As this exceptional school year is coming to a closure, what are you thankful for?
As I am writing this post, Stevie Wonder's melody keeps company to my thoughts.
It's the last Sunday of the school year 2019-2020, the first day of Summer, and it's time to wrap up.
In a recent experience I shared with a community of teachers and school staff, we were guided to draw a map of our journey into the lockdown and school closure period: identify our personal starting date of the journey, meaningful moments, various occasions for growth, asking questions and listening to each other.
I believe each and everyone of us can benefit from a similar pause for awareness, so I am asking you: what has your journey been like? And how do you feel now?
During that time of reflection it was precious to visualize the faces of people for whom - and the pictures of moments in which - I felt grateful. In presence of challenges, our brains and bodies 'react to protect', and we've been exploring in this blog the mechanisms that can easily build up anxiety and anger, beyond their functional level of intensity and duration.
Did you notice how different it feels when we allow ourselves to experience appreciation?
Jon Kabat-Zinn has added gratitude and generosity to his 7 principles of mindfulness, highlighting how those two aspects enhance interconnectedness.
In a recent interview with Jason Wachob, renowned meditation teacher and bestselling author Light Watkins explains that 'one way of thinking about meditation is through a gratitude practice. While a gratitude meditation might not be your typical "close your eyes and breathe" sort of practice, it can have those similar profound effects on your mental health. It's especially great for people who might feel intimidated by meditation or are new to the practice'.
According to Watkins, gratitude is the most important thing to keep in mind while facing the uncertainty surrounding the pandemic, because 'operating from a space of gratitude helps you move beyond the victim mentality. It's so easy to slip into that, especially if you're personally affected by the virus'.
Gratitude keeps us in the present—an important element in helping mitigate our anxiety. While trying to control the situation in those areas that fall beyond our control increases the struggle (see F.A.C.E. C.O.V.I.D. by Russ Harris in this blog), focusing on what you are grateful for in this moment can help you stay grounded and calm. As a consequence, gratitude can help us make better decisions that benefit us as part of society, rather than focusing on individualistic gains. Do you remember when we were hoping to get out of this experience as better individuals and societies?
My wish for the Summer that's starting today is for you to find a moment to experience appreciation of one or more people that are part of this journey of yours: a classmate, a teacher, a colleague, a partner, a relative, an employer, an employee, a parent, a leader, a child, a young son or daughter who travelled this journey with you.
Stop, breathe, and express gratitude, not for what they did, but for who they are. And maybe call them to say thank you, and 'mean it, from the bottom of your heart'.