The daily grind can make us overlook all the things in our lives that make us feel happy and fulfilled. We get so hung up on what’s gone wrong that day, we all too easily forget about the simple things in life that make our lives enjoyable. Expressing gratitude for the good things that surround us can help us to destress, savour each moment, and be thankful for what we have. This is my gratitude list and the simple things I’ve been grateful for recently:
Yoga
Self-care is so important for mental health and physical wellbeing. As part of my self-care routine, I made yoga a daily practice. It took a good few months for the habit to stick but now it has I can’t imagine life without it. Yoga is a form of exercise and relaxation, I use it to create mental and physical space for myself; to challenge my body and work through my emotional stumbling blocks. I’ve discovered yoga helps me to shift my focus, quiet mental noise, and energise me from the inside out. It’s a therapeutic discipline that is physical, mental, and spiritual. My practice mainly consists of a mix of online classes and self-practice; I listen to what my body and mind needs on certain days and practice accordingly. I feel stronger, more confident, happier and healthier for making yoga part of my daily routine.
Plants
My home is a veritable greenhouse of an apartment and seeing the plants grow brings me a lot of joy. Taking care of them is part of my daily routine and it’s exciting to see new growth every day; it’s thrilling when a new leaf unfurls or a flower blooms. I’ve progressed my collection beyond the most common houseplants to include some rare specimens I take a lot of joy in hunting down. I’m keen to start experimenting more with windowsill gardening to grow some edible plants. Plant collecting has become a passion of mine and when I’m not caring for plants I’m reading about them or arranging swaps with other plant enthusiasts. Caring for and learning about plants is something that makes me immensely happy.
Reading
I have a tendency to dive straight into work after waking up, which isn’t the healthiest of habits. I was giving myself zero time to wake up and enjoy the new day. A few months back I made a conscious effort to make time in my morning routine for reading. I now give myself an hour to read with a cup of coffee before practicing yoga and then I can start my work. I always felt I had to be constantly moving, always working, and it was detrimental to my mental health and the work I was doing. Giving myself the time to read each morning has meant my mornings are calmer, I feel happier, and my work has been more productive.
Travel
Whether it’s a vacation abroad or a weekend away in the UK, travel is something that never fails to ignite my inspiration and creativity. I was gifted a National Trust membership, which kicked in last month and I’ve already visited several places with it. Spending time with family and friends is super important to me, and traveling to see them is something I do regularly. It doesn’t matter whether it’s traveling to a local park or botanical gardens, traveling across the UK or to another country; travel is something that makes me incredibly happy and I’m very privileged to be able to do it a few times a year.
Blogging
I feel I’ve really hit my stride with blogging this year; I've been feeling incredibly fulfilled by the content I’ve been creating lately. Changing the blog’s name to A Considered Life had a huge impact on the content I was creating in such a positive way. My focus has shifted onto the subjects I’m most passionate about - low waste, veganism, and simple living - and it’s enabled me to make content that can really help and guide others towards living a more compassionate lifestyle. A Considered Life joined Patreon so instead of relying on advertising sales and affiliate links to make money selling you things you don’t need, I can work with brands whose ethics I trust and whose products I love.
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