practice
Act Now and Gratitude Practice
gratitude practice
Goal: Take a positive perspective on life, be more thankful
Time: Once a week for ten weeks, 5-10 minutes
Gratitude practice is simply being thankful for the good in our lives. By focusing on positive rather than negative thoughts, it helps us to see the cup as half-full rather than half-empty. It reminds us not to be greedy and to find satisfaction in what we have, though we may strive for more. Gratitude requires no sacrifice but provides great rewards in compassion, happiness, and mindfulness.
1. Keep a journal you can use for your gratitude practice. This journal can be separate from the one which you use for Emotional Journaling, or you can use the same one if you wish. Every day, write down five things for which you are grateful, no matter how simple or humble. Be honestly appreciative, and don’t patronize yourself with gratitude.
2. If you don’t wish to journal, at the end of every day, say your five things to yourself before going to bed.
3. See the giver behind the gift. When something nice happens, think about the person who made this pleasant experience happen. Did your partner bring you a cup of tea without asking? Did a friend call just to see how you were doing? It doesn’t matter if the experience was small. Express your genuine gratitude to this person and remind yourself that people are often surprisingly, overwhelmingly kind. Say thank you to everyone.
4. If you are a religious person, use your gratitude as an opportunity for praise. Always begin your prayers with thanks to God for your blessings, rather than supplications for favor. Saying grace before a meal is a type of gratitude practice that many of us have experienced; it can even be done by the non-religious.
5. Use the emotional strength that gratitude practice brings you as a tool. Recognizing the beauty of the world does not mean ignoring its flaws. Do your best every day to earn your blessings; community service/charity is a great way to manifest your gratitude.
6. Do this even when you don’t feel like it. When you’re angry or sad, gratitude is even more important than when you’re happy. These emotions are valid, of course, but by reminding yourself of what there is to be thankful for, you can take off their destructive edge.
* Note: If you want to extend this practice into action, try writing a one page letter to a person you are grateful for. Practicing gratitude in this way can yield a variety of physical and emotional benefits, including increased happiness, optimism, and determination. Being grateful can also reduce stress and improve sleep and immune functioning. By writing someone a letter of gratitude and reading it aloud to him or her, you can experience firsthand the benefits of being grateful. Studies by positive psychologist Martin Seligman have even reported that the effects of doing this just once can last for weeks!
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