People who live wholeheartedly actively practice gratitude. On this day of national Thanksgiving it’s nice to reflect on the positive benefits we can gain from a regular, daily gratitude practice.
Gratitude improves our emotional wellbeing and motivation, gives us better sleep and for me, can even reverse a shame spiral!
We all know about gratitude journaling but we don’t always have the time or even the desire to journal. You can find other ways to practice gratitude.
One way to increase your practice is by finding new cues for your gratitude. Cues help us make new habits.
For example, take the opportunity every time you’re standing over the sink and brushing your teeth to say three things you’re grateful for about the day.
Research shows that when you practice gratitude before you go to sleep, it can help increase optimism and overall satisfaction with your life.
Another cue could be at the grocery store…Whether you’re in line to pay for groceries or as you walk the aisles, the grocery store is a perfect time for gratitude.
Try breathing in what you’re grateful for and breathing out the things that are giving you stress and anxiety.
Drinking water throughout the day is a key to good health—which means it’s the perfect opportunity to thank your body for all the wonderful things it can do.
As you sip, scan from your head to your toes, bringing grateful awareness to all aspects of your existence to be grateful for.
These are just a couple of ways to add in a cue to bring in a grateful mind-state. The important thing is consistent effort over time… that is how we can work towards progress.
Now take a minute to focus on self-gratitude for what you are doing right now to benefit yourself!
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