Alright, folks, let me tell you about my “evening blessings” experiment. Sounds kinda cheesy, right? Well, stick with me. I’m all about trying new things to see if they actually make a difference in my day-to-day life. This one, surprisingly, did.
So, the basic idea is simple: before bed, instead of doomscrolling or watching another episode of something mindless, I decided to take a few minutes to just reflect on the good stuff that happened during the day. I’m usually someone who focuses on what went wrong, what I could have done better, you know, the usual self-criticism spiral. This was an attempt to flip that script.
Step one: I grabbed a cheap-o notebook and a pen. Nothing fancy. Didn’t want to make it feel like a big deal. Just something to jot down my thoughts.
Step two: Set a timer for, like, 5 minutes. That’s it. No pressure to write a novel. I figured even a few minutes of positive reflection was better than none.
Step three: Here’s where the “blessings” part comes in. I started thinking about anything, no matter how small, that made me happy or grateful that day. Like, maybe I had a really good cup of coffee. Or a coworker made me laugh. Or I actually managed to get through my to-do list (rare, but it happens!).
- The first few nights were kinda tough. My brain wanted to default to all the things that stressed me out. But I forced myself to dig a little deeper.
- I started noticing little things I usually overlooked. Like, the way the sun was hitting the trees on my walk home. Or how good it felt to finally finish a project I’d been dreading.
- I wrote them all down. Just a few words or a short sentence for each thing. Nothing complicated.
Step four: After the 5 minutes were up, I just closed the notebook and went to sleep. Didn’t overthink it. Didn’t re-read it. Just let it be.
And you know what? After a week or so, I started noticing a difference. I was falling asleep easier. I was waking up feeling a little bit lighter. I wasn’t dwelling on the negative stuff as much. It wasn’t a magic cure for everything, but it definitely made a positive impact.
Now, I’m not saying everyone has to do this. But if you’re feeling stressed, overwhelmed, or just generally blah, it might be worth a shot. What’s the worst that could happen? You spend 5 minutes thinking about good things? Sounds like a win to me.
I still keep up with it most nights. Some nights I write more than others. Some nights I can barely think of anything. But I always try to make the effort. It’s become a little ritual that helps me wind down and appreciate the good in my life. Give it a try, and let me know what you think!
