Debbie Does Push-ups! Day 12

The Gratitude Reset: A Small Practice That Changes Everything

Yesterday was Day 11. Rest day. Today is officially Day 12 of the challenge. Full transparency: I’m behind.

This congestion situation is kicking my ass. During the day I’m fine-ish, but mornings and nights. Stuffed. Raspy voice. Sounding like Marge Simpson. Hubby Rui says it’s sexy. I’m choosing to believe him. At least stuff is coming out of me. Progress. Yesterday was full on Sofa Sunday mode. We basically lived on the couch watching Forensic Factor. I love that stuff. Fascinating. Terrifying. Educational. Love or money is the common denominator in most murders. Good to know. Will be keeping both in check.

Today is Family Day, and my mom’s hosting the whole crew. Aunts, uncles, cousins, everyone. I’m staying home (shitty) so I don’t pass along the germs … but it gives me time to write. And honestly? This challenge is showing me something big. I'm really enjoying writing and sharing every day. So thank you for reading and sending me positive feedback messages. My favourite message so far is that the blog sounds like me. Yay! That matters a lot. I want it to feel like I’m talking to you, not submitting an essay to my grade-10 English teacher. Yes, I know some of my sentences are one word. Very. Aware.

Today's push-up target is 75, showing that just 75 minutes of gratitude practice per week can boost mental wellbeing. Canadian Mental Health Association says, "Gratitude shifts focus from what may be lacking to what's present and good. The simple habit strengthens resilience, improves mood and deepens connections with others. Why it matters. Studies show practicing gratitude can reduce stress, improve sleep, and even enhance overall life satisfaction. It's a small daily habit with lasting impact."

Seventy-five. Minutes. A week. When you actually break that down, it’s kind of crazy how doable it is: that’s about 10–11 minutes a day, so just a few mindful minutes in the morning and before bed. That’s it. Not a silent retreat in the mountains. Not journaling for an hour. Not becoming a monk.

Just small, consistent moments of noticing what’s good. And honestly, that’s exactly what this push-up challenge is teaching me too. Not perfection. Not heroic effort. Just showing up daily. Some days I do all my reps at once. Most days, I split them into tiny chunks. Some days I’m behind and catching up.

But the lesson is the same as gratitude: little things, done consistently, change how you feel.

Why Gratitude Actually Works (Not Just Woo-Woo)

I started my daily gratitude practice back in 2020. Five things in the morning. Five things before bed.

Every day? No. Most days? Yes. And I feel the difference when I skip it. When I start my day grateful, I notice more things to be grateful for throughout the day. It’s cyclical. It snowballs. I’ve read many times that where your mind is before bed affects how you sleep, which affects how you wake up, which affects your mood, which affects your whole day. Makes sense. There’s that line: “What you think about, you bring about.” Bob Proctor. (If you don’t know him, he was a Canadian self-development guy. Workshops, meditations, law-of-attraction stuff.). Sounds basic, right? But actually think about it. If I wake up thinking: “I’m exhausted, I didn’t sleep well, today’s going to suck," guess what kind of day I’m setting up? This literally happened recently. I woke up cranky, tired, already planning a nap, already deciding I didn’t feel like going to class. Then I did my meditation (coincidentally it was about gratitude that morning), stretched while listening to affirmations, had my coffee, wrote my five things … and suddenly I felt WAY better. I went to the class I “didn’t feel like” going to. I felt better physically. Better mentally. Grateful I put on my big-girl pants. It's not magic. It's practice.

Catching Yourself to Coach Yourself

Here’s where gratitude becomes a real tool. If I’m worried about something (let's take a hard conversation coming up for example), my default brain goes straight to panic mode: What if it goes badly? What if they’re upset? What if I don't know what to say? But now I can catch myself mid-spiral and flip it:What if it goes well? What if they appreciate your honesty? What if you walk away feeling proud of yourself?

Then I literally write: “I’m grateful for this upcoming conversation because it will help me grow. It will go better than I expect. I’ll feel proud of myself.” Does it erase nerves? No. Does it change how I walk into the conversation? Yes. Where attention goes, energy flows. Not just a cute rhyme.

Gratitude in Real Life

Let’s talk relationships. If you focus on the thing your partner does that annoys you, what happens? You get more annoyed. If you focus on something you love about them? Different feeling entirely. Gratitude shifts your emotional lens. This morning my list was simple. I'll share it with you.

• I'm grateful for my family

• I'm grateful for sunshine

• I'm grateful for being able to taste my morning coffee a little more today

• I'm grateful that I'm feeling a little better

• I'm grateful for my nail polish colour

Nothing dramatic. Just life.

Last night, I wrote:

• I’m grateful people are reading my blog

• I’m grateful for this push-up challenge

• I’m grateful I’m at $835 in donations (almost at my $1000 goal!)

• I’m grateful I’m learning to rest when I’m sick

• I’m grateful I know I’ll finish my 2000 push-ups

Chosen Family & Poker Confidence

I’m also grateful for my chosen family. My friends. We saw some good friends on Saturday night. I took Advil sinus to help me out for a few hours. We ate, talked, played poker. Texas Hold’em style. Before we started, I told Rui: “I’m winning tonight.” He smiled and said, “I believe you.” "I'm grateful already!" I said to him quietly. (yes I'm aware, sounds super cocky). But guess what? I basically did win. It was getting late, so another player and I split the pot. I took $60, she took $40. Grateful. Also proof that confidence plus delusion sometimes works. ;)

Push-Ups & Real Talk

Today I’ve done 50 push-ups so far. Still more to go. But I’m reminding myself:

Rest is part of showing up. Healing is part of discipline. And tomorrow I’ll be stronger.

Your Turn

I’d love to hear what you’re grateful for today. Big things. Tiny things. Coffee-level things. Maybe today's the day you start a gratitude practice. Maybe you already have one. Maybe you focus on things that suck more often than what's good. It doesn't matter. What matters is that you start paying attention. Know that you have the power to choose what to focus. Know that it really matters. Maybe choose something right now to be grateful for. I’ll leave you with my sincere gratitude that you’re here, reading this, sharing this space with me.

Happy Family Day!

— Yoga Debb

Building strength, mindset, and real-life consistency; one breath at a time 💗