why you should have a daily gratitude practice…

“Gratitude turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos into order, confusion into clarity … it makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.” -Melody Beattie

If I had to name the most under rated positive emotion, it would be gratitude. Instead of chasing the next best thing, what if we appreciated what we have here and now?

Being appreciative and grateful of what you have can really put things into perspective. I know that for me, developing and maintaining a gratitude practice has shifted my entire mindset for the better.

Gratitude is about focusing on what's positive in our lives and being thankful for the things we have. It is about taking a pause to notice and appreciate the things that we often take for granted. The little things in our lives can tend to bring us the most joy and taking the time to recognize the little things you are grateful for can also start to prioritize the important things in your life.

While you are on your empowerment journey, being grateful will help you appreciate your journey even more.

What is gratitude?

Gratitude is about focusing on what's positive  in our lives and being thankful for the things we have. Gratitude is taking a pause to notice and appreciate the things that we often take for granted.

Through gratitude, we increase our capacity for forgiveness, become more likely to help others, and develop compassion for others. Gratitude can help us feel more satisfied and fulfilled, possibly reducing the likelihood of burnout. 

Notice the Good Around you and within you.

Start to identify the things, people, and places you are grateful for. Really tune into the things that you may take for granted or the little everyday mundane things that you can start to really appreciate.  It is also extremely important to recognize what you can be thankful for within yourself.

Ways to practice gratitude -

• 3 things a Day practice - take the time to recognize three things everyday that you are thankful for. It can be anything from a meal that you had to a nice comment someone made to you. You will really be amazed at what you start to notice when you sit with what you are grateful for.

• Write it down - Start a gratitude journal where you write down what you are appreciating that day.

• Develop Gratitude rituals - Some people make it a point to say thank you to the universe every morning, others use prayer. There are so many ways to work gratitude into your day, find what works for you!

• Pause when Feeling Thankful - when you have those profound moments of “wow, this really was a great day” or “ I am so thankful that my mom helped me today”, really take the time to feel those feelings and sit with your appreciation.

• Express Thankfulness to others - showing heartfelt appreciate to others is a good way to encourage gratitude in others. Writing a thank you note, telling someone how you feel about them in a truly meaningful way, and small acts of kindness are all ways to do this.

• Recite Gratitude Affirmations- having an affirmation practice can help to shift your mindset. You can read more about what affirmations are and how to use them in this blog post!

• Show gratefulness to yourself - start a practice of thanking yourself daily. You could thank your body for helping you get through that workout or praise yourself for that amazing meal you cooked. Find 1-3 things you have done each day to thank yourself for.

Research shows that gratitude is strongly linked to increases in overall happiness.  People have improved health, more positive mindsets, are more empathetic, appreciate good experiences, and have more positive outcomes in relationships.

Gratitude is shown to help -

• Improve psychological health

• Improve physical health

• Reduce Aggression and Promotes Empathy

• Have a more Positive self Esteem

• Sleep

This practice of gratitude may seem small and insignificant, but it really can make all the difference.  When we truly appreciate what we have, we are not chasing what others have and what we do not.  We can all find true peace with more gratitude.

If you are looking for a quick and effective guide on Gratitude, you can download my free Gratitude Guide Book here.

xo,

Megan

I am so very glad

that you are here!

Thank you so much for hanging out with me a bit today, I hope you found it helpful.  If you every have any questions, please feel free to reach out HERE.