Gratitude is Potent: 4 Tips to a More Fulfilling Life
November is finally here, and we all know what that means…Thanksgiving will soon be upon us. Family, food, and quality time are my favorite aspects of the season - and Thanksgiving is the perfect kick-off.
Around Thanksgiving too, it is a perfect time to remember that it is so powerful and beneficial to make gratitude a part of our daily routine not just on Thanksgiving, but all year round. If your family did the “say three things you’re thankful for” before you were allowed to dig in to that mounded plate - know that this can be whatever you want it to be; simpler, and less cringe-y.
Gratitude can help you to identify the things in life that are important to you, so that you can focus on them even more, to improve motivation, to find joy, and to appreciate the little things that often go unnoticed. Here are 6 tips you can use to start making gratitude a habit:
Take a moment and look around.
Ask yourself what in life you can be grateful for right now - people, places, things, opportunities, situations - anything. I usually aim for at least 3 - but if you need to start with just one, that’s great! Just take a few minutes out of your day to see what you can think of. Each day, try to find another different thing you can be grateful for.
You don’t have to focus on things outside of yourself - what are you grateful for within yourself? Big or small - taking a moment to be grateful about some aspect of yourself can be a great way to build up self-esteem. Perhaps you’re grateful that you got that curly hair from your mom, or that you were able to tackle a tough challenge at work. You can be grateful for things you’ve done, accomplished, or simply things that you are.
Look past the typical and into the things you may take for granted.
Everyone knows the typical things we can be grateful - family, friends, etc. But what about the things that you might take for granted?
That delicious piece of chicken your partner made for dinner last night. The long hug your child gave you before bed last night. The passion you have for your chosen career. Anything at all can be something to be grateful for - you can ask yourself specifically, what am I taking for granted that I can be grateful for today?
Make it a habit.
As we know, we have to practice things to make them a habit. So how do you incorporate gratefulness to remember it, and to make it a habit?
Find a time in your day when you are doing something else - e.g. brushing your teeth - and can let your thoughts focus on gratefulness.
Pick the morning or the evening to focus on gratefulness to either start or end your day on a good note.
Be concrete - journal or list some of the things you think of, so you can go back and review them now and again.
See what works best for you!
Show your gratitude.
While everything we’ve discussed so far focuses on the benefits for you - showing your gratitude can have good benefits for others as well as yourself. Have you ever had one of those days where seemingly everything is bad or going wrong - then a friend tells you they really appreciate your listening to them the other day, or your partner mentions that you doing the dishes last night really eased their workload, or a coworker shares that they really appreciate your dedication with that hard task at work - and it lifted some of that weight off?
You can be that person for someone. Show your gratitude to people in your life - in person, in text, however. It could have a big impact on people’s day - and it helps you to continue practicing gratefulness in a tangible, effectual way.
Try incorporating gratefulness into your regular routine at for a few days and see how you feel. Sometimes, though, this can be a challenge - if so, you are deserving of assistance from a therapist who will dive into the weeds right along with you. Click here to connect with Metamorphosis Counseling!
