Cultivating Gratitude
Today is Thanksgiving, my favorite holiday of the year! A day dedicated to spending time with loved ones, eating too much turkey, and of course, giving thanks. But how many of us actually practice gratitude daily? I certainly don’t! I often find myself overly focused on the negative that I neglect to think about all that I have to be grateful for. If you’re like me and struggle with expressing gratitude, keep reading!
Gratitude is a mindfulness technique that allows us to be fully aware and appreciative of the present moment. In such a state, we may experience greater appreciation for small acts of kindness, loving relationships, or even past failures. Gratitude is shown to improve our overall health by increasing mood, reducing heart rate, improving sleep, and decreasing stress. As with everything, cultivating gratitude takes practice and intention. Oftentimes barriers like comparing ourselves to others, being too busy, or experiencing adversity hinder us from expressing gratitude. I used to think that I did not have enough time in a day to practice mindfulness. And on days where I actually did have the time, I was unmotivated. So, I started incorporating gratitude practices into my daily routine such as when I am driving to work or going on walks. I noticed an appreciation for things that I never recognized before — a beautiful sunrise, a good podcast, no traffic in the Lincoln Tunnel, fall foliage, or seat warmers! Within the first few days of adopting a thankful mindset, I saw significant improvements in my mood— I felt happier, lighter even. Now, it has become so ingrained in my daily routine that I find my mind naturally wandering to thoughts of positivity and gratitude whenever I drive. No matter how stressed, sad, worried, disappointed, or angry we may feel, there is always something we can be thankful for, we just need to spend a moment reflecting!
Here are 5 easy ways you can practice gratitude!
Start a gratitude journal – You don’t need to even buy a fancy gratitude journal to do this! All you need is a notebook and a few prompts. Find a consistent time, whether in the morning or before you go to bed, that you can spend just 5 minutes writing in your journal. Check out this printable with some great prompts to get you started: Gratitude Prompts_GG.pdf
Express gratitude to your family and friends – Over the past few weeks, I have made an effort to go beyond simply telling my friends and family that I am grateful for them by being specific about their characteristics or traits that mean the most to me. This simple gesture has revealed to me how blessed I am to be surrounded by loving and caring people.
Give thanks before every meal – This is another great way to build gratitude into your daily routine. Many of us, myself included, eat our meals while watching Netflix or doing work. Practicing mindfulness during mealtime helps us slow down our process and allows us to recognize that our basic needs of food, water, and shelter are being met.
Practice the 5 Sense mindfulness technique – I love the 5 senses mindfulness practice because it is so tangible and creative. It goes like this, think about five things that you are grateful for that you can see, four things you are grateful for that you can touch, three things you are grateful for that you can hear, two things you are grateful for that you can smell, and one thing you are grateful for that you can taste.
Start a gratitude board – If you’re a visual person like me, create a gratitude board to portray aspects of your life that you are grateful for. You can use these categories as a guide: Self, Friends, Family, Occupation, Health, Education, Technology. Remember to be specific (I.e. what aspects of your education are you grateful for or what traits about your friend do you appreciate).
Comment below which gratitude practice you tried!
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