31 Moments of Gratitude from May ft. Just Hannah Here

After my last post, my reflections on a slightly shambolic May, I think it’s time for a little pick-me-up. A highlights reel of glittery moments. Some sparkly POSITIVITY. Yes that’s right kids, I’m dusting off the concept of ‘gratitude’ and shoving it centre stage again. Because May was a tricky one for me (slight understatement, but we’ll go with it): I struggled with illness and essays and generally feeling helplessly stuck.

But that doesn’t mean good things didn’t happen – in fact, they did. It’s just hard to fully appreciate the taste of a fine wine when you accidentally pour it down your windpipe (or if, like me, you think all wine tastes like a grape-infused oil slick). These are the most important times to recognise and be grateful for good things in life though. Noticing the small moments can help to lug us back up the hill so we have a chance at seeing the sunrise.

At the start of the month I was talking to the lovely Hannah, from JustHannahHere. She writes about all things lifestyle and I really love her content! We decided to collab on the topic of gratitude, noting down a small thing from each day that made us that little bit happier. I’m going to be honest here: I didn’t do this every single day. Life has been hectic and I didn’t make the time for it. Oops.

So instead, my list is going to be of 31 moments from the last month I’m grateful for, just not necessarily one moment from each day. It’s kind of the same though, right?

In May I was grateful for…

1. Having had a pretty great April.

2. The smell of wet pavement after several warm days – did you know there’s a word for that? It’s called petrichor.

3. Having good wifi at home – it makes blogging a whole lot easier.

4. Receiving such lovely and positive comments on my anxiety posts.

5. Sunny days with a cold breeze.

6. Sunny days with a warm breeze.

7. Waking up with a body aching from exercise because it feels healthy.

8. The sound of rain on velux windows.

9. Planning summer travels.

10. Having a picnic for a whole afternoon with my boyfriend.

11. Writing blog collabs and connecting with other bloggers.

12. Living near the sea – knowing I’ll be away from the sea when I go to university in autumn makes me appreciate it more.

13. Handing in my second to last university essay – getting so close to the end is exciting.

14. Being able to run for 20 minutes straight – that’s the most I’ve ever tried to run in my adult life and I did it.

15. People watching in Brighton from cafe windows.

16. My family supporting me when I’m finding it hard – no matter if it’s my physical or mental wellbeing.

17. Having such nice weather on the weekend for a family barbecue. (Disclaimer: I don’t actually like ketchup or mustard, but they made a nice photo).

18. Having energy, and making time, to write.

19. Being in walking distance of the sea at work – eating lunch looking at the waves really helps to clear my head and take me away from the stuffiness for a while.

20. Binging TV shows in bed – not a healthy habit for every month of life but definitely a nice way to relax during stressful times.

21. Planting seeds and flowers, and seeing all the floral colours in people’s gardens and the streets.

22. Seeing a really lovely and understanding doctor and for once having a positive experience as I normally leave feeling negative in some way.

23. Dedicating a specific amount of time to a very specific thing – I believe that single-tasking is the new multi-tasking: everyone is always doing many things simultaneously and I’m starting to realise the value in paying attention to thing for a while.

24. Reading a new book – a simple but very neglected pleasure in my life.

25. Handing in my last essay for the year – I completed a full-time year with the Open University!

26. Learning new things – how to use watercolour paints is the latest thing I’m trying.

27. My parents taking me out for lunch – even though the food wasn’t that great.

28. The value of good sleep.

29. My mum coming home from work to let me in when I was ill, had to come home from work early and forgot my keys.

30. Seeing how far this blog has come, and how many people I’ve been able to connect with.

31. Knowing I value myself enough to make tricky decisions that benefit me.

So that’s my list – make sure to go check out Hannah’s list on her blog too. And let me know something you’re grateful for below ❤

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If you enjoyed this post, you might like:

20 Things I Learnt By 20

Moments in Sydney: 101 Words of Gratitude

The Medicine of Sunshine: 101 Words of Gratitude

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