5 Simple Ways I Practice Gratitude Every Day
November is a month of remembering all of the things that we have to be grateful for and I love any reason to count my blessings. 2020 has been a challenging year is so many different ways but I think now more than ever it is so important to be mindful of the things we have been blessed with in our lives.
Incorporating gratitude into my daily habits is something I’m always striving to do because I definitely can feel a noticeable difference in my attitude, my patience, and a reduction in worries and anxiety when I incorporate gratitude into my daily routine. There are so many different ways to practice gratitude but these are just a few that I love to utilize!
Include 5 things I am grateful for in my morning and evening prayers.
Having a daily habit of prayer is so personal and meaningful to me but the importance is in the ritual of it. Whether you keep a gratitude journal, do an evening yoga flow, spend time on your porch drinking coffee, etc., utilize that moment of reflection to recite 5 things you are grateful.
Thank my body during my daily workout. Either in a mirror or internally say, “I’m grateful for a strong and capable body.”
What an amazing blessing it is to be able to exercise! I think a lot of times the “uncomfortable” part of fitness can dominate the way we feel. I can definitely find myself thinking thoughts like “Ugh, this hurts.” or “how much longer?” but trying to replace those thoughts with positive thoughts of gratitude like “I’m grateful for being strong enough to complete this workout.” or “I love my body.” can change the whole vibe of your workout and even your day.
Spend time outside. This helps me appreciate the little things so much more.
I found this quote on Pinterest and loved it so much so I thought I’d share it here as well.
“We are so small. We and our problems don’t even begin to make the tiniest dent in the universe. So the next time you can’t sleep, or you’re worried, or you worry you might never feel whole again, step outside. Let the vastness of the inky sky and the stars that shine against it put life into perspective. Your problems, just like everything in life, will pass eventually.”
This quote is such a great reminder that nature helps put things into perspective. It’s hard to feel like small annoyances or even seemingly big problems matter as much when you’re surrounded by the absolute beauty of mountains or beaches or fields or sunsets.
Practice gratitude with my children throughout the day.
You may have seen this on my IG stories here and there, but I love to practice positive affirmations with my kids. I think this helps remind them that they are smart, kind, strong, and brave. In addition to positive affirmations, we love to do surprise gift giving to those in need, neighbors, and friends and involve the kids so that they practice the act of giving and how good that feels. They absolutely love it!
Send a text to someone meaningful to me.
At the end of the day, I know that we all lead crazy busy lives. It feels like it can be so hard some days to even get the dishwasher going! On especially crazy days, if I can remember to send a thoughtful text or direct message to someone who has been on my mind, I just want my loved ones to know that they are meaningful to me. We all carry things that no one else may know about or understand so I think it’s so important to just let people know that we love them whenever we can.
What’s your favorite way to practice gratitude in your daily life? Let me know on my latest Instagram post and don’t forget to check out my Fall Catalog here for Thanksgiving inspiration!