“It’s not joy that makes us grateful, it’s gratitude that makes us joyful.” ~Brother David Steindl-Rast.
How do you invite an attitude of gratitude into your daily life? There are opportunities everywhere. When you can get out of your head and into your heart you start acknowledging all the amazing things in your day, the wonderful interactions between you and others, witnessing the blessings that take place in the ordinary and not just extraordinary.
Start simple. Starting with the simple things allows you to open yourself to all the opportunities you have to feel appreciation and grateful.
You can experience gratitude even when you are having a hard day.
Sure, difficult things can happen in a day and put you into a bad mood or negative mindset – obstacles arise, you are late to work, spill your coffee, someone bumps into you and doesn’t say excuse me. But when you are mindful and take a step back, you can shift your focus to the little things you are grateful for: a smile from a stranger, the taste of your favorite food, someone opened a door for you, a loved one called to say hi, you made progress on a project… These little things can add up quickly and you start to feel gratitude even during the most challenging situations.
Feeling gratitude and showing appreciation is good for overall wellbeing and social relationships.
Studies show that there are strong connections between feelings of gratitude with increased health benefits, including better sleep, reduced stress, increased motivation, and better overall health. The area in the brain activated when feelings of gratitude show up is the same area where we experience empathy, perspective, emotional regulation and stress-relief. Practicing gratitude on a daily basis will help you in the long run!
There are different ways you can practice gratitude.
One way is to start first thing in the morning by reflecting on the day ahead and setting the intention to be mindful and present with everything around you and everyone you interact with. Being thankful for food on your table, your dog or cat saying hello in the morning, saying thank you when someone opens a door for you, paying for someone else’s cup of coffee, writing a thank you card for someone who did something kind for you, or giving your undivided attention to someone in need.
Every morning I start out the day by listening to music while brushing my teeth. I drink a healthy green drink and then think about all of the things I am grateful for and that are important to me, from my beautiful wife, to our health, our families, friends, and all of the amazing people in our lives. Doing this every morning starts my day on a positive note!
When you start to focus on all the little beautiful moments shared between you and others, or simple experiences that bring you or others joy, these are all opportunities to be grateful and express your appreciation to others.
During this holiday season, I encourage you to think of all the things you are grateful for, all the progress made on your goals, all of your accomplishments, and all the people in your life. Take this time as an opportunity to start experiencing gratitude on a daily basis!
