We all go through seasons in life where some are easier or harder to navigate. Whether we realize it or not, we often can let the things going on externally in our lives dictate how we feel on the inside. It’s easy to feel positive if everything seems to be going well. However, when life gets difficult, it can be challenging to find a silver lining to rely on. While honoring your feelings is important, it’s equally as substantial to recognize that there is still a lot of good in the world. Practicing gratitude can be used to help keep you in perspective on what is important in your life in every season. Here are some ways to incorporate gratefulness into your daily, weekly, or even monthly routine!
Start a GRATITUDE JOurnal
Gratitude journaling is a practice where you simply write down everything that you are grateful for. As journaling is a personal activity, there is no correct way to do this; it’s simply what feels most relaxing and fulfilling to each person. Although an easy option tends to be compiling a long list of things, there are other methods of journaling. You could try to focus on what specifically made a real impact on you and reflect more on the “why” rather than the “what”. Thoroughly recording what you are thankful for can aid you in exploring what these things truly mean to you on a deeper subconscious scale. Writing about how these things have positively contributed to your character is a great way to incorporate extra appreciation into your life!
Practice Gratitude Affirmations
Gratitude affirmations are short, positive statements where you tell yourself the things you are grateful for. You may hear the term “affirmation” in spiritual practices, but the repetition of constructive phrases truly helps reshape your mindset and can be used by anyone– regardless of their beliefs. To make affirmations, you begin with the phrase “I am grateful for…” or “I am thankful for…” followed by whatever the thing is. You can say them to yourself verbally or mentally in a repeated manner. The more you say them, the more you may start to believe in them. As many say, the words we say to ourselves create our reality, and it is important the words you say to yourself make you feel more at peace and less negative.
Listen to Gratitude Meditations
Guided gratitude meditation is a type of meditation that focuses on gratitude, usually in an audio or video format. Typically, there is a gentle speaker verbally guiding you through your gratitude reflection process with positive phrases over the sound of calming background music. The speaker will also help you participate in deep-breathing exercises, which soothe both the mind and the body. The goal is to engulf yourself in appreciation for the duration of the meditation. When planning to meditate, it is best to find a quiet place and sit in a comfortable position so you can truly relax and therefore reap the benefits from this activity. Not only is this a more interactive gratitude activity, but is very convenient for times you do not feel like writing or want to do something less time-consuming.
Document your Experiences with gratitude
There are many experiences you go through as you grow, and one day you are going to want to look back on the good ones. You can do this with gratitude by documenting the daily experiences that made a positive impact on you. For example, you can start a page or section in your journal where you write one line a day about something that happened to you that you were grateful for. In a similar fashion, if you want to make it feel more like a creative activity, you can create a gratitude jar where you write on little pieces of paper something positive that happened to you are grateful for and drop them in a jar. In the future, on a day you feel like reminiscing on the past or need hope during a difficult time, you will be able to see little nice memories that made you feel good at that moment.
Express gratitude to others
Not only is it important to internalize gratitude, but you should externalize it as well by letting those in your life know you appreciate them. Whoever those people are, it’s important to recognize how they have supported you and how they bring positivity to your life. You can simply thank them by taking the time to have a phone call or sending a message via text or email to let them know how it made you. If you want to make it even more personal, you can write them a handwritten note or thank you card on the impact they have made on you. This could be beneficial for you because you will see more clearly that you have people who care about you and have helped you along the way to get this far. Even more so, it is beneficial for them because you have made them feel seen in your effort to show them you are grateful for what they have done.
Incorporating gratitude practices in your routines is meant to help you to recall the little gifts in life that you may have missed during times of hardship. Taking the time to consistently practice gratitude will help you to remember what you are lucky to have and what is going well for you. This will help you stay grounded through whatever stage of life you may be traversing. If you find at least one thing you can be grateful for each day or week, you have something good that you can hold onto forever.