Hannah's Go-To Ritual For Cultivating Gratitude

Similar to when I reveal that my hangover fix after a night out is a salad, the statement I’m about to share is sometimes met with exasperation. But, I promise both are true. I love to clean. It’s an act I always genuinely look forward to and something I excel at. For me, cleaning gives rise to a sense of ease and contentment as I Cinderelly my way through clutter and mess. After a clean sweep, I’m left feeling light, accomplished and rid of any anxieties that may have been plaguing me.

In the past, I’ve sheepishly attributed this behaviour to an anal retentive gene passed to me from my mom, and have felt somewhat apologetic for my meticulously kept spaces. Recently though I’ve reframed this facet of myself in a new softer light: I’m unapologetically embracing it. No longer expressed as a trivial quirk inherited from my mom, I see my love of cleaning as an active way of expressing gratitude for the things I’ve been afforded in my life. My mom effortlessly modelled this for me as I grew up and gave me this gift, although not aptly named until now. While some might find the benefits of gratitude through writing lists, I find it with a Swiffer in hand and appreciation in my heart. —Hann