Simple Daily Habits to Cultivate Gratitude
Develop an attitude of gratitude, and you will live a happier and healthier life. Gratitude has been a big part of my life for many years. It has helped me get through many major challenges in my life, including a marriage breakup after 34 years, and a diagnosis of bowel cancer over 5 years ago. Regular gratitude practice has been linked to significant health benefits in the mind and body. Your relationships will improve, and so will your outlook on life. I am living testament of this. Here are a few tips for cultivating gratitude daily for an overall wellness boost.
Volunteer And Help Others
How does helping others make you grateful? Volunteering your time or services develops an appreciation for what you have. It is a simple way to cultivate gratitude and connect with others who want to help in their community.
Say Thank You Five Times Every Day
Commit to thank someone five times every day. Do it in person. If this isn’t possible, then pick up your phone and do a FaceTime or audio call. This is far more personal and meaningful than a text message. If text is the only way available, as is currently with my granddaughter who is overseas for eight weeks, then by all means use it. Expressing gratitude in someone’s presence gives you the benefits of socialization. Personal interactions trigger the production of chemicals that make both parties feel safe and happy with the connection.
Committing to five “thank yous” every day is positively contagious. You will find yourself expressing gratitude more than five times each day in different experiences and aspects of your life.
Give a Genuine Compliment
Paying a compliment is a form of gratitude. You express your happiness about someone’s clothes, hairstyle, or behavior. People love receiving compliments. The recipient of your grateful recognition might be having a difficult day. Your sincere compliment could change their perspective from negative to positive. I like to make a point of complimenting someone each time I go to the supermarket. It may be a worker on their work, or another shopper on the colour of their top. You can always find something if you just look.
As with any act of gratitude, paying a genuine compliment makes you feel good, not just the recipient of the thanks. You are happy about what you did, and your self-respect grows.
Express Gratitude for Yourself
You can thank yourself for being the unique person you are. Be thankful for your skill or a random act of kindness you performed. Being grateful for some aspect of yourself is a sign of respect. Your self-esteem and self-appreciation grow, and that’s a beautiful thing. This is often the most difficult expression of gratitude to give. Try it in front of a mirror, and repeat it until you feel comfortable thanking yourself.
Start a Daily Gratitude Journal
Record your thoughts every morning and each night. Begin and end your day with wellness-boosting thoughts of gratitude. Each morning, express gratitude for what you hope to accomplish. That increases the chances that you will have a good day.
At night, journal about the goodness you can take away from your experience. What people, places, and things were you grateful for that day? Are you thankful for something you did or experienced? Digital gratitude apps ensure you can always record your thoughts about what you are thankful for.
If you feel this is too much time or effort, then just get a small notebook and every day write down just three things you are grateful for, just three things.
Say “Thank You” to Your Mistakes
Look at the positive side of your mistakes and failures. If you let them, they can be wonderful teachers. Mistakes tell you what didn’t work, and they are stepping stones to improvement. Be grateful for your mistakes and embrace anything positive you can take away from the experience. This is often the hardest time to feel grateful. Believe me, if you do this, it can change your whole enjoyment of your life. When I was diagnosed with cancer I became grateful for my doctor who ordered the blood tests that detected something was wrong, grateful for my surgeon whose expertise saved my life, grateful for my family and friends who rallied around me during that difficult time.
Start today with our FREE Mini Gratitude Journal. Click here.
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