Practicing Gratitude
Gobble gobble, it’s November!
This month I want to talk about practicing gratitude. As we know, November is the month of Thanksgiving, expressing appreciation, and recognizing all of the good fortune that we have in our lives. This skill is especially important to practice in times of uncertainty, distress, and worry as it reminds us of the wonderful blessings that are always surrounding us.
One way to practice gratitude is to write it down! This can take on many different forms like a journal, a jar, a chart, a list, and more. Actively writing down the things we’re grateful for and describing why we’re grateful for them helps us see the good in our lives, especially in difficult times. The benefit to having a concrete, tangible expression of gratitude is that we can refer back to it at any point! The more accessible we make this activity for ourselves, the easier it will be, and the greater impact it will have on our mind. An easy way to do this is to start a gratitude chart on the fridge! Each day, write down 3 good things that happened. Before you know it, you’ll have a list a mile long! When we choose to see the good moments and let the bad ones roll off our shoulders, we train our brain to default to this type of thinking and that increases our overall happiness as we discover satisfaction in our lives. The more we acknowledge the positives, the more it becomes automatic in our brains.
Another way to practice gratitude is to focus on the present! Again, this practice can take on many different forms depending on the person and what is accessible to them. One easy way to focus on the present and get grounded is to take a gratitude walk! This can be done outside or inside, all that matters is the intention. As you walk, look around the space to identify meaningful moments such as a beautiful naturescape or a family photo on the mantel. The intention is to notice, acknowledge, and give thanks for things that we may typically overlook in the hustle and bustle of our everyday lives. Another way to focus on the present is to savor the moment. Again, the main focus here is the intention behind the activity. Sitting down to a meal and identifying the different flavors as you enjoy them, or taking a warm shower or bath and allowing yourself to rest by quieting your mind are ways to practice savoring the moment and focusing on the present. It can be hard to quiet our minds sometimes! If you find your mind racing with thoughts, quietly acknowledge them to yourself and let the thought pass. You can do this by literally saying to yourself “I acknowledge my thoughts and I let them pass.” The more we practice quieting our thoughts, the more innate this skill becomes.
The final way I want to highlight is practicing gratitude by giving back to others! This is the easiest to envision. It can look like doing a favor for someone like holding the door open or cooking them a meal, saying thank you, or volunteering in the community. When we get involved and show up in our community, we encourage others to practice the same and make the world a brighter place!
As the holiday season starts to ramp up, I hope you all can take a moment to slow down and practice gratitude utilizing some of the techniques I described above. Happy Thanksgiving!
Author: Kelly Weaver, MT-BC
Editor: Cassadi Kulak, MT-BC