I always enjoy Nimue’s writing (and David’s, now that they are collaborating).
I love this:
“If things are actually hellish, then it’s important not to start being grateful for awful things. I know there are some ostensibly spiritual teachers who encourage people to be grateful for all experiences, but I don’t think that’s healthy. You do not have to be grateful for the lessons that break your heart, the misery that crushes you or the harm you experience. If there’s a time for that, it’s when you’re well clear of those things and can be grateful for what you’ve learned and how far you’ve come. If things are awful, you are absolutely allowed to be cross and to resent it, and that doesn’t make you a less spiritual person. We need to embrace the full range of our experiences and sometimes things are just shit and need treating as such.”
Nimue Brown at Druid Life
Gratitude is a huge part of my practice and I’ll put some links to my Gratitude focused blog posts below as well.
Having said that – I could not agree with Nimue more.
Sometimes shit sucks, and anyone who tells you to be grateful for awful things can fuck right off.
Seriously.
That’s toxic positivity and if you are having a crap time, you really don’t need that bullshit as well.
Honour your boundaries.
I’m back!
Just going to take a moment to acknowledge that whilst I have been reading blogs and sharing those that particularly resonate for me, I haven’t been writing my own.
I’ve got a heap of drafts sitting there, but I’ve been focused on navigating full-time work and becoming pretty much bed bound prior to yetmore surgery. Having said that , I’m now mostly off al the pain meds, getting more mobile,and feeling like I can write again.
General links
- Gratitude is a verb
- How Gratitude Changes You and Your Brain
- Why gratitude is good for you
- Why I Quit My Gratitude Practice to Improve My Mental Health
- What You Need to Know About Toxic Positivity
- Giving thanks can make you happier
- How Gratitude Can Help You Through Hard Times
- Gratitude vs. Toxic Positivity: Here’s The Difference, From A Therapist
- 13 Most Popular Gratitude Exercises & Activities
- Gratitude
- What is Gratitude and Why Is It So Important?
- The how and why of practising gratitude
- 40 Simple Ways To Practice Gratitude
- 7 Scientifically Proven Benefits Of Gratitude That Will Motivate You To Give Thanks Year-Round
Accessible Peer-reviewed articles
I read a lot of peer reviewed articles as part of my process through my diagnosis. Here are some fully accessible articles that I have read around gratitude practice.
- A systematic review of gratitude interventions: Effects on physical health and health behaviors
- Gratitude – more than just a platitude? The science behind gratitude and health
- Gratitude as a Psychotherapeutic Intervention
- Using a Gratitude Intervention to Improve the Lives of Women With Breast Cancer: A Daily Diary Study
- Spirituality and Gratitude as Predictors of the Quality of Life in Adult Cancer Patients
- Daily Feelings of Gratitude are Related to Better Mental Health Outcomes in Breast Cancer Patients: A Daily Diary Study
- Positive psychological functioning in breast cancer: An integrative review
- The Science of Gratitude
Peer-reviewed articles that require payment or university access
- The Influence of Gratitude in Physical, Psychological, and Spiritual Well-Being
- Psychosocial health mediates the gratitude-physical health link
- Gratitude and health: An updated review
- Gratitude when it is needed most: Social functions of gratitude in women with metastatic breast cancer.
- The Role of Gratitude in Breast Cancer: Its Relationships with Post-traumatic Growth, Psychological Well-Being and Distress
- Mindful gratitude journaling: psychological distress, quality of life and suffering in advanced cancer: a randomised controlled trial
- Effects of a randomized gratitude intervention on death-related fear of recurrence in breast cancer survivors.
- Optimism, social support and psychosocial functioning among women with breast cancer
RELATED BLOG POSTS: Gratitude practice
- Gratitude Links Roundup
- Ask for help – then practice gratiude
- Gratitude Practice 12 of 12
- Gratitude Practice 11 of 12
- Gratitude Practice 10 of 12
- Gratitude Practice 9 of 12
- Gratitude Practice 8 of 12
- Gratitude Practice 7 of 12
- Gratitude Practice 6 of 12
- Gratitude Practice 5 of 12
- Gratitude Practice 4 of 12
- Gratitude Practice 3 of 12
- Gratitude Practice 2 of 12
- Gratitude Practice 1 of 12
- Gratitude practice 85 days of chemotherapy.
Related blog posts: Cancer
- Act III
- Tips and tricks ~ Cancer Edition: Pre-Surgery
- Sunday 24th October 2021: Cancer Journal 17 ~ Chemo Edition
- Counting the Days
- Emergence
- Sunday 03rd October 2021: Cancer Journal 16 ~ Chemo Edition
- Milestones along the way
- Thursday 09th September 2021: Cancer Journal 15 ~ Chemo Edition
- Menopause
- Fuck Cancer
- Friday 13th August 2021: Cancer Journal 14 ~ Chemo Edition
- Haunted Temple, Sacred Vessel
- Friday 06th August 2021 (Cancer Journal 13)
- Friday 23rd July 2021 (Cancer Journal 12)
- The hospital week: first week post-surgery
- Wednesday 14th July 2021 (Cancer Journal 11)
- Sunday 11th July 2021 (Cancer Journal 10)
- Monday 05th July 2022 (Cancer Journal 9)
- Monday 21st June 2021 – Surgery Date (Cancer Journal 8)
- Plaster Cast
- Thursday 03rd June 2021 – the worst meltdown
- Sunday 30th May 2021: Cancer – telling your colleagues
- Friday 28th May 2021 (Cancer Journal 7)
- Friday 28th May 2021 Plastic Surgeon
- Wednesday 26th May 2021 Cancer Clinic
- Tuesday 25th May 2021 Left Breast Diagnosis
- Friday 21st May 2021: Biopsy, Left Breast
- Tuesday 18th May (Cancer Journal 6)
- Monday 17th May 2021 Arranging the biopsy
- Saturday 15th May 2021 (Cancer Journal 5)
- Wednesday 12th May 2021 (Cancer Journal 4)
- Friday 07th May 2021 (Cancer Journal 3)
- Samhain
- Cancer surgeon
- Sunday, 02nd May 2021 (Cancer Journal 2)
- Saturday May 01st 2021 ( Cancer Journal 1)
- Facebook post
- How to tell people you have cancer.
- Diagnosis
- Deciding strategies
- The Camus Question of Choice
- The Follow-up Tests
- The phone call.
- Milestones
- Check your breasts
I’m grateful for what I have, my family, the beautiful day I will live today and my cats.
Thank you for sharing… cats ate such great companions.
Today was a beautiful sunny Winter day here in the Southern Hemisphere… I was able to do my prayers at dawn, noon, and dusk, I had the house open for a few hours.. it all adds up to a beautiful day and I’m very grateful!