Hi! Coach J here!
Welcome! Welcome! Welcome!
As we may have noticed, some days gratitude flows naturally. Other days… it feels impossible.
And that’s okay.
Gratitude is beautiful, yes. But it isn’t always easy—especially when life feels heavy, uncertain, busy, or emotionally overwhelming at times. We often hear, “Just be grateful,” as if it’s a switch we can turn on (I know, I know). Yet the truth is this:
Gratitude is a practice, not perfection. It requires compassion, patience, and room for the realities of being human!
So, what do you do on the days when gratitude doesn’t come easily?
Here’s how you gently guide yourself back to center without forcing yourself to “be okay.”
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1. Acknowledge Your Truth Without Judgement
Before gratitude can be authentic, it must be grounded in honesty.
If you’re exhausted, stressed, grieving, frustrated, or simply “not feeling it,” allow yourself to acknowledge that fully (doing so is important). Suppressing your emotions doesn’t create gratitude—
it creates pressure.
Try this:
“I’m having a hard day, and that’s okay. I’m still worthy of peace.”
Sometimes accepting where you are is the first step toward gratitude.
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2. Shift from “Big Gratitude” to Small, Gentle Thanks.
When life feels heavy, searching for big things to be grateful for can feel unrealistic.
Instead, focus on the smallest, quietest moments.
A warm blanket..
A text from someone you care about..
A cup of coffee/tea/protein shake/etc.
Five minutes of silence.
Fresh air.
A sunrise.
The fact that you kept going today.
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These aren’t “small” — they’re sustaining.
Tiny gratitude brings your heart back into alignment one breath at a time.
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3. Give Yourself Permission to Slow Down.
Hard days often strip away our capacity to feel grateful because we’re overwhelmed.
Slowing down—even for a moment—creates space for mindfulness.
Try grounding yourself with a simple pause:
Take 3 slow breaths...
Relax your shoulders...
Place your hand over your heart...
Say, “Right here. Right now.”
This small pause re-centers your nervous system and helps gratitude feel approachable again!
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4. Reframe Gratitude as Noticing, Not Performing.
Gratitude is not a performance.
It is not a list you create to prove you are “okay.”
Think of it as noticing rather than forcing.
What is happening in your life that brings even a drop of comfort, relief, or support?
Gratitude grows when the pressure to “feel grateful” is removed!
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5. Turn to Connection When You Feel Empty.
On the toughest days, your energy may be too drained to generate gratitude alone.
That’s when community matters.
Reach out to someone who feels safe, grounding, or encouraging!
Connection reminds you: “I don’t have to hold everything by myself.”
And sometimes, feeling held or supported becomes your gratitude for the day.
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6. Celebrate Showing Up — Even When It’s Hard.
On difficult days, merely waking up, breathing, trying, or choosing not to give up is enough!!!!!!!!!
Be grateful for your resilience.
Be grateful for your honesty.
Be grateful for your persistence.
Be grateful for your heart, even when it hurts.
Gratitude doesn’t always look like joy.
Sometimes it looks like endurance.
Sometimes it looks like hope.
Sometimes it looks like simply taking the next step.
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Coach J's Final Thoughts:
Gratitude doesn’t disappear on the hard days — it just gets quieter.
It whispers instead of shouts.
It hums instead of sings.
But it is still there, waiting patiently for you to meet it where you are.
So give yourself grace.
Give yourself room.
And remember this:
You are worthy of gratitude-filled days and grace-filled days.
Both matter. Both count. Both grow you.
Have a wonderful week and be kind to yourself, and others!!
Until next time ..... 
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