Even when life feels overwhelming, gratitude can offer a gentle shift in perspective—not as a fix, but as a way to see what’s still good.
During Wellbeing Week (May 5–9), gratitude walls appeared across Flinders – at Bedford Park, in the city, rural campuses, and even online. Students were invited to take a moment, reflect, and add their own note of thanks. The results were honest, warm, and diverse – from shoutouts to friends and family to appreciation for coffee, sunshine, and Taylor Swift.
You can explore evidence-based gratitude practices on sites like Greater Good in Action, but here’s what struck me most:
Gratitude isn’t just a wellbeing activity. It’s a perspective shift.
Right now, many staff and students are telling us they feel overwhelmed. And it’s understandable. Workloads, life demands, study pressure – they can mount quickly. In this context, the idea of doing more self-care can feel like pushing uphill.
Gratitude practice, however, isn’t always about doing more. It’s not another yoga class or another habit to track. It’s more like adjusting the lens. It doesn’t demand that your circumstances change. Instead, it lets you briefly see them differently.
Even just for a moment, turning our attention to what’s already good – what’s already working – can soften the tone of the day. That’s not to say we ignore hardship or stop fighting for better systems, fewer barriers, and more support. Gratitude doesn’t mean giving up on change. It means we don’t lose sight of what’s worth holding onto.
Personally, I frequently get fixated sometimes on what’s broken – in the system or in my own life. I’m prone to obsessing over past failures and grumping over the fact that I am not the perfect version of myself. But I am glad, that as I’ve got older, I’ve got better at acknowledging the positives. I’m warm, well-fed, connected, caffeinated, and about to spend a weekend with people I like. These facts don’t cancel out my tendency to paint my life as a series of black ominous shapes, but they balance the picture, by adding streaks of colour and movement.
If your mind tends to highlight what’s wrong – you’re not alone. Some of us have to work harder to notice the good. And yet, when we do, it can be surprisingly powerful. Gratitude doesn’t make the hard stuff disappear. But it can remind us: There is also light.
A moment for you
Let me leave you with a gentle invitation:
With life as it is for you right now, does cultivating gratitude feel possible?
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If yes, what are the kinds of things you find yourself noticing or appreciating?
Big or small. People or places. Moments or memories. -
If no, what barriers or burdens feel so present or heavy that they push gratitude to the edges?
What would need to shift—even slightly—for the good in life to become more visible?
There’s no right answer. But in asking these questions, we sometimes get a glimpse into what we need—and what matters most. And in community, when we share those glimpses, we remember we’re not alone.
