It’s day 6. How are you feeling? I’m really hoping that you are finding a bit of extra happiness in your days. Today’s project has made such a difference for me and I’m very excited to share! If you are just joining us for #31daystohappy, you can read what it’s about here and you can start here if you’d like to play along!
Also, I’d like to know if you like me including the stories of each of these prompts. Does it help? Does it distract? Let me know in the comments!
Did you know that your brain can only focus on one thing at a time? It’s true. You may be able to walk and talk at the same time, but your mind can only focus on one of those things. (Ever walked off a curb while talking on your phone?) But, if you aren’t focused on anything particular you might find your mind racing, or obsessing, or just circling.
So, what do you focus on? We already plan to spend 10 minutes during our day visualizing a detailed image of us achieving the things that we want. Spending time in the future can be dangerous, too, so we need to balance it with something that brings us happily back to the present.
I have a severe phobia of flying and a father who is a pilot. My husband and I travel for both work & touring. Once my fear of flying got so bad, I literally tried to drink a bottle of lavender essential oil hoping that perhaps taken internally it would be more effective.* On a flight home from Florida last spring, I decided to try something new.
Instead of spending the flight focusing my mind on our ultimate demise by fiery crash, I focused on gratitude. In my head, I imagined everything in my life I felt gratitude towards. I summoned the feeling of gratitude into my chest and I held it there as I dug through each and every thing and memory I felt gratitude towards. Weston holding my hand through a panic attack. My mom hugging me at the airport. I set the timer on my phone to 30 minutes and spent every minute of it bringing to mind things I felt gratitude towards. At first, the list was easy and trite – my home, my bed, my marriage – but as the timer ticked on, I had to dig deep. I dug up things I had forgotten about. Little answered prayers. Kindnesses of strangers. A lasagna dropped off during my 39th week of pregnancy.
The first time I did this, it felt difficult to find so much to be grateful for, but at the end of this 30 minutes of intense gratitude meditation, my heartbeat returned to normal. My abdominal pain had calmed down. My headache seemed to have receded. I now use gratitude meditation a few times each week.
DAY 6 CHALLENGE – #31DAYSTOHAPPY
Make a time today when you can set your timer for 30 uninterrupted minutes. With your eyes closed, begin listing the things you are grateful for in your mind and feel the gratitude in your heart. Savor each gratitude item before listing the next one. If it helps you, spend 30 minutes writing down all of the things in your life that spur the feeling of gratitude.
*this doesn’t work and lavender oil tastes disgusting.
Thank you all for following along! You can find more of the #31daystohappy on instagram by following me at @acraftyfox_amanda
#31daystohappy is at most a meditation and safe space for me to share struggles and techniques I have personally used. I am not a doctor and nothing I write here is a substitute for medical advice. If you are suffering from a medical condition, please seek help immediately. For my full disclaimer, please click here
Thank you for sharing this journey. I was widowed over ten years ago leaving me and my two very young girls on our own. I wish I had been smart enough to find help dealing with the anxiety that filled me as a result of the new life I had to navigate alone. Fast forward to today, my life is very full and wonderful, but the anxiety does not leave. You continue to imagine that it will be taken away just like it was before. This 31 day challenge is a great exercise and I am enjoying this journey with you. And, of course, love your fabric too! 🙂
Please share stories.
Yes, please share the stories Amanda. Today is a crazy busy day but I am planning on trying this ( without closing my eyes!) on a 40 minute drive this afternoon. I usually listen to the talk radio station and that alone makes it hard to focus on the wonderful things in my life!
Yes please continue to share stories Amanda?
Please continue to share stories Amanda?
For you, for your open sharing of your best and most challenging moments, I am grateful.
Please continue to share stories! Thank you for your candor, making it real and especially this challenge. In the 6 days so far, I am focused on making things happen that make me happy, and focusing on the positive. It has made a HUGE difference in my quality of life. I am so grateful for YOU, Amanda, and for your gifts to blog and share this amazing challenge. You are changing lives! Big hugs!!!! Thank you!
I love the stories! Couldn’t read two posts because I was flying back home to Spain from Argentina. Ha! Perfect timing for this story. I dread flying and my recurrent nightmares involve planes crashing on me or falling down with me inside. So, I feel your pain. What a coincidence that my regular kind of prayer on planes is saying Thanks! Just the word, Thanks. Over and over and over. It lulles me to a state of calm and peace. I loved this post! Thanks for the inspiration Amanda! By the way, I got the fabric today and I loved the sweet! xo
Yes to the stories. I love this. I relate so much to you Amanda. This is really helping me! Thank you!!!
SO funny, the night before you guys went to Cancun I had a dream you two were leaving to Hawaii and you had so much fear of flying you made me take your spot (hello I did not complain!) but I was like “weston is right next to you! Your dad is a pilot! You just went to Scotland! you travel all the time!” so that’s ironic you put this story in there! If I could carve out 30 minutes of uninterrupted time I’d be so happy but then I’d probably fall asleep within 5 minutes. BUT I definitely can try for 10 minutes!!!!!
I love this. A former work colleague/friend and I used to practice an “attitude of gratitude” every now and then when we were having a particularly bad day. I’ve found myself waking up feeling anxious recently… for no reason I can identify… so thank you for the reminder to start my day with this mental exercise!
Thank you for sharing! I’m not crazy about flying either and my trip to Edinburgh Scotland last year really put me to the test. Flying over the ocean always seemed worse. But I was determined to beat my fear. Just as your post today discusses gratitude, I too have learned that is such an important role in my life. In 2013 I was struggling with something (don’t remember now) but was impressed to write on a 3×5 card the following: “I have personally found that thankfulness in everything is the key to victory over anything.” I Thessalonians 5:18. I put this on my fridge and brought it with me on a 500-mile move to a new state. It’s looking pretty worn and tattered now but serves as a daily reminder that I am to be thankful in all things. Keeping my focus on that has sure changed my outlook on lots of things. Blessings on your family today. ?
I read your posts every day &, although I haven’t tried everything, I feel so much more positive about life. Thank you. ?