Amelia Elkins, LCSW, CAS
Tis the season for “thankful”, “blessed”, and “fortunate” but what if you’re not feeling that way? It’s been a challenging last couple of years. With COVID, loss of employment, burnout from employment, burnout from parenting, and/or financial stressors due to inflation. It would be understandable if gratitude is feeling hard to come by. Rather than forcing yourself to pick through a generic list of things to be thankful for, let’s be realistic.
Here are some tools to help you accept and sit with your emotions:
>Meditation: Research shows that connection with breath, body, and mind reduces stress. Learning to sit with, recognize, and accept emotions doesn’t mean you have to be positive, but it helps create awareness. This may be a helpful tool for mental clarity overall. My favorite apps include Insight Timer (free) and Calm (membership based).
Questions to Explore:
>How Have I Survived the Past Year?
Take a moment to reflect on what allowed you to get through the past few months. How have things been challenging? What strengths did you exhibit to overcome? Recognizing and sitting with these traits can induce feelings of accomplishment.
>What Do I Want Next Year to Look like?
Once reflections on this year have taken place, take space to manifest and explore what would make this next year better. What routines could be in place to reduce stress? What needs to be removed or reduced to improve wellbeing? Who or what may support you in accomplishing this? Reflecting on a purpose for the new year may lead to a higher sense of happiness overall.
If you’re still struggling to feel like yourself, therapy may be a great way to gain support. Reach out today to get started!