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10 Ways to Cultivate Gratitude in Your Life This Year

10 Ways to Cultivate Gratitude in Your Life This Year

Setting goals can be incredibly helpful in your journey to not just be more productive, but to better yourself as well. Upon researching the acceptance of gratitude in your life, you may be considering that it’s health and wellness benefits give it a worthy spot at the top of your to-do list. Creating a goal to learn and act in embracing gratitude in your life over the next year will put you on the right path to living a life filled with thanks and appreciation. Here are 10 helpful ways to cultivate gratitude in your life this year.

  1. Keep a Journal

Keeping a gratitude journal is easily the best piece of advice for anyone who wants to embrace gratitude in their lives. These journals allow you to reflect on what makes you grateful each day, and why it did so. Not only will it force you to think about all the good things that happen to you on a daily basis, but it will serve as a reminder of how much you have to be thankful for in your life.

  1. Write More Thank You Letters

How often do you feel thankful for a friend, a family member, or even a co-worker, but you don’t know how to tell them in a way that sounds genuine? Writing thank you letters to those who have done something kind to you helps you share just how thankful you are with them. You can even be creative with it, adding some sweets or flowers with the letter to show your full appreciation. Not only will writing the letter give you time to truly reflect on why their actions were so fulfilling for you but receiving the letter will remind them that their kindness does not go unnoticed.

  1. Spend Time with Likeminded Friends

When we surround ourselves with negative people, we are more likely to express and dwell on our negative emotions and actions. Surrounding yourself with friends who aim to be as thankful and positive as you do will give you opportunities to embrace gratitude and share it with others.

  1. Give Back to Your Community

Helping charities and good causes is one of the easiest ways to put positive energy back out into the world. While doing work for any charity is a worthy cause, when you choose to support a local charity that is based in your community you will be able to see its direct benefits and get to know your town a little bit better. Seeing the gratitude on deserving people’s faces will help remind you how important it is to be thankful for what we are given in life.

  1. Practice Affirmations

Practicing positive affirmations on a daily basis allows you to start and end your day by embracing positivity and makes sure that you are filling your mind with good before it has a chance to learn the bad. If you’re already used to practicing daily affirmations, then consider reshaping them to be more gratitude focused. Start each day off by saying, “Today I am grateful for…” and try to switch it up every morning. End your nights with “Today I learned to be grateful for…” and take the time to reflect on how much you had to be thankful for throughout the day.

  1. Say “Thank You” More Often

No matter how small of an act someone does for you, remind yourself that they are going out of their way to make your day a little bit easier or happier. Train yourself to thank everybody who provides a service, an act of kindness, or an act of friendship for you. This includes your bus drivers, your baristas, your friends, you coworkers, and even the people who hold the elevator for you. Recognize what you are saying each time you thank somebody, and remind yourself why they deserve the thanks, and why you are lucky to be being treated positively. Eventually saying thank-you to everybody will come naturally.

  1. Ignore Negativity

It can be difficult to ignore negativity in a life where we are constantly being bombarded with news stories of the horrific things that happen in our world. While it’s important to stay up to date with the news, be sure that you aren’t spending too much time focusing on the bad and the sad stories out there. Look up local acts of heroism and good deeds being done by children or spend more time on the internet watching cute animal videos instead of graphic retellings of war. While ignoring negativity is important in terms of the media, learning to distance yourself from negativity within your friend groups is also important. When you’re with a friend and they speak unkind words about someone or something, call them out on it, or do your best to find the positive in the situation.

  1. Stop Comparing Yourself to Others

When you compare yourself with other people, whether you are negatively or positively comparing yourself, you are putting yourself at battle with someone who has no desire to be in one. You are also ignoring the good qualities of both you and the one you are comparing yourself with, as you are likely only focusing on one aspect. When you notice someone doing a good job or succeeding in ways that you wish you could be doing the same, remind yourself how grateful you are for the opportunities you are given, and praise them for the way that they have handled theirs.

  1. Spend More Time in Nature

When you spend all your time inside or on the same route each day, you miss out on all of the beauty that nature has to offer. Put effort into spending even a little bit more time outside and in nature each week, and you will be reminded of how beautiful the world will be. Be thankful that you are living in such a place.

  1. Post Positivity

Even once you have mastered ignoring all of the negativity that you may find online and in the news, you may still be guilty of spreading it yourself. Do a deep dive on your social medias and identify all the times where your posts were negative, whether you were bashing a celebrity or complaining about an encounter. Try to consider what impact that post made to you. It likely meant nothing more than an opportunity to vent, but to your followers, you’re telling them that you accept negativity in your life. Instead of posting negative reviews of the world, learn to post the things that make you happy, and aim to create a wholesome environment for all your friends and followers.

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Gratitude

12 Ways to Feel Gratitude during a Pandemic

12 Ways to Feel Gratitude during a Pandemic

This past year has certainly been challenging for all of us in so many ways. There are times it is difficult to see the beauty around us when we are surrounded by challenges. This can be the same not only in a pandemic but during any crisis. The key is to focus on even small things to be happy about, as you feel gratitude for these things it will be easier to find even greater gratitude and happiness around you.

Personally right now as I am writing this I am truly grateful to be warm and cozy inside with about 18 inches of snow on the ground.

