3 Steps to Practice Gratitude

I am sure we have all heard that positive thinking is the way to go. It increases our health and wellness, lessens stress, and makes us more enjoyable to be around. Happiness breeds happiness! It is catching and can greatly affect your perception of the world. Life is how you perceive it, might as well make it a good one!

Switching gears to positive thinking can be hard at times, especially if life has not always had a positive spin on it or if you have been knocked down once or a thousand times, as most of us have. Positive thinking is choosing resiliency over defeat, thriving in life over straining against it.

One quick and easy way to trick ourselves in to thinking more positively is through practicing gratitude when positive things happen. This involves consciously training your brain to seek out and notice the positive over the negative events in your life. Below are 3 quick and easy ways to practice gratitude:

STEP 1

When a positive situation happens in your life say, “THANK YOU!” no matter when it happens. If someone does something helpful or kind, say “thank you”, even if it is their job. They had a choice to be helpful or not, they chose helpful. Acknowledge it!

If you are alone imagine yourself being given a gift by God, the Universe, your higher power, karma, or whatever you believe in. Think about it, positive moments in life are a gift, you might as well celebrate them.

Example: When someone lets me over as I am driving and merging lanes, I always give a “thank you” wave. If I find a close parking space, I say “thank you” because in that moment I was given a gift. If I find something I have lost I say, “THANK YOU!”. The list goes on and on.

STEP 2

Start a gratitude (feel good) folder, jar, box, or whatever you have that is easy to throw things into. Every time you come across something that is personal to you and makes you feel good about life or something you did throw it in. Think “thank you” cards, a nice email from a co-worker, a fortune cookie that is right on – throw it in the folder/box/jar. Pull them out when you need a little lift or you need to remind yourself about the good in life.

STEP 3

Consciously remind yourself what you have to be grateful for. You can do this multiple ways:

• As you are taking a walk, talk to yourself about what you have to be grateful for.
• When you are meditating, focus on the things in life you appreciate.
• Journal and write down 5 things you are grateful for throughout the day.
• Do a craft activity with your kids. Make a tree, flower, or turkey – each leaf/petal/feather represents something you are grateful for. Post it on the fridge as a reminder and add to it.
• At meal times have each member of the family share 1 thing they were grateful for during the day.

I hope this article will help you increase the positivity and gratefulness in your life. We are worth it!