This time of year, gratitude is at the forefront of our thinking.
We are preparing to celebrate Thanksgiving and feeling grateful for our family, our friends and our happiness. It feels good, right? To look at our lives through this lens of gratitude?
So why don't we extend this appreciation beyond the holiday?
Let's try.
Here are some practices to incorporate that will help:
- Journal. Processing our lives through the written form has been known to be helpful to those in stressful situations, so try journaling the positivity as well. What could be better than memorializing all the wonderful things in our lives?
- Spend Time With Loved Ones. Don't wait for a holiday to gather. Spend time with those who mean something to you. Remember the joy that it brings and make it a priority. Tell them how much you appreciate them being in your life.
- Take Value In Little Things. A smile from a stranger. A beautiful blue sky. The perfect cup of coffee. A long walk. A great song you haven't heard in a while. A belly laugh. Fresh sheets (we can help you there!). Recognizing that small things make a difference provides big picture perspective.
- Give Back. As much and as often as you can. Take stock of your strengths and how you can use them to help others. There's no better feeling than giving of yourself.
- Say Thank You. For big things. For small things. For compliments. For lessons learned. For good times. For just being there. Make it a regular part of your vernacular. It feels good to say (and feels even better to hear).
- Replace Complaints With Gratitude. Focus on what is positive and the negative won't seem quite so bad. Give the good stuff more air!
So try it, and notice the difference in perspective. Gratitude heightens the quality of our lives. All year-long.
