#LiveForTomorrow Photo Challenge Day 7: I am Grateful For

"Gratitude turns what you have into enough."

 One of my favorite grounding exercises at the end of the day is to spend five or so minutes to slow down and sit with my gratitude journal. This time allows me to step outside of my cluttered mind and recall all of the things I was appreciative of throughout the day.

This process helps me during the low points when my depression threatens to resurface, leaving me feeling drained, empty and alone, to remember how much good is already in my life that I have been turning a blind eye to.

"Is it simple? Can you not see it now? We are worth it all." -Tyler Knott Gregson

 

 

Here's just some of what I found:

 

-The ability to get a quality education and further my knowledge in a subject I love, while honing my craft through extracurricular clubs on campus. Overall, I am always grateful for opportunities to learn something new, whether it be through reading, a formal class, conversation, a documentary, or actual experience.

 

-Going to work every morning and feeling like I have a sense of purpose, genuinely enjoying what I get to do every day, and coming home with a feeling of accomplishment that my work has the potential to make a difference in my community and many individual lives.  

 

-Fresh flowers at the farmer's market

 

 

-Unplugging and going on long walks

 

-Reading a good book

 

 

-Spending the day with my family

 

 

-When the cooler night air takes over the Florida heat

 

 

 

-Lazy afternoons

 

-Sleeping in, and waking up to the sound of the rain bouncing off the windows

 

-Swimming on a hot day/feeling the sun kiss my skin

 

 

-A strong cup of coffee or tea

 

 

-Holiday/nature scented candles

 

-Having meaningful conversations

 

-Sharing a meal with friends

 

 

-Seeing a rainbow on the drive home after a long day

 

 

-Hearing an old song on the radio that I used to love and singing it at the top of my lungs

 

-Not waking up to the sound of the alarm on the weekend

 

-Feeling present, like I am exactly where I need to be

 

 

What are you grateful for? Join me for the remaining three days of the #LiveForTomorrow Photo Challenge, leading up to World Suicide Prevention Day on September, 10.



#LiveForTomorrow Photo Challenge: Day 5: Beauty in My Community

I've decided to jump on the bandwagon halfway through the #LiveForTomorrow Photo Challenge from To Write Love On Her Arms.

In this case, just like many others, I say: better late than never, especially when the message is so incredibly important.

According to a recent study conducted by the National Center for Health Statistics, suicide rates have steadily increased from 1999 through 2014, up by 24% than the rate in 1999.

The Live For Tomorrow Photo Challenge encourages participants to celebrate life from September 1-10, leading up to World Suicide Prevention Day on Sept. 10. This year, TWLOHA's theme is: "And So I Kept Living"

Day 5: Find Beauty in Your Community

Self-care tip: buy yourself flowers! They not only brighten your house, but also your mood. Plus, you deserve it!

There is beauty everywhere we go, if only we could open our eyes a bit wider, put our phones down a bit longer, and silence the rambling thoughts simultaneously ravaging our minds long enough to appreciate it.

Regardless of what city you live in or your current circumstance, challenge yourself to go on a walk and look around.

Use your five senses while you walk, this will help you appreciate what is around you in entirety and encourage you to notice things that have been in front of you all along that you have been overlooking.

Here's some ideas:

-Walk barefoot through the grass... how does it feel rubbing against the bottom of your feet? Is it rough? Is it soft enough to lay down on?

During one of my walks, a mother duck ran in front of me, leading her baby ducklings back to the lake. 

A quiet walk in nature is a great way to reconnect with your surroundings on a deeper level without all the white noise we are often bombarded with throughout the school or work day.

-Do you hear the birds as they fly from their homes up in the trees? Do you hear the neighborhood dogs barking, waiting impatiently to go on their afternoon walks?

Stepping out of the car allows you to slow down and notice things you wouldn't normally notice on your morning commute, as you become accustomed to your surroundings, you tend to take the beauty you pass on your everyday route for granted.

-What flowers were planted in your neighborhood? How do they smell? This is a great way to appreciate the changing seasons and all the wonderful smells that come with it: fresh cut grass in the summer, fruits and vegetables at the farmer's market, freshly planted tulips in the spring, etc.

I drive by this bush of flowers every day on the way out of my apartment complex, but have never appreciated the sheer beauty until I got up close, and leaned in to smell the fresh aroma. 

I make it a habit every night to look up at the sky as a grounding exercise. I close my eyes, reach up to the sky, take a deep breath in, then open my eyes to experience all of the beautiful colors the sky has gifted me with at the end of a long day.


What beauty can you discover in your own community? Get outside and take a walk; you'll notice it's all around you. 
Join me for the remaining five days of the #LiveForTommorow Photo Challenge to raise awareness about World Suicide Prevention Day on Sept. 10. 
For more information on TWLOHA's mission, visit: twloha.com/blog/welcome-to-national-suicide-prevention-week-2016/