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1 Beautiful Day

Being grateful for the day is an easy place to start. Is the weather nice? If it isn’t do you have the means to stay comfortable? Look for local birds or plants; think about how they impact the area you are seeing.

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2 Time in Nature

I have spent a lot of time walking just to get a change of scenery, to feel better and for my overall well-being. Luckily I leave a short driving distance from walking trails. Even sitting in a park or your yard can bring a sense of wellbeing.

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3 Comfortable Cloths

I certainly spend more time in comfortable cloths than I ever have working from home exclusively. Maybe it’s a fuzzy pair of socks or a favorite sweater than can make you feel better even on a rough day. C:\Users\Autumn\Downloads\cat_and_dog_sitting_on_steps_next_to_door-scopio-f48d4ad2-93fa-4670-865c-4f38c7ec3175.jpg

4 Pets/Animals

If you have pets, be grateful for their love and company. If you don’t have pets, be grateful to that beautiful bird or cute squirrel that crosses your path.

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5 Games/Puzzles

Puzzles and games have helped family’s reduce boredom and spend time together. In a time with so many electronics getting back to these basic board games and puzzles has allowed a new generation to find old school fun.

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6 Creativity

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7 Treasured Item

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8 Coffee

Coffee, tea this can be any beverage of your choice.

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9 Health

Be thankful for even a single portion of your health. Maybe you have great eyesight or hearing, maybe you are flexible, pick out one thing that makes you feel good about yourself.

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10 Family

In these uncertain times spending time and being grateful for members of our family can be a key to our wellbeing. These people don’t have to be related to you by blood, just people you feel you can truly trust and rely on.

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11 Virtual Tours

Many museums are offering virtual tours. What a great way to see a museum you could never get to in the past. Something new in a world with far too many restrictions.

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12 Books

Many of us have more time at home than we ever have. Books can transport us into a new place or time. Whether you read paper copies, on a device or via audiobooks they can be a great way to relax. Find a new story, ready a biography of someone you admire or a book about a historical time period that you find fascinating.

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How to Start a Gratitude Journal You Can Stick With

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Creating a journaling routine can seem challenging at first if you have never done it before. Essentially you have to carve out a few min every day to sit and journal. There are a few guidelines though that can make it easier to create a habit.

1) Pick a time that tends to be your quiet time of the day. If mornings are busy getting off to work and getting kids off to school, trying to add journaling in then will never work. Maybe you carve out a few quiet moments at lunch or before dinner. For me my quiet time is in the evening before bed. I like to read and have some quiet moments. This is the best time for me to do my gratitude journaling.

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2) Find a journal book style and pen you really like. There are lots of sizes to choose from. If you want to be able to take it on the go, get something small enough to fit in your purse. A bigger size will work if you plan to leave it at home. Think about how you like to write – do you like lines, unlined, artwork? It may take a few attempts to really figure out what you prefer.

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3) Make it a habit. It takes 21 days to create a habit. So make a commitment to yourself to spend 10-15 minutes a day on your journaling no matter what for the next month.

4) Be Flexible. If you try evening and you fall asleep instead of journaling, try a different time. Wish your journal had lines? Or artwork? You can draw in lines or add stickers to decorate it.

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5) Expect the Unexpected. It may take a few attempts to really feel like you can make journaling stick.

6) If you already journal and just want to add gratitude journaling you can create a separate journal or just incorporate daily gratitude into your existing progress.

It’s ok to make mistakes, to try and try again to find what works. There is no right or wrong way to journal. The ultimate key is finding what works for you. If you stop for a while (sometimes life happens) it’s OK to pick up where you left off.

 

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Gratitude

Being Grateful while Social Distancing

The last few weeks have been a whirlwind of changes around COVID–19.  This is a challenging and fluid situation.  It can be easy to get drawn in to all the negative situations and reports around us.  Many of us are isolated from friends and family.

Many people have lost jobs even temporarily, trying to work remote while entertaining kids who cant go to school, or have to go into work in spite the health risks.  My heart goes out to all the people working in health care and all the sacrifices they are making.

Take time for yourself.  Write in your journal.  Find some new things to be grateful about. Myself I am working from home with my daughter who had surgery and could finally attend school, the day they closed it.  I was on a conference call today and one thing said was really inspirational.  Its OK to feel, stressed or be upset with everything going on but do one thing every day that makes you feel good.  I love to walk on a local trail, so weather permitting I plan to do that as my daily gift to myself and my mental health.

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Home with family? This is a great time to re-connect with your household, play a board game, watch a movie as a family or just talk.  Many schools aren’t set up for on-line learning.  Its a great time for the kids to learn some basic life skills.  Cook a meal or have them follow a recipe (depending on age) with your supervision, show them how to balance a checkbook, do laundry or hem a pair of pants.

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No Kids? If you are with a partner spend some quality device free time together.    If you are alone? Do that on-line class you never get to, work on a project you’ve had on your list for a while or do a video happy hour with a friend.

Be grateful for the health care workers out there every day trying to help and for friends and family pitching in to watch children so those workers or others like them have to go into work right now.

Still getting your regular paycheck? Help the local businesses by buying gift cards if they have to close to use later and get takeout from local restaurants to help support them.  Do what you can to help from a safe distance.

 

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