How to Feel Better in 30 Days: The Gratitude Challenge

Dear Diary,

Happy New Year! It’s been a while since we’ve talked. Close to a year in fact! Things have changed so much since last year, and here I am, again… but looking forward to this New Year and the fresh start it always gives! I’ve decided it’s time to challenge myself to really prioritize my mental health, so for the next month, I’m committed to writing in a gratitude journal (that’s you Diary). So here we go:

January 1: Today I am grateful for my house. The temperatures these last few days have really plummeted, the lows have been in the negative, the highs barely above zero. I can’t imagine those who are homeless in this frigid weather, it really makes me thankful to have a warm place to call home. Not to mention plenty of winter clothing, a thermostat and heating system that works well, a kitchen with capabilities to produce hot food, and a lovely soft bed I feel comfortable and safe in. I am truly lucky.

January 2: Tonight, as I sit here, I reflect on my day and realize how thankful I am for my body. It only fails me when I ignore it. When I listen very closely, I can hear the whispers of what it needs. Plenty of fresh water to hydrate each cell, so that in its very nature, can flow. Good nutrition, the really good kind. The stuff you know is healthy because it was grown out of the very dirt in your own back yard. The kind you got to plant as a seed and watch as it transformed, magically, into a source of fuel and life. And you know your body will thank you, because it tastes so amazing, like the sun as my daughter says! Last but not in the least, it tells me when I need rest. Any time of day, and at night it slows itself down when it’s tired or just needs a break. All the other bodily functions happen, seemingly seamless, if I provide what it asks of me. For the complex miracle that is me, I am so very grateful!

Jan 3: I am feeling happy this morning, and realizing that taking the time to be grateful is already starting to affect my perspective throughout the day! Maybe this gratitude journal is really going to make a difference? This morning, I am thankful for the hot cup of coffee on such a freezing morning. BRRRRR.

Jan 4: What can I say, today I am really looking forward to writing in my diary. It makes me feel so good to have set a goal, and be following through with it each day. No matter how long or short my entry is, the lasting effect it has throughout the day is noticeable! Right now, I am thankful for my ability to make changes in my life, through conscious efforts. Commitment is can be really hard sometimes, but our choices have consequences that ripple around us!

Jan 5: Diary, it has been a challenging day! I am ever so grateful that I have friends and family I can lean on. What would I do without them? Through the ups and downs of life, they have my back and love me no matter what is going on.

Jan 6: Good morning! After a great night’s sleep, I am feeling very well rested and ready to face the day. I am really thankful for running water and indoor plumbing… a hot shower and a toilet that flushes… to rid myself of the waste that no longer serves me, and take it away where it’s no longer my problem? What a luxury! Not to mention toilet paper. Thank you, baby Jesus (And whoever invented it)!

Jan 7: Well, I made it through my first week of journaling. It makes me proud to say I’m a quarter of the way through, and I may just keep going with this challenge because I’m also having fun with it! Today I’m so very grateful for my daughter. She is so loving, kind, smart, beautiful and funny! I’m so proud of her. The best thing that has ever happened to me, and keeps me motivated to keep going every single day. What a blessing she is!

Jan 8: Dearest Diary: Tonight, am so tired. It was a great day, but my body and mind are completely exhausted! But here I am, still showing up for me…Yay! I’m thankful for the great music that I listened today. The beats kept me going when I didn’t really want to, and the lyrics lifted my spirits and redirected my thoughts to a positive place.

Jan 9: A little bit warmer today, finally! I’m thankful for mother nature, and her everchanging nature! How boring it would be if the weather was the same, day in and day out! It really does make you appreciate the nice days more. How nice it was to get outside, even if for a few minutes and breath the fresh air. To notice how the living things have withdrawn their energy, to a place deep within, waiting to reemerge with the spring!

Jan 10: To be honest, some days are harder than others when it comes to being grateful. The days when you really just want to be angry, or feel sorry for yourself, and stay there because it feels justified. But today, it felt different. I was angry, and I felt sorry for myself, and then…something happened! I was able to spin the days events around into something better. The things that happened to day were for a reason, even if I didn’t like it. However, I am so thankful they happened, because it showed me the things that were never meant to be! It’s like a weight being lifted, to realize that you can be grateful for the things that hurt too. Tears are such a beautiful release of emotion; I am thankful to have them!

