Practicing gratitude as a daily habit is very powerful. It can boost your immune system, make you feel more alive, help you sleep better, and give you more to be excited about in your life.
Does it have to be something major like a new car or job promotion? No! Being grateful for something as simple as someone letting you turn out of your neighborhood in morning traffic is enough.
Being thankful for what you have rather than concentrating on what you don't have can really change your outlook on life. Learn how to make gratitude a daily habit.
What is Gratitude?
Gratitude is a positive emotion. It's recognizing things for which you are thankful and grateful. It's acknowledging the good things in your life. It's that self-awareness of the goodness around you.
How Can Practicing Gratitude Help You?
Making gratitude a part of your everyday life has many benefits.
People who keep a gratitude journal tend to exercise more, feel good physically, are more optimistic, sleep better, and are genuinely happier about life.
They also feel more connected to others and reach the goals they set.
How Can You Make Gratitude a Daily Habit?
With all of the great benefits of practicing gratitude, why not try to make it one of your daily habits? Here are some of the ways to do just that.
1. Keep a Gratitude Journal
Write in your gratitude journal every day. List what you're grateful for that day. It could be anything from something as small as a beautiful sunny day to something major like a reaching a sales goal at work.
2. Practicing Gratitude Exercises
Do things like smile more, spend quality time with family members and friends, perform small acts of kindness throughout the day, try to find something positive in every negative situation, be kind to unkind people (their unkindness is not about you!) and don't be a complainer.
Examples:
Encounter a rude person in the grocery, smile at them and use kind words.Have family members at dinner list 2 things for which they are grateful that day.
3. Volunteer
Giving back to your community is a great way to feel more gratitude. Helping others makes you realize all that you have and take for granted.
4. Practice Mindfulness
At the end of the day or during a lunch break, sit down and think about the things for which you're grateful. Close your eyes and picture those things in your mind.
Train your brain to feel this gratitude. After doing this daily, your brain will be rewired to naturally feel grateful. You'll, in turn, become a happier person.
An Attitude of Gratitude
Now that you know how to make gratitude a daily habit, try daily to put these methods into practice.
Michele Bailey is president and CEO of
Blazing Agency and
My Big Idea®. These two lines of business work congruently to support her clients’ success.
