“Those with a grateful mindset tend to see the message in the mess. And even though life may knock them down, the grateful find reasons, if even small ones, to get up.”

~ Steve Maraboli

We’ve all be told of the benefits of gratitude, and if you’re someone who practices it regularly, you know… it’s a mindset shifter. Even still, it’s not always easy to conjure up thoughts of gratefulness, especially if you’ve been knocked down… but that’s exactly when you need it most.

In my recent journey back from the depths of pandemic languishing, I reconnected with my gratitude practice in a somewhat unconventional way. I allowed myself to be frustrated and grateful at the same time. In the video below (and on my blog) I share two ways to look for the good when you’re sure it’s not there. Check it out, because these days we could all use a few more silver linings!

Watch the video below or read the transcript that follows, then sign up for my 6 Day Work-Life Reset and embrace those silver linings.

I recently got knocked on my ass by pandemic-fatigue (or languishing, or Groundhog Day malaise…or whatever you want to call that blah-filled state-of-mind that has plagued so many of us in these late days of the Coronacoaster,) and the journey to better has been an interesting one for sure.

Hey, Michelle Cederberg here, wondering how you’re all doing, and sharing a few thoughts around searching for the silver lining when everything feels grey.

Forgive me if I sound like a broken record here, but the last year and a half has been unlike anything most of us has ever experienced… an unprecedented global event that forced us to change how we do just about everything.

Whether you’ve navigated the pandemic like a boss, or have had your highs and lows like me, I think we can all agree that it’s been a hell of a ride. We’re still in it, sure, but we’re closer to the other side than we’ve ever been, and that’s something to celebrate.

In the last week I’ve been feeling more energetic and hopeful than I have in awhile, and I can chalk it up to a couple of key strategies I implemented … one by accident, and one on purpose, so I thought I would share them with you.

First, my accidental strategy:

When the pandemic blahs first hit me, I’ll admit that I wallowed for a few days, and was quite hard on myself for not getting much done. That didn’t help me feel better, so I took the advice of my coach and shifted my approach from self-deprecation to self-care. I allowed myself a bit of guilt-free down time to process how I was feeling, and to determine what I needed for myself to feel better.

While I managed to get some work done during that time, dog walks, gardening and naps also favoured heavily in my schedule. I realized I haven’t taken much in the way of holidays over the last year, plus, I was tired and unfocused, so what I needed was rest and relaxation, not a daily browbeating from my inner critic.

Reminder #1: Feeling pandemic blahs? Don’t try to fight your way out the other side of them, just pause and pay attention to what you need right now.

Second, I chose to get grateful. This one took a bit of work because I was feeling a bit like Grumpy from the Seven Dwarves, but I know the power of looking for the good, so I dug in. The process actually inspired Day 2 and 3 of my Free 6 Day Work-Life Reset. Let me explain.

In my malaise, I struggled to identify more than a few things I was grateful for, partly because I was just so frustrated with …everything. Then I recalled a journaling exercise I used to do back in my early thirties that helped me see the silver linings when I was certain there were none. My counsellor at the time told me, “Write out all your frustrations, anger and hurt from the day…get it all out, then end your journaling by writing down three things you’re grateful for.”

It’s normal to be angry at life sometimes, and it’s actually good to ‘get it out’. In psychological terms it’s called emotional ventilation and there are several worthwhile benefits. I mean honestly, sometimes, no amount of positive thinking or gratitude listing can equal the cathartic impact of just getting it all off your chest.

And, it turns out that emotional ventilation is a great pre-cursor to the practice of gratefulness, because, while I initially found it difficult to end my rant with three things I was grateful for, over several days the venting eventually subsided, and the silver linings started to appear.

Reminder #2: It’s not healthy to stuff the bad feelings, and you can’t fake gratitude if you do. Let it go, and then look for the good.

AND, sign up for my Free 6 Day Work-Life Reset. On Day 2 you get to do your own Frustration Dump, and on Day 3 I share 2 gratitude exercises… and one of them is for when you don’t feel grateful. Cheeky, I know!

Until next time, I’m Michelle Cederberg reminding you we’ve got one chance to do this life, I say Dare to Live It Big, and dare to use frustration and gratitude to uncover those silver linings.

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