and all the others that become a part of our lives during and after breast cancer that can make finding things in our lives to be grateful for difficult. The first step to practicing gratitude is to validate the emotions that we are feeling by practicing acceptance. Maybe that sounds like: “I’m angry that my body doesn’t have enough energy to go and see my grandson play his first T-ball game.” You may be angry, sad, confused, and frustrated but validating those emotions and understanding why we are feeling this way will help us better understand our current emotional state and prepare us for how we want to practice gratitude and what is impeding us from practicing. Life isn’t always positive, and happiness is not a choice so we shouldn’t be forced into a positive mindset when time is needed to heal our wounds and mourn our losses.
Maybe you are struggling to find things to be thankful for but you should remember all of the obstacles and challenges that you’ve been able to overcome to be where you are now. Was there a certain moment where you were experiencing a great sense of overwhelm, pain, or fear that you were able to overcome that made you feel proud about yourself? Try keeping a journal to track these types of moments and the people along the way that have helped you achieve these things and why you are grateful to have them in your life. This journal can also act as a mode to observe, validate, and understand the negative moments and emotions that have impacted our day.
Take note of your surroundings and senses. What can you hear and how do those sounds resonate with you? What scent or aroma brings a sense of familiarity and appreciation to your senses? What tastes bring up memories deep within your subconscious mind? Is there anything you are grateful to see or memories from your experiences that you appreciate and tend to look back on? What are you able to feel, is there a pet you love to snuggle or a favorite sweater with the perfect texture? There are so many things around you that you can recognize and appreciate from your surroundings and memories that don’t have to be a part of your breast cancer journey. These moments can come from before or after as well as during a breast cancer diagnosis. We are capable of appreciating what we have while also recognizing the flaws in our lives and by doing so we can begin to build a resilient and strong bond within ourselves.
There are some helpful tools online such as articles and podcasts that may help some begin their journey towards recognizing things they are thankful for and practicing gratitude. The Gratitude Podcast by Geogian Benta that provides inspiring stories, affirmations, meditations and words of wisdom from celebrities and other influential people since 2016 with over 100 episodes. The Positive Psychology Podcast with Kristen Truempy discusses work from positive psychologists and other practitioners on topics such as appreciation of beauty, gratitude, positive emotions, relationships, and love with scientific insight from these professionals from their research. Another great podcast called A Cup of Gratitude by Amanda Schaefer talks about life experiences and the difficulties that arise but working through them to find the gratitude within our lives. Try following along with these podcasts, keeping a journal, and walking through your senses on a regular basis to gain a deeper connection with gratitude.
It’s normal to feel less than enthusiastic about gratitude and positivity when it feels like everything around you is going wrong, but focusing on what’s right (even if it is just a few little things) can help you continue to focus on the positive in little ways. Over time, that will grow and you’ll find you are more resilient than you expected, happier in general, that you feel less anxious and can even sleep better. Gratitude makes a difference in the journey.