These are odd times. I’m going to be very clear, I’ve had many moments of fear, anxiety and feelings of sheer overwhelm. This pandemic and all the loss and pain —it feels far too much to bear.

So what’s an answer, any answer? For me, it’s busting out what is a basic principle in any spiritual practice: gratitude. 

Start small. When I first began a daily spiritual routine a few years back, all I could handle was saying to myself “Mary, you only need to go at this spiritual stuff for five minutes”. That always did the trick. I began taking out the notes app on my iPhone (handy!) and set the timer and begin jotting down even the most basic things to feel grateful. My children, home, trees in my backyard. 

There were many days, particularly in the early months where I didn’t see the point of this exercise at all! And then slowly over time I began to notice that initial five minutes grew into ten and then twenty. I began to have solid proof that the more I documented all I had, the more I was given. 

It’s imperative that we align ourselves with Higher Power. I not only write out my gratitude list daily, I also practice mindfulness writing, meditation and yoga. This has allowed me to be present for my children, my husband and myself in ways that would have been inconceivable just a few years back. 

The other day I saw something on social media that sent me into a lot of fear-based thoughts. I allowed these thoughts, honored them, acknowledged them and then took out my journal. Was there anything I could be grateful for? Yes, quite a lot. Within a little while, I felt centered again. I even managed to have a laugh and some quality time with my daughter. 

Just for fun, try it out. As we are social distancing, we all need tools in are toolbox and gratitude is extremely powerful.