Practicing Gratitude
Gratitude: The quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness.
The practice of gratitude can have a profound impact on our mental health. Through the practice of gratitude people see improvements in their mood, appear more optimistic, and science even shows that it changes our brain.
Being grateful means taking the time to notice the positive things in our life instead of ruminating on the negative things. Sometimes people struggle to identify things they are grateful for because they are looking for big, life-changing, or wow factor things. However, gratitude is about identifying the small positive things that we take for granted. The practice of gratitude is a skill and takes time to learn. If your mind is used to identifying the negative things, it will take time to strengthen your gratitude skills.
Here are some prompts to help you strengthen your gratitude skills:
Amazing people/pets you are grateful for
Ex: I am grateful for my dog who cheers me up
Personal skills or talents you are grateful to have
Ex. I am grateful for my creativity
Aspects of your physical body that you appreciate
Ex. I am grateful for being strong
Things about your home or where you live that you’re grateful for
Ex. I am grateful for my peaceful backyard
Small things that happened today that you’re grateful for
Ex. I am grateful for a nice conversation with someone
Things you have that others might not have
Ex. I am grateful to have a car
Aspects of your work that you are grateful for
Ex. I am grateful to have a job
Activities that you got to engage in
Ex. I am grateful for time with my friends
Ways to practice gratitude:
Keep a gratitude journal to write three things you’re grateful for at the end of each day.
Make it a family ritual. Share three things you’re grateful for with your family at dinner or bedtime.
Set a reminder on your phone to prompt you during the day to identify something you’re grateful for.