A Heart of Gratitude

It can be easy to practice gratitude if you take the time to look for what you appreciate. An added bonus is that it improves your mental health. Let’s be honest. We can all use this to get through some difficult days!

But remembering to practice gratitude can be hard. The good news is that you don’t have to look far to gain a heart of gratitude. If you pay attention, you can find things to be grateful for wherever you are and reap the mental health benefits. This practice can be especially beneficial in midlife when your responsibilities and stressors seem to be multiplying by the day.

You hear about being grateful (not just at Thanksgiving), but many of you may shrug it off. I know I did for years!

We get busy and don’t get around to making it a regular habit that will undoubtedly improve our mental well-being with far-reaching results.

As I learned more and more about the benefits of a gratitude practice, I finally embraced my own routine. I make the time at the beginning of my day to jot down what I’m grateful for, and it’s truly helped me see how to be thankful even for the small things.

I help my clients begin this habit of focusing on the positive in their lives. It is often the springboard they need to make a bigger life change!

Remind Yourself to Develop a Heart of Gratitude

Instead of practicing gratitude, you may focus on the frustrating things you encounter — rude drivers, annoying coworkers, and people at the grocery store who slow you down. The list goes on and on.

But let’s try putting on the proverbial rose-colored glasses and see the good. Maybe the bus arrives on time or your dog doesn’t ask to go out in the pouring rain. String together the good moments. You will be amazed at how quickly you see more good throughout your day.

Let’s create the improvement in your mental health we all seek.

Health Benefits of a Gratitude Practice

We can all agree that it’s certainly more motivating to adopt a practice if you know it will benefit you in some way. There are many physical and mental benefits to taking the time to develop a heart of gratitude.

Even when you are having days that you don’t feel your best, there is usually something you can be grateful for. Let’s look at the health benefits of a regular gratitude practice.

• Reduces depression and anxiety with the release of feel-good hormones
• Helps you feel less lonely and isolated to focus on the good
• Being more grateful has been shown to help people sleep better
• Improves your relationships as you express your gratitude to others

How to Implement a Gratitude Practice

Implementing new habits takes some time, but creating a gratitude practice is easy to put into place. The biggest obstacle is remembering to do it. Set an alarm if necessary as a gentle reminder to implement this daily habit. Try different methods to see what works for you.

Like any habit, it will be easier to incorporate if you attach it to an activity you have already. Check out more tips on habit change and where it all begins — with awareness, in my blog ‘habit change starts with awareness’.

• Jot down what you are grateful for each day first thing or at the end of the day by keeping a journal at your bedside. It’s beneficial to taste life twice — in the moment and retrospectively as you write it down.
• Keep a sticky note as a reminder at your computer or on your bathroom mirror to think of things you are grateful for.
• Take a moment to acknowledge the hard times in your past and how grateful you are for your present life.
• Write down some special moments after they occur in your phone ‘notes’ section. See how quickly the list grows.

I am grateful to you, my readers for taking the time to read my posts. I am excited that I get to continue to spread the message of how to be more balanced in midlife — mentally and physically.

Now get out there and find the things to be grateful for. And don’t forget to express your thanks and gratitude to others. Don’t keep it to yourself. It helps not only your mental well-being but passes the positive energy on to others. Let me know today what you are grateful for. I’d love to hear from you!

Reach out if you want to learn more about how I can support you!