Gratitude, Appreciation and the Silver Lining

Written by: Louise Ingham

Life has inevitably slowed down for most of us during Lockdown and it has given us a chance to reflect. For the final week of our Well-Being and Positivity campaign we are focusing on ‘Gratitude, Appreciation and a Silver Lining’.

The pandemic is unprecedented and has caused an upheaval in our normal way of life. For some of us we are getting used to the ‘new normal’ and finding the positives within it. Whilst there has been loss and sadness, there have also been positive things to come out of the pandemic.  

The pandemic has a silver lining - it has given us the possibility of shifting our mindset and behaviour. We have seen how our planet can thrive in our absence and therefore it might encourage us all to live more consciously and take better care of the planet.

It might also encourage us to take better care of ourselves. Without the regularities of normal life there has been time and space to reflect and find gratitude and appreciation in life. We have had time to reflect on who we are, and society, life and the people around us. There has been more time to think. With our normal way of life we had taken away due to Lockdown, we can reflect on what we used to enjoy and will one day enjoy again – perhaps a coffee in a café with a friend, going to the gym or round to a friend’s house for a catch up.

You may realise what you appreciate about Lockdown. This might be being with family or video calling friends, spending more time with your children, or finishing the books you never got around to reading. It might be time spent in the garden, or mediating and doing yoga. Whatever it is, for many there has been time to appreciate and find gratitude in these acts. 

Some suggestions of ways to find gratitude and appreciation are to be proactive and look for small moments of happiness each day. You might take a photo of things that make you happy, or take some time to reflect on everything you appreciated at the end of the day. You might look for the good in others - and there has been plenty of this during Lockdown. Communities have come together to help one another and charities are still fighting for their causes. 

We are coming to the end of our Well-Being and Positivity campaign and we hope you have enjoyed it as much as we have. It is a difficult time for us all but we hope this campaign has brought you joy and positivity. As J.K. Rowling says, ‘Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light’. 
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This week, take time to find gratitude, appreciation and a silver lining. We would love to hear about the silver linings you have found during the pandemic. Leave a comment on our Facebook page or tweet us at @peacepartners_ and use the hashtags #PeacePositivityWellBeing  #LetsFocusThePositive  #PeacePartnersSilverLining