The antidote to heavy emotions…

Is Gratitude

Let’s be honest.
When you’re going through separation, the idea of being grateful can feel… a little ridiculous.

You’re grieving.
You’re exhausted.
You’re figuring out how to hold everything together when half of it just fell apart.

And then someone on the internet says, “Just practice gratitude.”

I get it — it can feel a little tone-deaf at first.
But here’s the thing I always share with my coaching clients:

Gratitude isn’t about ignoring the hard stuff.
It’s about remembering the good that still exists — even in the middle of the storm.

It’s not an either/or.
You can be sad… and still find one thing to be thankful for.
You can feel anxious… and still notice something steady in your day.
You can be angry… and still take a breath that calms your nervous system.

Gratitude doesn’t erase the pain — it creates room around it.

Why gratitude works (especially when you don’t feel like it)

When your brain is caught in a loop of negative thoughts — fear, resentment, overwhelm — it’s wired to scan for danger. That’s biology. That’s survival.

But gratitude disrupts that pattern.

It gently signals:

“Yes, this is hard. But there’s still something beautiful here.”
“Yes, I feel broken. But not everything is lost.”
“Yes, I’m struggling. But I’m still breathing. I’m still here.”

And over time, those small moments of gratitude create a cushion — a little bit of softness — between you and the harder emotions.

It doesn’t make the storm disappear. But it does give you something solid to hold on to.

Try this: 2 minutes of presence

This is one of the simplest, most powerful grounding tools.

💛 Step 1: Grab a notebook, your phone, or just sit quietly for a moment.

💛 Step 2: Write down 5 things you feel grateful for right now.

They don’t have to be deep. Don’t overthink it.

A warm shower.
A good cup of coffee.
That one friend who always texts back.
Your favourite hoodie.
The way your child’s hair smells when you hug them.

💛 Step 3: Pick one of them. Close your eyes.
Breathe into it.

Let yourself feel the gratitude for about 2 minutes. Set a timer if you like.

Notice how your body responds. Notice if your shoulders soften. Notice if your breath slows.

Even if your situation hasn’t changed, you just did.

When gratitude becomes a daily anchor

This isn’t about toxic positivity. It’s about emotional resilience.

The women I work with who practice just a few minutes of gratitude each day — even in the thick of separation — begin to feel different. Calmer. Clearer. More present. Less reactive.

They remember they’re more than their emotions.
They reconnect with the parts of themselves that are still strong, still tender, still hopeful.

So if today feels heavy, start small.
You don’t have to be grateful for the breakup.
But you can be grateful for the sunrise. For your breath. For the next quiet cup of tea.

And that’s enough.

Want more gentle tools like this?

Inside our upcoming online divorce coaching course, we go even deeper into emotional healing, nervous system support, and building a life that feels peaceful, grounded and true to you.

This course will be designed to meet you exactly where you are — with step-by-step tools, expert guidance and compassionate support every step of the way.

We’ll be opening enrolments later this year — and I’d love to have you inside.

Until then?
Start with 2 minutes of gratitude.
And notice what shifts.

With love,
Kerstin + The Re-Charge Team