10 Tips to Practice More Gratitude this Year

If you made any resolutions this year I hope one of them was to practice more gratitude. It isn’t always easy to be grateful, in fact, sometimes it can be really challenging. When bad things happen it can be almost impossible to be thankful for what you have instead of angry or upset about what you don’t have. It’s difficult sometimes, which is why we practice gratitude rather than simply achieve it.

And sometimes we fail. And that’s okay. When you find yourself going down the rabbit hole of negativity consider these helpful tips and reminders to be more grateful.

10 Tips to Practice More Gratitude this Year

Keep a Journal – If you really want to internalize your gratitude then start journaling. At the end of each day jot down the things for which you are grateful that day. When you get up the next morning read what you wrote the night before and meditate on those things for which you are thankful.

Say I Love You – You can say it to your significant other, your children, you parents, your favorite fur baby and even your pet fish, just say it. If you love a pair of cozy slippers tell them you love them. Saying out loud how much you appreciate someone or some thing, is wonderful way be grateful.

Call Your Loved Ones – Call your mom or dad just to say hi. Call your kids to see how they’re doing. Talking face to face or on the phone with those we love is a great way to feel connected. Text messages might be ideal for asking your husband to remember to pick up milk on the way home, but to really connect it’s important to hear their voice.

Look Around – Be aware of your surroundings. Beauty is everywhere, it can be found on the subway while going to work, in the hospital waiting room, in the bank lobby. Beauty is everywhere if you look for it so look around and notice it. You’ll feel much better if you do.

Practice Random Acts of Kindness – Pay for the customer behind you at the coffee shop, offer an umbrella to someone without one, or simply smile at people when your eyes meet. A small act of kindness each day makes you happier and the recipient. For many people that one small act of kindness is the only act of kindness they will receive, don’t you want to create more of that?

Say Thank You – When someone offers you an act of kindness, be sure to thank them. Thank all of those people in your life who often go unnoticed – the postal worker, the bank teller, the trash hauler, your kid’s teacher, whoever makes your day a little easier deserves thanks.

Laugh – Laughter is the best medicine so do as much of it as you can. Watch a funny movie with a loved one, read a funny book, or have coffee with that friend who makes you laugh so hard it comes out of your nose. You’ll feel the tension in your body dissipate each time you laugh, so try to do it often.

Cook a Meal – Preparing a meal for those you love is a wonderful way to feel gratitude for those who are part of your life, and it’s a way to show them how much you appreciate them. It’s also healthier than take out and less expensive, too. Win-win-win.

Live in the Present – Practice mindfulness and it will become easier to practice gratitude. If you aren’t bogged down by the past and aren’t anxious about the future, you can focus on all that you have in the now – and be grateful for it.

Have Faith – No matter what you believe in, having faith is a wonderful way to practice gratitude. Being thankful for all that has been given to you by a supreme being, the Universe, or whatever it is you call it, is a way to keep negativity at bay and to remain open for more wonderful opportunities to enter your life.