Thanksgiving is a time we typically give thanks, but it doesn’t have to be limited to just once a year. Cultivating gratitude is about taking time out of our busy lives to appreciate what we have. This has been shown to offer many valuable benefits, including making us feel happier and more fulfilled, boosting our immune systems, reducing anxiety and stress, helping us sleep better, improving our self-esteem, and strengthening our relationships with others.
Here are some ways you can practice gratitude in your daily life:
Use positive affirmations
Set the tone for your day by starting it off with a positive affirmation. Think of it as your own personal pep talk. It may seem silly at first, but these affirmations can shift your mindset, replace negative thoughts, and serve as great motivators.
Below are examples of affirmations you can incorporate into your daily routine. Feel free to use these as inspiration to create your own affirmations specific to how you’re feeling or what you’re struggling with.
- Today is going to be a great day
- Everything is going to work out for the best
- I am stronger than my excuses
- I am in charge of my own happiness
- I choose not to let the negativity of others affect me
- No one controls how I feel about myself but me
- I vow to make my biggest struggles my most valuable lessons
Keep a gratitude journal
You may have a hard time seeing your blessings because you’re blinded by what worries you, annoys you, or stresses you out. I’m guilty of this myself. I sometimes complain about work when I should be taking a step back to realize how lucky I am to even have a job, especially one that allows me to do what I love.
Writing in a journal can encourage you to focus more on the positive aspects of your life. It can also make you more self-aware so you’re able to determine what’s holding you back from appreciating all of your blessings. When you’re feeling down, you can take a look at your list and be reminded of what matters most to you.
Order your own gratitude journal today:
Join a charity
Volunteering your time or donating to a charity that’s meaningful to you can be extremely rewarding. Helping others less fortunate is very humbling and can help you become fully aware of just how lucky you really are.
Cancer has unfortunately impacted many people I know, so I felt compelled to help in any way I could. I’ve volunteered, raised money, and participated in Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walks for the American Cancer Society and the Purple Stride Walk for the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network. The positive energy that radiates from the crowd during these events is contagious. It’s awe-inspiring to see so many people come together for a great cause. Knowing I was part of making a change makes me feel amazing.
Stop and smell the roses
We can get so caught up in the daily grind and be so busy getting from point A to point B that we rarely stop to appreciate the beauty of our surroundings.
Next time you go for a walk, take a pit stop along the way to literally stop and smell the roses. If you work in a big city, take a moment to look up at the tall buildings and admire the architecture or the bright lights at night.
Give someone a handwritten note
I have a very sweet friend who sends me greeting cards “just because”. In the cards, she writes a little note telling me how thankful she is for our friendship or that she’s just thinking of me. Most of us don’t receive “snail mail” too often these days, so sending these cards can instantly brighten someone’s day.
Offer compliments
I pride myself on freely giving out compliments. Why? Because I realize that a few small words can make a big impact. If I like someone’s new haircut, I’ll let them know. It may bring them new-found confidence or make them feel glad they chose to make a drastic change to their look.
So next time you see something you admire about someone, tell them. When you’re on the receiving end of compliments from others, remember to accept them without disagreeing. That person gave you a compliment because they felt you deserved it. Don’t take that away from them or from you.
Don’t complain
This is a big one and probably the most challenging for me. I sometimes jump right into complaining about something instead of actively seeking a solution to the problem. Let’s try to break this cycle together by not complaining for 24 hours straight. If we focus on finding the good in every situation instead of dwelling on the negative, we may find ourselves much happier and content.
Smile more often
Are you like me and plagued with RBF (resting bitch face)? This makes us look miserable when we’re not smiling, even if we’re happy on the inside. To combat this, we can make a point to smile at people walking by, even if they’re a stranger. Smiling is contagious, so the more people we smile at the more happiness we can spread to others.
Pay it forward
Consider picking up the tab for someone’s coffee who’s waiting on-line behind you. When someone performs a random act of kindness it can have a positive impact on our entire day. You never know, that person you helped may have been having a horrible day and you just made it better. They may also be inspired to help someone else in return.
Although we often celebrate the big moments in our lives, like having a baby or getting a promotion, we should also be grateful for the simple things.
[ctt template=”4″ link=”dSP1i” via=”no” ]”Enjoy the little things in life because one day you`ll look back and realize they were the big things.” ~Kurt Vonnegut[/ctt]
Being grateful on a regular basis can really put things into perspective and help us think more positively. It also teaches us to appreciate everything we have instead of worrying about what we don’t have, which can ultimately make us happier.
How have you brought more gratitude into your life?
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