Happy Monday, friends! This weekend was so good for my soul. I spent time with my family and then got to attend a good friend’s engagement party. It was was one of those weekends where you just feel recharged on Sunday night even though you were busy all weekend long, do you know what I mean?

It made me feel so grateful for the amazing people in my life, and I felt like this would be a great topic to share on the blog today. When I’m feeling super overwhelmed, I have a tendency to overlook everything in my life that I have to be thankful for and focus on the things that are causing my stress and anxiety. But when I’m intentional about my gratitude, it allows me to focus on what really matters.

Here are 5 ways I practice gratitude when I’m feeling overwhelmed.

Write Down What I’m Thankful For

Y’all know I’m all about a brain dump, so I consider this a brain dump of gratitude. Whenever I’m feeling especially stressed, I love to jot down all of the things I have to be grateful for in my life. Instead of focusing on what I’m lacking (i.e., sleep, time, etc.), I take time to think about what I do have and write it down on a piece of paper. This process will usually take me less than 5 minutes, but it can totally turn my entire day around. I highly recommend you give it a shot if you’re feeling stressed or anxious!

Focus On Doing One Productive Thing Each Day

Some days, it feels overwhelming to just get one thing done, let alone plowing through my entire to-do list. On these days, I truly focus on one important thing that brings me joy. This helps keep me from feeling too overwhelmed and allows me to actually do one thing well. Otherwise, I will sit and stare at my to-do list forever and nothing gets done. I actually tend to get more done when I focus on doing less. This blog post I wrote on how to overcome the pressure to be perfect might be helpful too!

Reach Out to a Friend

When I’m feeling overwhelmed, it can often feel like I’m alone. I tend to retreat and allow myself to be stressed, which isn’t helpful at all. But when I make an effort to reach out to a friend and check in, schedule a coffee date, or even just send a text message saying hey, I instantly feel better. There’s something about remembering how many amazing people I have in my life that just puts things into perspective for me!

Go for a Walk

This may sound counterintuitive when you’re busy. You’re probably thinking, “Brighton, how the heck do I find time to go for a walk when I have so much to do?” I get it, trust me. But even a 10- or 15-minute walk can make a huge difference. It can help clear your mind, offer a fresh perspective, and give you those endorphins that just can’t be duplicated by anything else you can do — believe me, I’ve tried!

Focus on Good News

The last thing I want when I’m feeling stressed or overwhelmed is to fill my brain with anything that’s going to cause more anxiety. So when I’m having a day, instead of turning on the daily news or scrolling through my newsfeed on social media, I focus on being intentional and seeking out good news. There are a number of news publications out there (@goodnews_movement on IG is my fav) that just put me in a good mood and help me stay positive instead of getting into a funk.

I hope these ideas help you the next time you’re feeling stressed! Now I want to know how you practice gratitude when you’re feeling overwhelmed.

Outfit Details: CeliaB Cedro Shirt // Jeans // Boots // Mini Bag // Sunglasses