13 Things Saving My Life Right Now

This week, one of my assignments for grad school is keeping a gratitude journal. I didn’t coin the above phrase, and I’m not pioneering this as a blog topic by any means. But, in the midst of thinking about what I’m thankful for, what is working for me in this season, and what is keeping my day-to-day life running with some level of smoothness or intentionality or enjoyment, it seems appropriate to write those things down. Maybe there is something that will benefit you from this list. Maybe it will just spark your own inventory of what is working for you or bringing you joy. It is easy to bog ourselves down with our own complaints. We tend to train our brains to see the negative and blind ourselves to the good things we’ve got going for us. I have previously shied away from gratitude journals because they often felt closely tied to “shoulds” and guilt aka I should feel thankful for this. I should stop complaining. And thus, I often felt I shouldn’t keep a gratitude journal because it felt like it would lead to guilt for being a whiner rather than genuine gratitude. The reason I am revising my viewpoint on gratitude journals is because of neuroscience. Basically, I want to train my brain to look for the blessings rather than the imperfections. I want to train my brain to be able to see multiple perspectives and to consider how so many things in my life—even the inconvenient ones—could be blessings. In other words, I am approaching this gratitude journal assignment with the idea of being an observer rather than making any judgment calls. It’s a bit like playing I Spy. The emotion will come, but to start, I just want to train myself to recognize the positive things, the things that are working for me, the things that are easing my life, the things that can go unnoticed because they aren’t screeching and crashing for attention.



1) Drawing water droplets on my planner to represent how many glasses of water I have consumed that day.
I have long struggled to drink enough water. I never liked water as a kid and would pretty much drink anything but. However, I am trying as an adult to be more mindful and intentional in drinking water. I know you can use apps and fancy water bottles and stuff for this. But, I am a visual person, and I got these colored felt tip pens while I was in the US. So, I decided to start drawing a little water droplet on each day of my planner for each glass of water I drink. Not only is it oddly satisfying to draw and see these droplets, but it also gives me a ready indicator of why I may be lagging in energy. It’s a bit like the battery symbol for a character in a video game. Is my water drinking game perfect now? No, but this is helping me greatly to make much more of an effort.


Photo by Dex Ezekiel

2) Weighted blanket. Sleep was often elusive for me in 2020. I am such a sensitive, light sleeper. Sudden noises, weird smells, just the tiniest sliver of light, a sudden movement by my husband have all been the enemy of my sleep because I am so highly aware of my surroundings and so sensitive to them. Enter the weighted blanket my brother and sister-in-law got me for Christmas. I had heard from people I know that it had been helpful in managing anxiety, and I decided to make its full 12 pounds a priority in my suitcase on the way back to Honduras. Thus far, no regrets. It’s not too hot for our climate, and it has helped me settle a lot quicker and even go back to sleep much easier when I have been suddenly awakened.

3) Overdrive and Kanopy. For a very, very long time, I was a diehard stickler that the books I read needed to be a hard copy in my hand. That is still my preference. However, COVID and starting grad school somewhere where Amazon does not quickly deliver meant that the e-reader became the solution. Initially, I started out by reading books on Kindle Unlimited for $10 a month. But, one of my friends mentioned that she was able to read e-books through her public library in the US. So, when I went back this time, I made it a priority to get a library card that had access to the above apps, Overdrive and Kanopy. Game changer. Overdrive allows me to check out e-books through the public library, and Kanopy allows me to watch up to ten free movies a month through my public library.

4) Chicken broccoli alfredo soup.
I don’t remember how many years ago I started making this, but it has quickly become one of my absolute favorite soups. It is also one of Raúl’s favorites. We fight over the leftovers. It’s simple, and despite being a creamy soup, it doesn't have to be too high in calories if you don't want it to. Perfect winter comfort food. There are a ton of recipes you can Google. If you want my recipe, send me an e-mail: sarah.crickenberger@gmail.com.



5) Sydney Cummings workouts.
The true story is that I’m having a hard time convincing myself to work out. But, when I have been succeeding, these are the workouts I have been doing in the comfort of my own home. She has a lot of variety of exercises for 30, 40, 45, and 60 minutes. And, she is spunky without being patronizing. Her videos include a timer on the screen, so you know how much longer you have to go as well. And—brownie points for her—she is a West Virginia University alum. You can find her workout videos on YouTube.

6) Bluetooth earbuds.
I know I’m late the party on this one. I take care of my stuff pretty well, so I’ve generally been content with a cheap pair of earbuds to listen to music on my phone or to plug into my computer. But, since I listen to podcasts while I clean or wash dishes, and I don’t always have a pants pocket to shove my phone into, I thought I’d try a pair of Bluetooth earbuds. Thus far, they have been a simple joy.

