A few weeks ago I shared my list of the top 10 things I’m most grateful for. Gratitude has been a part of my daily routine for so long that it felt pretty much unshakeable. Then this quarantine happened and my business was shut down and I turned into a homeschool teacher all at once. I know I’m grateful for those 10 things I listed, but I’ve found myself really having to dig deep to find things I’m grateful for each and every day. I like to call this getting real gangster with your gratitude.

Before quarantine began most mornings I would wake up, say out loud something I was grateful for, and go about my day. Gratitude was part of my day, but not something I necessarily kept at the forefront of my mind. A second month inside of quarantine and you really have to integrate what you’re grateful for into your daily routine like a habit.

When every day is the same it’s easy to slip into a depression or even comatose state if you don’t keep your focus. During quarantine I really have to keep what I’m grateful for with me in my mind as I go throughout my day. Even though I know what I’m grateful for and I’m still grateful for those things, I had to make it more of mindfulness practice.

For example, when I’m spending time with my kids, instead of just living in the moment and just hanging out with them I’ll pause and actually try to capture the moment. I’ll close my eyes in the middle of whatever we’re doing and just say, “Thank you for THIS moment.” Before I would have just said, “I’m grateful for my kids.” Now, I’m making a point to stop and feel the gratitude for a specific moment.

Another one off my list was that I’m grateful for my health. I’m not sick and no one I know is sick and I’m grateful for that, but digging deeper I found myself the other day having a moment of gratitude for the fact that my legs are strong. I’ve been moving furniture, and lifting heavy shit by myself doing house projects. I don’t have a partner or another adult in my home to help, so if I can’t lift it by myself the project is over.

So I am grateful I can lift this heavy ass piece of furniture up the steps by myself.

Ultimately, I’m most grateful at the moment for my ability to adapt. When I get into a space that is not so pleasant, I am grateful that I can maneuver my way out of it and not get trapped in it. Right around the time when the quarantine got extended I had a few days where I got trapped. For three days I didn’t move or do much of anything. After those days I told myself, “You know what, get up, you still need a plan and to get through this.” This practice of going a step further into gratitude and becoming even more ruthless and real with it has really been a survival skill during this time. Next time you’re engaging in your particular gratitude practice whether it’s journaling or speaking it aloud to yourself, try going even deeper into what you’re grateful for.