Jan 11: Good morning! Today I am so very thankful for technology. Even though I have a love/hate relationship with it, I literally could not live without it (in todays world). There was a time when I thought I was born in the wrong time, and that living off grid sounded so much simpler. But as I’m getting older, I recognize that having technology is really fantastic. Not to mention, my daughter’s life depends on it! As a Type 1 mom, I can’t imagine trying to manage her blood sugars without the advanced technology we use. It really has been a game changer, and although at times I want to through our electronic devices through a window, I also know, that I rely and depend on them heavily. Her life and future health will be better because of it, and we are so beyond lucky to have been born in this time!

Jan 12: Today was a good day, I am feeling calm and content. It was a very quiet day, and today I am thankful for the quiet. For the stillness. Too many people are so caught up in what has to be done, and don’t take the time to just BE. We aren’t wired to function in today’s world of constant and instant gratification. It’s really important to understand, that some days are meant for nothing other than complete and utter quiet. I wonder, how many people ever slow down enough to do that, and how do their bodies and minds deal with the chaos that never has a chance to settle?

Jan 13: I’m still feeling peaceful today, after yesterday’s unusual quiet. I’ve been thinking about my grandparents, and the way they lived a life of simplicity. They had hard times, of course. But they we’re real, salt of the earth people. I will always remember them for their calm demeanors. Their quiet strength that seemed to never waver. They both loved the outdoors, and spent a vast amount of time there, on a wide array of activities. Gardening, hunting, fishing and home cooking provided them with natural food, to keep their bodies and minds fed well. Walking, hiking, swimming and camping kept their bodies active and always in motion. Grandma was a prolific painter, and Grandpa was always building something in the shop. Between the two of them, they had such a full life. Simple, and joyous. They were easy to be with, and always had time for their family and friends. I miss them so much, and I am so grateful for the enormous impact they had on my life!

Jan 14: Dearest Diary, today is a new day! I’m congratulating myself on the two weeks of gratitude journaling, it hasn’t been easy to keep up with every day! I can see how it has already made a difference in the way I look at the world, and I really do enjoy it. I’m actually looking for the things that I’m thankful for, and it makes me appreciative of so many little things I usually take for granted. But I wonder if I will keep up with it after this month is over? Today I’m grateful for my car. I can’t imagine trying to get around in life without a vehicle, and so happy to have a safe option for me and my girl!

Jan 15: It’s starting to feel a bit tedious to write every day, but I also know that it’s working to improve my mental health! Maybe after a month, it will be enough of a habit, that I won’t need to write it down every day? Today I’m thankful for my sense of humor. I feel like I’ve lost some of that over the last decade and I’d really love to take it back, thank you! It’s so easy to lose parts of ourselves that feel unnecessary when we’re going through traumatic times. I only wish it were easier to bring those parts back, on demand so to speak! Maybe my next challenge should incorporate playfulness, and laughter?

Jan 16: Buenas Noches! Sorry diary, if you don’t speak Espanol. It’s been a good day, and I’ve been working on my humor. I can see how committing to just one thing at a time, and having it as a part of your foundation, can really build towards something greater! Today I am really thankful for food. And my love of cooking. It’s been a struggle some days, to want to cook, or eat anything at all. But then other days, I marvel at the brilliant colors of vegetables, their textures, and versatility. It really is incredible, the rainbow that is available to us, and the nutrients that literally keep us alive. It truly is mind-blowing, when you think about the complex miracle of how our bodies grow and function through the energy and life of food! Wow!

Jan 17: This might be a strange thing to be thankful for, but I really love bras. Ever since I can remember, and needed one pretty early in life, I have loved wearing them. In fact, so much so, after I got used to their amazing support and comfort, I would have recurring nightmares about going to school without my bra on! I don’t know what it is, a feeling of security perhaps, but having my chest bound tight has always felt great to me! Don’t get me wrong, I love having breasts, and showing a little cleavage here and there has always been a pleasure to me. But having a bra on, feels like a shield, support, and a message to the world that says “Here I am world, me, and my boobs, are ready to take on anything today!”

Jan 18: Tonight, I am thankful for my toothbrush. I mean really, I could use a branch or a chewed-up toothpick, but what a great invention the toothbrush was! So convenient, so many to choose from, and pretty inexpensive tool for oral health! I can’t imagine my life without out one. Can you imagine, the breath on those cavemen?

