Feeling and expressing gratitude is one of the most powerful forces we have on earth. It connects you to God, others and yourself. Showing gratitude is a win-win situation because you’re doing something positive for yourself and for those around you. Having an attitude of gratitude helps you to manage your stress before your stress manages you.
Unfortunately, in our busy world, many of us are always on the go and sometimes we forget to appreciate all the amazing gifts we receive and the good things in our lives. So in this post, I’m going to expand upon my earlier post of why you would want to begin a gratitude practice and how to start one and I’m going to talk about how you can keep your gratitude going especially if you’re already created a morning or nighttime routine where you think about the things that you’re grateful for each day.
Read on to learn about a few things you can do to cultivate gratitude and keep the practice going. Because after all, its all about making time.
Don’t Skimp On The Compliments
Compliments are one of those things that makes others feel good, but also does good for you. There’s not doubt that the receiver of praise enjoys feeling noticed and appreciated; while you as the giver are motivated to do more because you also partake in the positive feelings . Every time you give a compliment to someone else, you build a bond and become even more connected to the human race. Here’s some tips on giving compliments:
Be genuine. Most people can easily detect a false compliment, even if you’re smiling in their face. And if the person figures out that you’re lying, then you’ve defeated the purpose of giving a compliment in the first place.
If someone compliments you, always receive it graciously with gratitude.
Be specific with compliments. Saying “you’re great” doesn’t have the same impact as telling the person what it is that makes them great.
AVOID giving backhanded compliments. For example, don’t say, ‘for a boy, you’re quite good at babysitting.’ It sounds insincere.
And last but not least, don’t be frugal with praise. Let your loved ones know that you appreciate them.
Journal It Out
A gratitude journal is one of the best ways to express your gratitude and also have a record of the things that you’re grateful for. It helps you to deepen your practice.
According to studies, writing down a list of positive events that occur during the day helps reduce stress levels. It also helps you sleep better and feel calmer.
Keeping up with a journal might feel like a hassle at first, but the benefits far outweigh any perceived time commitments you might have. When you’re writing in your gratitude journal the following will help:
Recall any events during the day that were positive. Any thing, event or and people that you're grateful for should be written down. Enjoy the experience of feeling the sense of wellness that accompanies gratitude.
You could even take things a step further and write down why you’re grateful for those things, events or people.
Write down any acts of goodwill shown by family, coworkers, and even strangers (no matter how small). A good time to do this is right before bed. Keep your journal by your bedside to remind you to journal each night.
You could even take things a step further and write down what makes you grateful for that act of goodwill that you wrote down.
Electronic Gratitude
Although you don’t need any special equipment to keep your gratitude practice going since the real magic of gratitude takes place in your mind, body and soul, there are websites and apps that’ll help you in your quest.
Websites
Gratitude Revealed
Louie Schwartzberg is a filmmaker who made 15 film shorts collectively entitled, Gratitude Revealed. The films look at the science, mystery and origins of gratitude. What gratitude is, why its important and how to invite more gratitude into your life.
The Gratitude Jar
The gratitude jar website lets you share the things you’re grateful for with the world and you can look at personal gratitude statements from others. It provides great insight into how other people define gratitude and you might get ideas of other things that you can be grateful for.
Apps
There are a ton of gratitude apps, most of which just like a paper journal, allows you to write down each day, the things you’re grateful for daily. Some even allow you to add pictures and rate the day. A quick search of Apple’s app store or Google Play will provide a ton of options.
So there you have it, several ways that you can continue to expand your gratitude practice so that you enrich both you life and the lives of those around you.
Let’s talk, how do you express your gratitude? Let me know in the comments section.
Cassandra Martin-Himmons is a trainer, wellness coach and consultant who believes in empowering her clients and providing the tools that they need to make positive changes in their lives to manage their stress and increase their self-care. In her spare time, she enjoys papercrafting, volunteering and travel. Connect with her on Instagram or Linked/In