Having gratitude is an important process that should be practiced on a daily basis. Developing a gratitude mindset should be the ultimate goal where you can ultimately find something to appreciate even in the middle of adversity. Having gratitude builds character and resilience and helps to develop a positive attitude.
When you are displaying gratitude in everything that you do, you are communicating to God that you are thankful for the things that you have and it helps open doors for more things for you to be grateful for.
Having a gratitude journal is a great way to develop a habit of writing down what you are grateful for on a daily basis. When you are focused on what you are grateful for, it helps you to have positive emotions which can help build your well being.
It is recommended to write in a gratitude journal at least for 20 minutes a day preferably in the morning or before you go to bed at night.
For every negative thought, get into the the habit of finding at least 3 things that are positive to help cancel out or at least make the negative thought less resistant.
In this blog post, I will go over a daily routine that you can implement that will help you develop the habit of having gratitude on a daily basis.
1. Get A Journal
It is important to have a journal that is specific to writing about what you are grateful for. There are so many different journals to choose from, you can choose a basic journal or even get a specific gratitude journal.
2. Write 3 Things You Are Grateful For Daily
Everyday write down gratitude statements that you are truly grateful for. Here are a few examples:
- The things that you have in your life
- The things that you have done well that day
- Your health
- The kindness that others have shown you
- The people in your life & why you are grateful for them
- The people who inspire you
- Your home & what about your home makes you grateful
- Your completed tasks you have accomplished
- The people you have helped
- The food you have
These are just a few examples but the key is to write 3 per day.
3. Be Specific
It is important that you are specific when writing about what you are grateful. Do not just focus on the "what" but write about the "why" for each thing that you are grateful for daily. The goal of this activity is to not just list gratitude items but to list and write about them in detail. It does not need to be long unless you choose to but it can be simple statements such as:
- I am so grateful that my bills are paid because I know I would not be able to function the way I need to on a daily basis.
- I am so grateful that I have people who love me that I can lean on in times of support.
- I am so grateful that I have found true friends in my life and I no longer have to deal with toxic people in my life.
These are just general examples but you can also get more specific in regards to certain things that happen throughout the day as well. The goal is to write "I am" which has power when you are speaking in regards to what you want.
4. Write Your Gratitude Statements In Full Sentences
It is important to use “I am” statements at the beginning of your gratitude statements. Here are a few examples:
- I am grateful for…
- I am thankful for…
- I appreciate the way that..
Starting off your sentences with these examples will help ensure that you are writing full sentences.
5. Never Repeat Your Gratitude Statements
Expand your mind by thinking of new things to be grateful for on a daily basis. There is always something to be grateful for even in the bad things. Remember, it is in the negative things that happen that we learn and grow from the most. So even when negative things happen in your life, what did you learn from that experience? Those are also things that you can be grateful for. Out of the things that we do not want, we are able to realize what we do want. Being mindful of the concept that some negative things can draw out something positive, helps us to see the blessing within it instead of ultimately labeling things as negative events.
So if you feel like you are running out of ideas to be grateful for, bring your awareness to the little things throughout the day such as a compliment from someone, a hello, or a friendly smile from someone. These may seem to be simple gestures that we may look over, but these are also winks from the Universe reminding us that we are in alignment so those small things are worthy to be grateful for as well.
6. Reread Your Gratitude Statements
It is important to be in remembrance of the things that you are grateful for. I personally like to write the date and time that I write in my journal so I can always reflect on what I was grateful for at that time in my life.
Overall, getting into the habit of developing gratitude not only helps you build character and resilience, but will also help you instill a positive mindset and will help you to overcome any obstacles due to training yourself to find the good aspects of everything with gratitude. This will also help build emotional intelligence and emotional self management thanks to the power of gratitude.
If you would like to build your emotional intelligence or if you struggle with developing gratitude in your life, consider booking a session with me by clicking below.