How to practice gratitude and thankfulness..
In the chaos of everyday life, it can be easy to get swept up and become overwhelmed with getting everything we need to get done, or getting to the next appointment, or checking the next task of the to-do list. We get so concerned with moving onto the next thing that we forget to stop and take a minute to truly appreciate the moment we’re in.
In this article, I want to share my tips for practicing gratitude, and how creating a practice of gratitude has transformed my life. If you create your own version and adopt an attitude of gratitude, you can experience the benefits too!
I first learned about the idea of practicing gratitude in a clip from Tony Robbins. In this video, he talks about being present in the moment, and feeling truly thankful for even the smallest things happening in your everyday life. Then I had a business coach that had a huge focus on mindset and gratitude (shout out to you Kellie!). She asked me to simply journal out my thoughts.
The final piece that inspired me to add being thankful into me day was an audio book called A Bug Free Mind. I listen to this audio book in the car 90% of the time while I’m driving. Now, each morning, I wake up and write in a journal all of my goals and all of the things I am grateful for.
It could be that you are thankful for the sun shining or that you have a bed to lay in. The important part is that you FEEL the feelings of being thankful. I like to do this by just closing my eyes, and saying what I am thankful for in my head. After I do that, I write it down in my journal.
I love starting my mornings like this. It really sets me up in a great mood before my day even starts.
Don’t want to get up early to do this? That’s cool. You could type straight into the notes app on your phone, write on a whiteboard, or journal at night. Whichever way you choose, be sure you are really feeling grateful— just let it flow! Even for something as simple as being grateful that your body is capable of so many cool things!
While this might feel forced at first, you’ll start to notice the difference on the days you do this. Personally, it has helped me stop stressing about unimportant rubbish and given me a more peaceful mindset.
Ever since I started, I have felt an overall increase in my happiness, and I feel mentally balanced.
Have you ever tried a gratitude practice? How did it feel? Try it and let me know what you think. See if starting a daily practice of gratitude helps you live in the moment, and really appreciate the little things.
Whatever you can find to be grateful for, write it down like I do.