⛅ The Most Effective Way I've Found to Practice Gratitude
3 minutes (or less) to improve your well-being and make Monday's awesome
Every day I try to remind myself how small we are in comparison to the universe.
The other night as I was driving home, I looked up and saw a clear, bright-glowing moon over the USA night sky. It was gorgeous and humbling at the same time to realize how much is out there, and how little the things we worry about daily actually matter.
My gratitude practice is a constant reminder of this. I began practicing several years ago when my anxiety hit an all-time high. Gratitude helped me to focus on the tangible things to appreciate in life (and was a brief escape from my daily troubles).
It’s hard to keep up with positive habits like this daily, but this one in particular is incredibly important, so I’ve tried my best to stick with it. Here’s what I’ve found to be the best way to practice:
1. Start small
Gratitude doesn’t have to be overwhelming. If you’re just looking to get into the habit, the best way is to start small.
2. Set reminders
Set a reminder on your phone to practice gratitude at least once a day. For example, every night at 9:50 pm, I have a Google Calendar reminder that says “Practice gratitude.”
3. Pause and reflect
When the reminder pops up, stop what you’re doing (when you can) and just take a brief minute or two to think about what you're grateful for, or even better, write it down. Writing what you’re grateful for down can be a great way to improve happiness and revisit all the things you’ve previously appreciated.
I’ve got a journal I keep in the Notion app on my phone since it’s always with me.
4. Keep it fresh
Try to mix up what you’re grateful for every now and then. Don’t just keep reusing the same old “grateful for my mom…wife/husband…family…friends…blah blah”.
Instead, try looking at things you don’t notice on a regular basis. For example, the other day I decided to be grateful for the cooling system in my house. It’s been ridiculously hot down south as of late, and without it, life would definitely suck. Air conditioning makes things comfortable, and I took a few moments to appreciate it.
5. Don’t worry about going “big”
Don’t feel obligated to beef up your gratitude practice. Even just a few moments to stop and deliberately think about what you’re grateful for can improve your quality of life. I personally take about one or two minutes each day. That’s it.
Of course, throughout the day I also make it a point to say “thank you” and “I appreciate you” for the people who help me, those that I love, and when I’m feeling extra grateful.
Gratitude can change your life
Often times I’ve found that a slight change in perspective, such as gratitude, can have a profound impact on the quality of your life.
Again, gratitude doesn’t have to be anything crazy. To recap:
Start small
Set reminders
Pause and reflect
Keep it fresh
Don’t worry about going bigger (what you’re doing is enough)
Enjoy the extra happiness gratitude can bring 😄.
Have a good (no, great) week.
Best,
Jason