A Gratitude Practice - 5 Easy Ways to Train Your Brain to See the Positive
As humans we naturally look for the threats around us. We still have this part of the brain that is looking for the tiger that might attack us. We are wired to search for what might harm us as a part of our survival mechanism.
However, we also have the power to train ourselves to look for the positive. If we choose to make gratitude a practice something very interesting starts to happen. We begin to see more of the good stuff. One of the coolest things about being human is we can consciously choose what to focus on. If we want, we can train our brains to see the beautiful things instead of the danger.
Don’t believe me? Give it a try. It is simple to develop a gratitude practice. There is more than one way to do this. The important thing is to make it a part of your daily routine. We know that it takes at least thirty days to form a habit.
Choose one of these ideas and practice it consistently:
Before Bed
Have a small journal by your bedside. Each night write down three things from that day that you can be thankful for. It doesn’t have to be anything huge. It can be something as simple as someone held the door open for you at the grocery store. Or having a roof over your head. Each morning wake up and read what you wrote from the day before.
A Glass of Water in the Morning
Each morning pour yourself a glass of water and as you drink it think of all the things you are thankful for. Start with being grateful for the clean water you are drinking. While you sip it down give thanks for all the beautiful things in your life.
A Gratitude Jar
Make a habit of noting what you are thankful for when you are feeling good. Write small notes acknowledging all the good things in your life and drop them into the jar. When you are feeling down, open the jar and read the notes.
Daily Walk
Double down on the benefits by making a daily walk time to ponder what you can be thankful for. Each day set out for a short walk and make it a time to look for things to be grateful for. Being out in nature is a perfect place to be reminded of all the beauty around us.
Thanking Others
Make it a habit of dropping a note of gratitude to family and friends. Whenever you think of someone who you love, take a quick moment to tell them. Send them a quick text or email and express how grateful you are to have them in your life.
These ideas might sound too simple, but if you try them out you will see they have a profound impact. It is amazing the way gratitude lifts our spirits. It takes only minutes each day to do these things. The benefit is obvious and real.
I have one student who has committed to a gratitude practice for years now. She consistently tells me how much it has changed her perspective. It does take commitment. It does take practice. However, the investment is definitely worth the payoff.
Try it for yourself and let me know how you find it affects you.
You will be surprised to see if you commit to a gratitude practice that even when you aren’t doing your daily routine you start to notice more and more things to be grateful for throughout the day. Once you turn on this ability to see what there is be grateful for, it seems to trickle into our brains even when we aren’t trying.
It is a bit like magic.
Don’t believe me? Try it for yourself and see!
Want more tips like these to bring more positivity into your life?
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