7) The Office.
I have not been the kind of person who uses The Office as a security blanket show mainly because it wasn’t on Netflix in Honduras, and I just didn’t have access to it. However, on Black Friday, Amazon had the whole series on sale, and I had a gift card from a sweet friend. The past couple of weeks have been jam-packed, and a jam-packed schedule stresses me out. Taking a laugh break to watch some of The Office while I intentionally sit down to eat a meal has been one of the highlights of my days.

8) Voice messages.
I hate phone calls. I know this makes me a true Millennial, but I’m not all that sorry about it. I can make phone calls when need be, but inevitably phone calls are the thing on my to do list that get pushed the most. I hate phone calls because they’re usually connected to something unpleasant like my internet not working or having to schedule some other social interaction. Furthermore, in Spanish, I can still get tripped up by a new voice and not being able to see visual language cues, so I end up asking the person to repeat themselves. I have a love-hate relationship with phone calls with people I like to talk to because while I enjoy the conversation, I am terrible at leaving. Thus, I end up spending much longer than I intended on the phone. Enter voice messages through an app like Voxer. If you have something that is too much to type, send a voice message. If you want to make sure the person hears your tone of voice, send a voice message. If you want the person to be able to listen at their leisure while they’re cleaning their bathroom or brushing their teeth, send a voice message. You can still do the immediate back and forth if you want to, but it’s an introvert’s dream to have a little extra moment to think before having to respond, and the usual etiquette of phone calls with hellos and goodbyes isn’t as much of thing…which, again, is great for an introvert not great at small talk or those awkward interchanges.

9) Tribl YouTube Channel.
Lots of great worship leaders from different churches and labels collaborating together on soulful songs with meaningful lyrics. What’s not to love?



10) Productive mornings/No meetings on Mondays rule.
I have found that I am most productive in the mornings. This has always been the case for me since childhood. The truth is that I am most productive when it’s quiet, which mornings tend to be here. In Honduras, I think it’s also something about the heat in the afternoon that zaps my energy. Inevitably the period of time from whenever I get up until around 11am is the most productive window of concentration I will have all day. As such, I try my very best to keep my mornings reserved for work and grad school homework. Cleaning and cooking and things that require less brain power are relegated to the afternoons. I have also found that Mondays, however dreaded they may be by most, are my most productive day. It’s something about a new week and getting a fresh start that helps me stay on-task. Sundays are usually pretty restful for me as well, so I’m starting with fresh energy. Inevitably, that’s the day of the week I feel the most accomplished as long as I don’t have interruptions. Previously, I had tried as hard as I could to avoid doing errands or having virtual meetings or phone calls on Mondays. Now, I’ve just graduated it to a rule for myself—no meetings on Mondays during the day. It’s a little gift from me to me.


Photo by Sylwia Bartyzel


11) Letting myself enjoy my preferred morning beverage.
I am not a breakfast person. Don’t get me wrong—I love breakfast foods. I’m just not the kind of person who gets up and immediately wants to eat something. And, like I said, mornings are my most productive, so as much as I love a brunch, I just have a hard time wanting to set aside the time to make breakfast. With that said, I love a good morning beverage. I can have it beside me while I read or I work, and it’s a lot quicker to make. I go through phases on what I prefer. A couple weeks ago, it was English breakfast tea. Then it was a banana peanut butter smoothie until we ran out of bananas. Now it is surprisingly (I’m not normally a coffee drinker) café au lait because I was reading a book set in Quebec that had a delightful description of café au lait that made me want some. It’s just one small way to savor the morning.


Photo by Melinda Fiorino

12) Post-It Notes.
There was a period of my life when I did not use Post-It notes, but I cannot remember that time as they’ve become such a fixture in my every day operations. They’re good for the errand list I stick to my phone, so I remember all the things to do while I’m out. They’re especially great for sticking in my planner to indicate what meals I have planned for the week. Since that’s something that’s always changing because my mother-in-law unexpectedly sends a lunch for my husband or because a certain recipe yielded more leftovers than I expected, it’s nice to have a Post-It note rather than scribbling out things in my planner to alter the meal plan. I used to use them when I was online teaching, and they’ve become something I use every day.

13) The Passion Translation of the Bible. I don’t have a physical copy, but I use Biblegateway.com to read passages in this translation. There’s something so helpful about reading a new translation to look at the Word in a new way.

What is saving your life right now?