Isabella Bridgman, Grade 11
UWC Atlantic
I kept a gratitude journal during the Covid-19 lockdown. Wrote in it religiously - three lovely tiny things each day, written in tiny handwriting in a tiny notebook next to my bed. During the UK lockdown and the blurring of days into one another, it was a way of differentiating each 24 hours from the next.
Reading it back, there are common trends; things which I express gratitude for, over and over and over and over. It is cliched beyond belief, but nature is one thing I am most grateful for having access to. I live in a rural area, so during the pandemic, my family and I walked for an hour each day, either exploring nearby lakes and hills or repeating the same six walks we could do from our doorstep. After being stuck in our (small) house all day, I felt an immense appreciation for the breathing space provided by the open fields and gusts of wind. Even the repetitive tracing of the same local routes day after day let me detach completely from whatever work I'd had on that day, freed up headspace to notice tiny things, like a heron sweeping down the river or daffodils poking up amongst the gravestones in the cemetery. I felt a sense of gratitude for the ability to walk; gratitude that I lived in an area where I could get out and escape, rather than being stuck in a city. I've at times hated where I live, for its isolation, its lack of 'excitement' - but lockdown made me feel suddenly grateful for my home.
When I moved away from home to start at UWC, it was the landscapes of home I missed the most; the rise and fall of the mountains and the lakes and forests' serenity. I became grateful instead for the sea at Atlantic College, the glorious sunsets over the fields and Bristol Channel, the misty views out of the castle windows.
The other recurring trend in my gratitude journal was family; I was expecting lockdown to push me close to attempting murder. On the contrary - I grew a lot closer to my family, my sister especially. I was so grateful for their company, and when I moved to AC, their companionship was replaced by friends from across the world, who I am equally as grateful for.
I'm trying to keep a gratitude journal again this year - making myself search for three things I'm grateful for each day forces me to retain some sense of positivity, even on days that haven't gone quite to plan. Gratitude can sound soppy, sentimental - pointless, even, given how chaotic the world currently is. And it sounds even more cliched and sentimental to say that the current depressing state of the world is exactly the reason why we should look for the little "silver linings" we're grateful for. But honestly, it is - I know there have been days for me when, looking at the rising death toll of the UK, the shambles of our government, and the ever-increasing workload of the IB, life feels overwhelming; so zooming in on small things I'm grateful for lets me stay grounded. Use your diary, or a notes app, or even just make a mental list - but expressing gratitude is a therapeutic activity I would encourage everyone to try.
Reading it back, there are common trends; things which I express gratitude for, over and over and over and over. It is cliched beyond belief, but nature is one thing I am most grateful for having access to. I live in a rural area, so during the pandemic, my family and I walked for an hour each day, either exploring nearby lakes and hills or repeating the same six walks we could do from our doorstep. After being stuck in our (small) house all day, I felt an immense appreciation for the breathing space provided by the open fields and gusts of wind. Even the repetitive tracing of the same local routes day after day let me detach completely from whatever work I'd had on that day, freed up headspace to notice tiny things, like a heron sweeping down the river or daffodils poking up amongst the gravestones in the cemetery. I felt a sense of gratitude for the ability to walk; gratitude that I lived in an area where I could get out and escape, rather than being stuck in a city. I've at times hated where I live, for its isolation, its lack of 'excitement' - but lockdown made me feel suddenly grateful for my home.
When I moved away from home to start at UWC, it was the landscapes of home I missed the most; the rise and fall of the mountains and the lakes and forests' serenity. I became grateful instead for the sea at Atlantic College, the glorious sunsets over the fields and Bristol Channel, the misty views out of the castle windows.
The other recurring trend in my gratitude journal was family; I was expecting lockdown to push me close to attempting murder. On the contrary - I grew a lot closer to my family, my sister especially. I was so grateful for their company, and when I moved to AC, their companionship was replaced by friends from across the world, who I am equally as grateful for.
I'm trying to keep a gratitude journal again this year - making myself search for three things I'm grateful for each day forces me to retain some sense of positivity, even on days that haven't gone quite to plan. Gratitude can sound soppy, sentimental - pointless, even, given how chaotic the world currently is. And it sounds even more cliched and sentimental to say that the current depressing state of the world is exactly the reason why we should look for the little "silver linings" we're grateful for. But honestly, it is - I know there have been days for me when, looking at the rising death toll of the UK, the shambles of our government, and the ever-increasing workload of the IB, life feels overwhelming; so zooming in on small things I'm grateful for lets me stay grounded. Use your diary, or a notes app, or even just make a mental list - but expressing gratitude is a therapeutic activity I would encourage everyone to try.
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