LIFESTYLE NEWS
How To Practice Gratitude In Your Everyday Life
By TESSA A. ADAMS
Morning & Night
Instead of starting your day with a negative mindset, come up with three things you're thankful for, like your pets, family, or the sunrise, before even leaving your bedroom. Then, end the day with three things you’re thankful for. This should be viewed as a long-term project, but by injecting a little bit of thankfulness at a time, you’ll notice a gradual mood improvement each day.
Gratitude Journal
Using a gratitude journal is a great way to incorporate gratitude into your daily life, but make sure to get specific. For example, instead of saying you’re thankful for your family, write down how a specific family member made your day better. Specificity allows you to open up your gratitude to many different areas of your life.
Self-Love
Expressing gratitude to yourself is just as important as expressing your gratitude toward others. Whether you thank your body out loud for all that it does for you or you write down your thanks after a great yoga class that helped you find emotional balance and peace, turning your appreciation inward is essential for taking care of your mental well-being.
Thank You
A powerful act to express your gratitude is by reaching out to the people who make your life better. This can be done in an email, a card, or verbally saying thank you for something someone has done to you, and not only will it brighten their day, but it will work to create a community of thankfulness that they may pay forward.
Gratitude Meditation
Gratitude meditation is the act of honoring small or large blessings in your life. Sit quietly, breathing in and out at an even pace. When you're ready, try to incorporate some short mantras to repeat in your head. You can start broad and then get specific depending on your needs that day.