This month I am taking on 30 days of practicing gratitude! In November of 2018 I read The Magic by Rhonda Byrne and it completely changed my life! Whether you are a gratitude newbie or someone looking to fine-tune your process, I HIGHLY recommend this book! The Magic is part of The Secret Series and will take you through 30 different prompts to do as you progress through the month! This month, I am taking it back to my roots to get in a more consistent gratitude practice! I’m taking you along for the ride to show you exactly how to practice gratitude too!
What is Gratitude?
You may be thinking that sounds great and all Krysta, but what the heck is gratitude and why do I need it in my life? What exactly does gratitude really mean? Gratitude is the quality of being thankful or appreciative. While there are many ways to express gratitude in this state, today we are going to focus on Gratitude as a practice of appreciation for what one has in their own life.
What are the Benefits of Practicing Gratitude?
One big benefit to practicing gratitude is overall better mental health. In a study of college students seeking mental health counseling, researchers found that those who had wrote letters of gratitude throughout counseling not only reported significantly better mental health after 12 weeks, but at just after 4 weeks as well! The lasting effects of gratitude on the brain are amazing. Often people ask what is the secret happiness, and honestly practicing gratitude will lead you there. Shifting from focusing on what you don’t have to being grateful for what you do have allows for a better mentality and welcomes in more of the good.
How To Practice Gratitude
Now that you know what gratitude is and why it is important to your life, we can dive into how to practice gratitude! While you can practice gratitude in MANY ways such as saying thank you to a friend or writing an encouraging note, today we are going to talk about gratitude exercises that only involves you.
My favorite way to practice gratitude is by following the teachings of The Magic. Once you complete the book, you are to go forward writing out ten things that you are grateful for each day. I recommend doing your gratitudes first thing in the morning to really kick off your day! Just waking up ten minutes earlier to squeeze this in will make a difference!
Grab your notebook and pen and start writing. Your goal is to write out ten gratitudes per day. Every sentence will start the same.
“I am grateful for …”
These can be very simple or far more complex. Some gratitude examples are:
“I am grateful to have clean running water to bathe, drink, cook, brush my teeth, and flush the toilet each day.”
“I am grateful that I have a strong healthy body that allows me to move as I wish each day.”
“I am grateful travel safely via car, bus, train, and plane each day.”
“I am grateful to be able to see my family as I wish.”
“I am grateful that money flows to me easily and abundantly.”
You can write your “I am grateful” statements about ANYTHING! The Magic with guide you through a series of exercises so that you find so many different areas in your life where you can express more gratitude. After a while, you will have ENDLESS IDEAS! And yes you can repeat some statements day to day as you wish – it’s your gratitude practice!
After writing out your ten statements for the day, go back to the top of the list and read each one out loud. After you read a statement, say “Thank You” three times like you genuinely mean it- you truly want to feel GRATEFUL, not like you are going through the motions.
By adding this simple ten minute practice into your day, you are sure to be in a better mood and ready to take on anything that is thrown your way. You will find yourself happier and more productive. What are your favorite ways to practice gratitude and what are you most thankful for today? Be sure to share in the comments below!
xoxo
Krysta
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