Jan 19: Good morning! I slept so hard last night, and I am thankful for my dreams. There’s been times in my life I was afraid to sleep, because they were so vivid and really scary. These days they are still strange, but not scary anymore. I’ve always been interested in the meaning of dreams, and sometimes I don’t think they mean much more than our brains trying to make sense out of a nonsensical world. The best dreams are lucid, or when you get a visit from a loved one. Our brains are so interesting!

Jan 20: It’s after 11pm and I’m still awake… I almost forgot and missed my journal entry today. Phew! I’m glad I didn’t. It feels so good to make a commitment and stick with it. There is so much to get distracted by. Today I’m thankful for meditation. I don’t meditate. But I think I want to try it!

Jan 21: THREE WEEKS! They say forming a habit takes 21 days, and here we are! Perhaps this day is a big turning point in my life, and gratitude journaling will become a lifelong habit? I’m not so sure. But I can say, it has definitely made a positive impact on my day. I feel lighter, more energetic, and overall happier. I am thankful for this challenge, and for my own determination for following through!

Jan 22: Today I’m thankful for my job, and my co-workers. Although it can be stressful at times, I am so grateful for being a part of a team, and the structure and stability it provides to my life. Some days I don’t feel like going, but I really think this challenge of gratitude has made it easier to show up. I’m also finding myself more present, which seems to have a positive effect on my colleagues as well. They are noticing a difference, and a few have mentioned I’m smiling a lot more lately!

Jan 24: Yes, diary, I missed a day! I’m a little disappointed because I’ve been doing so well checking in with you every day…but, I’m giving myself a break because I’ve been doing so well checking in every day! Even though I didn’t journal yesterday, my mind was still more aware and open, and looking for the positive. I’m going to call it a win! So, today, I’m grateful for my self-awareness and love. The grace I can give myself and others when things don’t go the way I want, and still be able to move forward and keep trying!

Jan 25: Good morning! Today I feel grateful for our sweet old dog, Bella. What a love she is, always ready to greet us with a wagging tail and endless warm snuggles. Such a blessing it us for us, to have the unconditional love she gives us, every day, without fail! She gets us outside, and moving, and is always making us laugh with her silliness. We love her so much!

Jan 26: As the month is starting to come to an end, I’m starting to realize how much better I’ve been sleeping! I really think it’s because of this challenge, and my overall outlook has become more positive. Tonight, I’m grateful that human brains have the capacity to change and evolve, and through our conscious efforts, we have the power to re-wire ourselves. It’s incredible and feels so empowering!

Jan 27: Today I am thankful for my step-mom. Although I am grateful for my family in general, I am especially thankful for her tonight. I have so much respect and admiration for her, and the way she has lived her life. She’s been there for me through so many things in my life since I was a teenager. And even though she and my dad divorced decades ago, she chose to remain in my life. Now, she is the only living parent I have, and she continues to be a supportive figure in my life, and my daughters. I am ever so thankful for all the love she has shown me over the last 35 years.

Jan 28: Good morning diary, I hope you are feeling better than I am! I woke up with a cold yesterday, and it’s such a huge bummer. Today I am thankful for my senses, specifically those of taste and smell, which are currently slightly impaired. I’m reminded of when I had Covid a few years back, and lost my sense of smell and taste completely for months. I’ve got to say, it was the worst part of it! Not being able to smell or taste food, left cooking and eating absolutely joyless, and life felt gray. We take these things (and others) for granted when we lose them. So, today, I am so grateful that I can still smell and taste…even if it’s just a little!

Jan 30: I know, I know…I forgot you again yesterday, and I thank you for waiting patiently for my return! My cold got worse and you know… even though there were things I was grateful for; I just didn’t have the energy to journal. So today I’m thankful, I made it through yesterday with the help of lots of tea, Kleenex, and cough drops. I’m also thankful that I’m feeling better today, it’s good to feel almost human again!

Jan 31: Today is the last day of my challenge, diary. I’m so grateful for my ability to express my thoughts and feelings through words. This challenge has had an unexpected and profound effect on my mental clarity, positivity, and feelings of happiness. My relationships are better. I feel stronger, more resilient, and an overall sense of wellbeing. Choosing to look for, and focus on the good, truly changed my perspective of my life, and how I live in the world! In fact… I’ll see you tomorrow!