Monday Moment: Before the Day Takes Over

A Monday Moment is a short pause at the start of the week.
In this episode, Tania reflects on the difference between gratitude and appreciation, and how moving beyond mental checklists into sensory awareness can shift how your day unfolds. It’s a reminder to slow down, notice what's already present, and anchor into the day before momentum takes over.

Transcript

0:01

I've been thinking about gratitude lately. For a long time I thought of gratitude as a list. You know the drill. Name five things. You're Grateful for 10 if you're doing it right. And don't get me wrong, I actually love gratitude lists. I authored a series of gratitude journals for kids. So really, I'm a big fan, but sometimes gratitude gets tangled up with comparison. I should be grateful for this job or this roof over my head. Or the food in the fridge because someone else doesn't have those things. And while there's absolutely nothing wrong with that, it can start to feel a little predictable and even a little rote. So what I've been playing with instead is this idea of appreciation. Appreciation feels different. It doesn't require comparison to anything or anyone. And it's not a thought exercise. Gratitude exercises can sometimes leave us stuck at the level of the mind, whereas appreciation gets you into your body, into feeling the emotions of being grateful. So, for example, instead of writing, I'm grateful for my coffee appreciation is actually holding the warm mug, feeling it in your fingers, noticing the smell, taking a sip, and really tasting it. Instead of just gulping it down for the caffeine hit, although, let's be honest, there's no shame in enjoying the caffeine hip or lying in bed for an extra moment and noticing the weight of the covers, the warmth, the light coming through the window, just letting yourself feel it. To me, that's appreciation, it's gratitude that's moved out of your head and into your senses. And when I do that, even in little small moments. My day really shifts. It becomes almost like a walking meditation. Nothing magical has changed, but I feel more present. And I think that feeling present is becoming more and more rare and more difficult these days. So this is especially helpful at the start of a day. I mean, you can do it at any time, but at the start of the day before the momentum has taken over. It's great to spend some time in appreciation. This is a time when it's easy to feel, pushed forward instead of mindfully moving forward. And appreciation doesn't require anything special to be happening in your day or in your world, but there's always something steady, something simple, something easy to miss that's worth appreciating. I learned this the hard way. Uh, last month when I got really sick and I could barely stand without holding onto the wall, I essentially had to crawl outta bed, crawl to the bathroom, and it made me realize how I rarely stopped to appreciate moving through my day without thinking about it. You know, just being able to stand up, walk to the kitchen, reach for something without feeling dizzy or without experiencing pain. So wherever you're listening from and whatever kind of day this is for you. Here's what I'll leave you with. What's one thing you can appreciate right now, right here? Not just naming it, but actually spending some time to feel it, to experience it, and what might shift today if you let that be an anchor instead of simply just rushing past it. Okay. That's it. Just something to help you get grounded before whatever comes next. Takes over. Cheers. Okay.