by Natalie RothsteinT
During difficult times, negativity can often overshadow all of the good things in your life and make the concept of gratitude feel incredibly distant. This can be particularly relevant for many people right now with so many upsetting things happening in our world. People are struggling to find strength and hope amidst so many unknowns looming. Turning towards gratitude can remind us of the good things that we have in our lives and the positive things happening around us, which in turn can help us navigate incredibly hard times. Amidst negative feelings, gratitude can play an important role in providing us with the ability to maintain optimism. Looking towards optimism can have wonderful benefits for our well being.
I want to point out that it’s really important for us to acknowledge feelings of sadness and anger; and not ignore them, as they are valid feelings that are necessary to be dealt with. Unfortunately, gratitude cannot erase negative parts of our lives, but turning towards gratitude can be powerful and impactful towards building our resilience while experiencing overwhelming and negative emotions. Being grateful for positive parts of our life doesn’t mean that the negative and difficult parts of our life don’t exist or aren’t painful, yet it can contribute to an effort for those negative elements to have less power over our ability to process and function. I encourage that when you’re feeling like nothing is going well in your life or everything is negative, to really spend time thinking about the things that are good in your life and expressing gratitude for those things. Carve out even a few moments to take a deep breath and just reflect and focus on what you are grateful for. This can be truly empowering and hopeful. Gratitude expression comes in all shapes and sizes. Something to be grateful for has a wide range: a nice hug from a loved one, a really good sandwich you had for lunch, a stranger holding a door open for you, a new job, getting to see a loved one for the first time in a long time, a good night’s sleep[Office1] , a work day without any major hiccups, and the list goes on… Focusing our energy on all different forms of gratitude helps us to manifest positive energy.
Below, I’ve included some tips about ways to incorporate a gratitude practice into your life:
- Create a gratitude journal- Try writing a few things you’re grateful for in a journal on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis. This is a great way for people who like having visuals and also a way to be able to look back on what you’ve been feeling grateful for. Book stores often sell journals that serve the purpose of a gratitude practice.
- Incorporate gratitude into your morning or nightly routine- Expressinga few things you’re grateful for first thing in the morning is a great way to start your day on a positive note. Or expressing gratitude at night before going to bed is a positive way to end your day and fall asleep focusing on things that have gone well in your day. This is an effective way to calm the mind and transition to a restful sleep.
- In moments of high stress, express gratitude- When you’re feeling really stressed or overwhelmed by something, take a moment to pause and reflect on what’s happening. I suggest doing a deep breathing exercise and then consider what is going well in the current situation and express gratitude for the positive elements. This can help you can perspective and a clearer mind to manage the negative circumstances.
- Talk about gratitude with your friends or family- Sharing expressions of gratitude with friends and family is a great way to relate positively with your loved ones. Spending time expressing things each person is grateful for at a meal or while gathering together can be a really special way to reflect and connect.
Gratitude practices can be creative. I have a gratitude practice I started about 3 years ago. I was given a “blessing bracelet” as a gift from a family member on Thanksgiving many years ago. The bracelet is really simple with four big pearls on it. When I go to take it off before bed at night, I think of four things (one for each pearl) that I’m grateful for. Integrating this practice into my life has been incredibly positive and impactful, helping me to always remember positives in times where negative elements are feeling very heavy. There are many other ways to create a gratitude practice in your life, these are just a few simple suggestions! My hope is that an ounce of gratitude in your life can help you to find a cup of hope to bring you powerful strength. I wish you all the best as you consider exploring a gratitude practice that works for you!
Originally published on urbanbalance.com