FEELING GRATITUDE

FEELING GRATITUDE DURING—AND AFTER—THE PANDEMIC BY VERONICA BAHN

Spring is a reminder of the blessings all around us— life is in bloom! Everything seems fresh and colorful.

Possibilities seem endless. But, how do you stay grateful in a season of renewal and rebirth when the world feels so negative and there is so much unknown? In times of crisis and fear, I lean on my routine, my tribe, and my family. This allows me to live in the moment, stay positive, and focus on how I want to come out of this unprecedented experience.

As an entrepreneur during these times, I’ve realized that creating and sticking to a routine each day has given me a sense of calm amidst the chaos. Being at home with two of my three children and my husband for going on six weeks has had its challenges, as I’m sure many of you can relate to! HOW TO BEGIN YOUR DAY

I like to begin my day with 20 minutes of meditation before I even think of picking up my phone. Sometimes that meditation means a walk outside and letting the morning sunshine warm my face. Other days I grab my coffee and write in my gratitude journal. These purposeful moments create some normalcy and allow me to tackle my day with a clear mind, especially when a day full of meetings and coaching follows.

Picking things to incorporate into my day that bring me joy, purpose, and a challenge help ease the stress of the unknown and allow me to create space for myself—even the little joys of having a cup of coffee alone before my day fully starts. LEAN ON FRIENDS

Now more than ever, I’m leaning on girlfriends. Friends I’ve had for years who are also mothers, wives, daughters, sisters— and the list goes on. Friends who are also overwhelmed and missing the little reprieves we had before lockdown. I’ve enjoyed being creative while virtually connecting! We’ve done socially distanced yoga, Zoom cocktail hours, and I even started sewing masks and making bracelets for my tribe of women—it gives me a creative outlet and hopefully will put a smile on their faces.

With everything going on in the world, it has shown me how precious these connections are. ENJOY TIME WITH FAMILY

Being a family of four under one roof has its challenges, but I’ve loved the quality time I’ve had with my sons and husband. We’ve been taking nature walks, doing puzzles, watching movies, playing games, and we even got a new pet, our quarantine fish! There have been many highly competitive games of ping-pong in the backyard. More dinners than I can count that have actually been spent together at the table. At first, thinking of my very busy boys who have college classes and baseball now being home all day, I was worried about the endless video games and messes, but I realized how fleeting these days are before my husband and I are empty nesters.

This time has also allowed me to make time for family from afar in different ways. My niece created an Instagram account this past month, and I never would have had time to answer the family group calls she initiates daily!

This morning I had a Zoom call with my daughter, who lives in Los Angeles.

We’re making birthday videos for a cousin’s 18th birthday and my future son-in-law’s 30th! We’re learning different ways to connect that will carry us into a post-pandemic world. FEELING GRATITUDE

Taking time each day to appreciate my routine, my tribe, and my family during this time of crisis and fear has been an unexpected gift. It has allowed me to be more present, stay positive, connect with my creativity, find inspiration among the noise, and focus on how I want to come out of this unprecedented experience.

I will remember this time as a momentary reprieve to reset, renew, find my center, and ground myself as I spring forward through this historical chaos.

Veronica Bahn is the founder of Side Hustle Expert LLC. Her mission is to launch women onto their business path by transforming their passion into profits and philanthropy. Connect with her on Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIn to schedule your 20-minute complimentary discovery call and opt-in to her weekly Side Hustle Success Guide Tips delivered to your inbox.

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