Day 2 of NOVA’s Gratitude and Appreciation Week: Thoughtful Tuesday!

April 23, 2024 / Get Well

Welcome to Day 2 of NOVA’s Spring 2024 Gratitude and Appreciation Week. The theme for today is “Thoughtful Tuesday!”

Sometimes, as we go through our day, we forget to stop and enjoy the little things. It’s possible to spend an entire day either stuck in rumination about the past or anxious over the future. This means never really seizing the moment and noticing the pleasant things happening right now. The result is that we often end up missing out on important experiences.

Mindfulness acts as a bridge connecting gratitude and presence. It involves purposefully paying attention to the present moment with nonjudgmental awareness. Approaching gratitude with mindfulness heightens our ability to stay present and fully immerse ourselves in the experience of the moment. John Bradley writes, “By focusing our attention on the sensations, emotions and thoughts associated with gratitude, we deepen our connection to the present moment and cultivate a sense of stillness and presence.”

Are you looking to the future or to the past? What might you be missing right now in the present? Though it can be challenging, with a few easy-to-follow, readily adaptable strategies, we can remember to slow down and savor little moments in our lives as a way to cultivate gratitude. 

Ready to Get Started with a Savoring Practice?
As you savor the moment, notice the little things that can make a day special — the smile of a friend, the kindness of a stranger, the beauty of a sunset. Tap into your senses and let your mind linger on pleasant, everyday sensations. This can help ground you in the present, pulling you away from rumination and worrying. Practicing presence might include focusing on the taste of a ripe strawberry, the feeling of the sun on your skin or the gentle sound of background music. It could also involve taking a savoring walk.

Leveling Up.
The Savoring Walk involves walking for 20 minutes by yourself, ideally once a week. Take a different route each time you walk, paying close attention to as many positive sights, sounds, smells or other sensations as you can. As you notice each of these positive things, acknowledge each one in your mind — don’t just let it slip past you. Pause for a moment as you hear or see each thing and make sure it registers with your conscious awareness — really take it in. Try to identify what it is about that thing that makes it pleasurable to you. Reflect on how seeing the beauty around you makes you feel. If you begin to notice your mind wandering, pause, take a deep breath and reconnect with your present.

In addition to making you feel good, becoming more attuned to your surroundings can also give you more opportunities to connect with other people, even if it’s just to share a smile!

For more on using presence to cultivate gratitude, visit the growing collection of gratitude resources curated by NOVA OEWW for this spring’s Gratitude and Appreciation Week. Feel free to share additional resources that you have found to be especially impactful. Email your additions to employeewellbeing@nvcc.edu using the subject line “Impactful Gratitude Practices.”

Special note: OEWW acknowledges that practicing gratitude might be more challenging at times than others, especially during times of personal or group crisis. The article “How Gratitude Can Help You Through Hard Times” shares that “it is precisely under crisis conditions when we have the most to gain by a grateful perspective on life. In the face of demoralization, gratitude has the power to energize. In the face of brokenness, gratitude has the power to heal. In the face of despair, gratitude has the power to bring hope. In other words, gratitude can help us cope with hard times.” Also consider revisiting this article on Managing Your Mental Health During Challenging Times – Daily Flyer (nvcc.edu).

“Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, today is a gift, which is why we call it the present.” — Attributed to various authors

Image of light green lotus flower on a white background. At bottom right corner is a cartoon drawing of a woman in a light blue blouse and headscarf smelling a bouquet of pink flowers. Superimposed over the green lotus flower image is the following text: Header: Gratitude and Appreciation Week Day 2: Thoughtful Tuesday Notice the little things. - As you travel to work, look around and acknowledge all that you find particularly beautiful or interesting. - Throughout your day, notice the many attention-worthy things you seeL trees, sunlight, weather, the shade under a tree, flowers, a neighborhood park. - Feel the grace and goodness of your world. - Remember, the more you practice gratitude while being in the present moment, the more you'll find to be grateful for.

Submitted by: 
Dahlia Henry-Tett, Chief Wellness Officer (CWO), employeewellbeing@nvcc.edu