Stress, anxiety, regret, heartache, and wishing for things that we can’t have keep us from feeling inner peace. What can reduce the effects of these negative forces in our lives and bring us closer to the contentment we want? One answer is gratitude. Actively being more grateful for the positive things in our lives can undo negativity. Fortunately, practicing gratitude is healthy, legal, free, and easy to do.
Here are 5 ways to practice gratitude daily:
- Begin each day thinking of five things you are grateful for
When you begin this habit you will likely think of the obvious things like the necessities of food, clothing and shelter, and perhaps some special people in your life. You may be tempted to quickly repeat the same things every day. You will get more out of your gratitude time if you look beyond the obvious to the little things that make life special. It’s not that you aren’t grateful for the big necessities or ever want to take these for granted. But the act of appreciation for even small things makes us realize how truly abundant blessings are in our lives. - Thank someone each day who has made your life easier, or affected your life positively, either today or in the past. It is never too late to thank someone. You may routinely thank your local barista or the kind person who holds the door open for you without even thinking about it. Does this count? It is certainly polite, but these ‘autopilot’ thank-yous don’t have as much oomph as those that result from reflection and remembrance of those who made a difference in your life who you haven’t properly thanked. Think of parents, teachers, mentors, and friends. Think of authors who wrote something that made you think. Remember someone who told you something that you needed to hear, though you didn’t want to hear it at the time.
- Take time during your day to appreciate the wonders of our planet. This can be as simple as noticing the weather, the plants, birds, and sky. Appreciate your senses and all the information they take in for you. Appreciate your brain which makes sense of it all.
- Spend some time each day focusing on your breathing. Rhythmic deep breathing helps us to relax and to tune out all the other things which can be overwhelming us. While you are slowly inhaling and exhaling, take notice of feelings and thoughts without reacting to them. This is the beginning of mindfulness meditation.
- End the day by spending some time reflecting on the day. Focus on the good, not what could have gone better or things you should have done. What did you accomplish? Who or what made your day better? What positives did you notice? You can set yourself up for a more peaceful sleep when your last thoughts as you drift off are thoughts of gratitude.
When you are feeling fulfilled and at peace with who you are and with the world, you are more likely to roll with whatever comes your way, handling setbacks with grace. You will grow to be the sort of positive person that others want to be around. Developing a habit of gratitude is worth the time and effort.
