"Where intention goes energy flows." - James Redfield
Practicing gratitude is a powerful practice that seems small but has far reaching effects on our everyday lives. It's actually the simplest, most effective thing you can do every day to be happier and be in a high vibin' state.
Most of us lead busy lives and it can be easy to get caught up with day to day challenges that it's easy to forget in the midst of all the craziness that there is always something to be grateful for. We spend time solving problems and overcoming obstacles, but how often do we take time to celebrate the positives in our lives?
What did you enjoy today? What made you smile?
It might be a person in your life that you're grateful for or a moment you shared. It could simply be a great cup of coffee in the morning or curling up by the fire with a warm blanket.
Gratitude is a way to remind yourself to enjoy the little things in life. A way for you to appreciate what you have and not always reaching for something new. Letting go of needing all of your physical or material needs to be met in the hopes it will make you happier. Simply put It helps you refocus on what you HAVE versus what you LACK. Teaching you to appreciate the NOW instead of always looking to the future.
Embracing gratitude, not just by recognizing what you're grateful for, but by expressing it too, can have a positive impact on all areas of your life. Research suggests that writing in a gratitude journal for just a few minutes a day can increase individual wellbeing by over 10% - such a simple habit for an amazing result.
Benefits of Gratitude:
- Increased happiness
- Reduces stress and anxiety (even depression)
- Greater resiliency when facing problems
- Greater satisfaction with life
- Increases motivation
- Improves relationships with others as well as yourself
- Boosts self-esteem
- Better sleep
- Has positive effects on our health and wellbeing
- Promotes a positive mood
How to Practice Gratitude
These next gratitude exercises will help you to recognize the positives already in your life - things to be celebrated, people you love, goals you've achieved and wonderful moments you've experienced. Take time to journal daily somewhere you won't be interrupted or distracted. It might be a simple ritual when you wake up in the morning, before bed each night or something you take with you to your favourite cafe. It takes 21 days to form a habit, so make a conscious effort to stick to it for 21 days and then let expressing your gratitude become a part of your daily routine you look forward to.
Gratitude and Intention Setting Practice
This is a quick 5-minute practice that you can do every morning after you wake up and before bed. I personally find it to be very grounding and uplifting way to start and end my day.
You can write in your phone, a notepad, a gratitude journal, or even a sticky note that you can place somewhere as a reminder throughout the day. Keep your writing style of choice somewhere close beside your bed so you can write easily upon waking up. Then ask yourself these 4 questions and write down your answers.
Questions to ask yourself each morning:
1. What am I grateful for today? (whatever comes to mind write down)
Example:
I am grateful for....
- Waking up to silence and having a quiet moment
- The smell of coffee in the morning
- Having a job I love
2. How do I want to feel today? (Use 1-5 words to describe)
Example: Energized, loved, happy, productive, grounded, confident.
3. What can I do today to be in alignment with how I want to feel?
(Write a max of 5)
Ie. workout, spend quality time with kids, call a friend, organize closet, meditation, go for a walk, finish 2 things off my to- do list etc.
End of day Question:
4. At the end of the night write down 3 things that you are grateful for that happened today.
What are 3 amazing things that happened today that I'm grateful for?
Example:
3 Amazing things that happened today...
- I got a compliment at work that made me feel good
- I got mostly all green lights driving home
- I watched the sunset and it was beautiful
This is such a great exercise to do in the morning that sets your day on a positive track and to remind you at the end of day what's most important to you before you drift off to sleep. An all-round perfect way to kick your day off and finish it in a high vibin' state.
Swap Negative Thoughts for Positive Thoughts
Redirecting our thoughts to think positively is a great habit to form. I'll warn you though, it does take practice but the way it changes your day, your mood and your motivation is worth it.
How often do you find yourself complaining and being negative about situations in your life, the traffic, coffee spilling on you, the never ending to-do list! It's easy to do. Our brain naturally wants to go there.
To stop it from going the negative route in our brain (aka as a neural pathway) we need to create a new pathway of focusing on gratitude. It seems like an easy practice but when put into action proves to be more challenging, so go easy on yourself - it takes time to change old habits.
How you can swap negative thoughts for an attitude of Gratitude:
"The house is a mess!" -> How lucky am I that I have a house to live in, I have a roof over my head, I have many items that need to be put away. I feel gratitude.
"I have a deadline for work or school" -> How lucky am I that I have access to a job that I can make income from or education that I can learn and turn into a career one day. I am Grateful.
"AHH I'm stuck in traffic" -> How grateful am I that I don't have to walk or take the bus. I am grateful for my vehicle that can take me places. I am grateful I am not walking but instead driving.
When you find yourself going into negative thought patterns take note of it. You can start by just observing it and how you feel, then slowly start to re-direct to positive statements instead focusing on gratitude.
Reverse Bucket List
A bucket list is known as a list of everything a person wants to achieve or experience before they die. A reverse bucket list looks at your life so far and what you have already accomplished. Instead of dreaming about your future goals and accomplishments focus on what you've already achieved - we don't do this enough so I'm here to remind you. What makes you happy and what are you proud of?
To create your own unique reverse bucket list, list of all your life achievements to date. Things you might once have written on a bucket list, but that you have already accomplished or experienced. Great people you've met, places you've been, special moments you've had, fears that you've faced and overcome, goals you've achieved. Dreams you made a reality.
Take a moment to think about these things and write them below. Don't edit yourself as you're doing so, write whatever comes to mind. Once you've written your list, look over it and feel proud of your efforts. There is so much to be grateful for and this list proves what amazing things you can achieve. Let it inspire you to continue to embrace opportunities and revisit it whenever you need reminding of the positives in your life.
Takeaways
- Be thankful for the moment, think back on memories with love and look to the future with optimism and excitement. Gratitude is a way of life.
- What's amazing is one small single shift in our behaviour can redirect our entire day. So if you're feeling down, overwhelmed and consumed by life this is a simple shift to rise above.
- Inhale positivity; exhale what you don't want... every day.
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