”The more you practice the art of thankfulness, the more you have to be thankful for!”
- Norman Vincent Peale
Reaping the benefits of practising gratitude and showing thanks comes with practise. But it has a snowball effect and the more you are thankful, the more you have to be thankful for. You become a magnet of goodness!
Research has shown that practising gratitude doesn’t just improve your mindset and ways of thinking, it helps your immunity, sleep and mood in positive ways. It has been proven to help with depression, stress and pain sensitivity. And the best bit is, I am here to break it down for you to show you how you can add gratitude into your day easily and effectively.
Start with a ‘thank you’…
Notice when you say ‘thank you’ to someone at work, extend this by telling them what you are thankful for. “Thank you so much for making my coffee, it was just what I needed.” or “Thank you for doing that photocopying, you’ve saved me a job!” Showing those around you gratitude for their kindness or their actions can strengthen relationships and you mirror the energy of the 5 people you spend the most time with.
Acknowledgement…
Take the time each day to sit for just 5 minutes to acknowledge your day and pick it apart. As a beginner, this can be hard to see the good in a day when all you’ve wanted to do since you woke up was for it to be bedtime. So, start by acknowledging the little things.
“I am grateful for the sunshine as it lifts my mood instantly.”
“I am grateful for Katie' calling me this evening to check in and arranging to come over next weekend. This gives me something to look forward to.”
“I am grateful for the hot, clean water so I can enjoy a relaxing bubble bath at the end of my working day.”
Using your senses is also a good starting point…what are you grateful for that you can see, hear, smell, touch and taste? Remember, the more you practise, the more things you begin to notice and the more you will have to be thankful for.