“Just make a list of five things you are grateful for every day. You’ll be surprised to see the list never ends!”
To have gratitude for so many things that one has can enforce positive elements in life. For a person battling with depression, anxiety, or a personality disorder such as borderline, it is useful to use the power of gratitude in your life.
In a depressive state when negative feelings trap you completely, it is then that we consciously start listing out things, relationships, and opportunities we are grateful for. It wouldn’t miraculously change a condition you are suffering but it would definitely give you a way forward.
Think and imagine, a person you love dies by suicide tomorrow. The first thing people would believe is that life is a precious gift and one should completely celebrate it. So, the first thing to do when you wake up is to thank yourself and the universe for keeping you alive. And, then you realize, you are healthy, safe, and able. These are things to be grateful for because it isn’t about what you don’t have, it’s about what you have. It is about your ability during a crisis.
Recently, I read somewhere that when you’re sick and you focus on the sickness, it doesn’t go away. It rather stays. Similarly, when you are down and out, feeling like you are not good enough for your friends and family. Take a minute and thank yourself for living despite struggling every single minute. Thank your-self for your body that offers support, thank your mind for not giving up, and be thankful that you may be suffering but are able!
I tried making a list of things that I’m grateful for and I realized – I was holding onto a version of myself I disliked without appreciating a strong version of myself, which exists. I was hoping to have a stronger sense of self-giving away the different versions. Sometimes, you have to thank yourself before anyone else does that to you!
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