During this season of Thanksgiving and gratitude it can be challenging to feel grateful. Amidst the grief struggle and journey, you may wonder how you can even have the energy to be thankful for anything. We wanted to share a piece about these topics. Being grateful while grieving can and is very difficult; however, it can be a very powerful part of your grief journey.
We would first like to let you know that we are very grateful for you!
We appreciate you – our readers, followers, and supporters!
In our grief journeys, we couldn’t find the resources that we felt were needed during that point in our lives and Torn in Half was created. We are very grateful for all of our followers and supporters who help us grow our blog and community and share this information with those who need it the most.
You make it worth the time and energy to continue this work.
Gratitude and grief – is it possible to live in both of these feelings? Yes …
Depending on where you are on this journey, gratitude may be very difficult to experience. We acknowledge that grief is very challenging and feeling overwhelmed may be easier than feeling grateful. Hopefully, our words today can help you achieve little bits of gratitude until you can move further along to larger pieces and times of gratitude.
Benefits to Gratitude
- Expressing gratitude can help you sleep better
- Increase your overall well-being
- Grow your positivity
- Improve your physical health and immune system
- Reduce stress & depression – who couldn’t use that while grieving?
- Improve psychological health.
- Enhances empathy aggression
- Grateful people sleep better.
- Gratitude improves self-esteem.
- Gratitude increases mental strength
- Expressing gratitude can help you sleep better
- Increase resilience
- Improve your relationships and community
Begin with the small things to express gratitude …
Start looking around you for the small things that bring you joy and peace. Practice being thankful for the little things. Maybe a phone call, a hug, waking up this morning … these little things can actually be very big in this part of the journey. Take a moment and find gratitude for these little things. Look around you…you might be surprised by what you find to be grateful for and how you progress as you practice being thankful.
Ideas for Expressing Gratitude
- Look for the blessings and things that bring you peace and comfort
- Take a moment each day to think about and even talk about your gratitudes.
- Be mindful of social media – What are you ingesting? Are you the light or the dark?
- Being grateful for people in your life and saying thank you – the store check out clerk, the delivery person, postal carrier, etc.
- Look for ways to be grateful in the darkest and most anxious times of life – it will brighten the experience.
- Keep a gratitude journal or jar – write daily what you are grateful for.
- Text or email those who’ve been a blessing to you during your grief journey.
- Write a letter(s) to people who you are grateful for.
In our chaotic world, taking a moment to breathe deeply and express gratitude and thanksgiving can be an excellent tool to begin/continue healing in your journey.
Take a moment and contemplate
- Who has helped me on my journey?
- Are there any resources that have assisted me in my process?
- What brings me even a little bit of peace or a smile to my face?
- How do I feel when I express gratitude both to myself and others?
How can I express gratitude in the midst of my journey?
- What is one thing daily you are grateful for?
- Write in your journal a daily gratitude (or weekly/monthly) or tell someone
- Make a social media post expressing thanks and gratitude
- Call a friend or supporter and thank them. (email or write a letter if you are up to it)
No matter where you are this year, we hope and pray that you will take a moment to find a few blessings in life and ways that you can smile…even if just for a brief moment. May those moments grow so that you can once again truly enjoy the wonderful person that you are and the life that you are living now.
Wherever you are in your journey and gratitude, it is OK. Take care of you and do what you can.
Please share our site and resources with others in your life who might benefit from our work.
Peace & Blessings,
Jeni & Teresa
PS: For additional support, you can download our free copy of 10 Ways to Move Forward After Loss
Torn in Half: The First Days as a resource for the first days after a loss – available on Amazon in paperback and ebook.
