Each year, we embark on a holiday encompassed by family, friends, food and a lot of pumpkin: Thanksgiving. This time of the year is the time to give thanks and enjoy our feast mindfully. Yet, why is this tradition limited to the day of Thanksgiving? Shouldn’t giving thanks be embedded into the routines of our everyday life? Gratitude is more than a few things we are grateful for; gratitude unlocks the hidden wonders of life. Gratitude allows us to, with minimal effort, focus on what actually matters instead of delving into what feels rather absent.
Gratitude adjusts our lens to see what is right in front of us for the beauty it holds, instead of how it may be potentially not in our favor, working against us or something we are lacking. If it’s something so simple and so effective, why don’t enough of us add it into our routines?
Here’s where we employ mind-hacks: it’s time to rewire our way of thinking, one step at a time.
Firstly, we readily complete actions that are most convenient to us, which later form into habits. Gratitude is no different. So, how can we make giving gratitude “convenient”? It starts with how you decide to give gratitude, and what tools you will need to do so. Then, make those tools convenient to you; simply, place them in your vicinity if they are physical, or make them a priority on your to-do list if the latter.
Writing down what you are grateful for with a pen and paper is the perfect starting point. In order to make this convenient, place a notepad and pen on your bedside table. Or, at your desk. Make it in sight, close to you and thus, convenient. Promise yourself you will give gratitude every single morning by writing it down in your notebook. Consciously add this step into your everyday routine, and in time, a habit will form and you will be passively reaping the benefits of daily gratitude.
How do you give gratitude? It’s simple. Start small, and go big. It’s easy to say you are grateful for your friends, family, etc. But what about giving gratitude for what is seemingly mundane? What about giving gratitude for your morning cup of coffee, for waking up this morning, for being able to attend class today? It’s harder to find the magic in what we don’t have to show appreciation for. We show appreciation for friends and family more readily than we show appreciation for Zoom University. In particular, dive into aspects of your life that you feel are lacking and you wish you could change. That is where gratitude truly heals. For example, I really wish my college wasn’t closed. I really wish COVID-19 didn’t exist. I really wish I didn’t have to worry about my family right now. But, there is also so much to be grateful for. Here’s a starting point:
I am so grateful for the cup of coffee I get to have this morning.
I am so grateful I get to learn from my professors today.
I am so grateful I get to hang out with my dog today.
I am so grateful for being able to write this very sentence.
I am so grateful for being able to live at home with my family, safe and healthy.
It’s your turn to try. Gratitude really gets me through the toughest days, and I’m sure it can at least be a good starting point for you. Good luck.