Thanksgiving is right around the corner and turkeys everywhere are running for cover just as quickly as yams, cranberries, and stuffing are filling the grocery store shelves (I’m tempted to pause here out of sheer hunger). The only thing as popular about Thanksgiving as turkey and stuffing (maybe even pumpkin pie), is the root word of the holiday – “thanks.” You’re probably seeing the #30daysofthankfulness on social media and grabbing decor with a cornucopia and some quote about giving thanks. It’s the buzzword for the month of November. And that’s exactly why you don’t need another blog simply reminding you should be grateful. Google has a ton of them.
Sure, science shows those who practice gratitude are shown in clinical trials to have:
- lower blood pressure,
- better immune function,
- more efficient sleep,
- and healthier heart rhythms.
Sure, those who practice gratitude tend to have:
- a better self-esteem,
- higher reported levels of happiness,
- lower reports of depression,
- and increased resiliency to bounce back from hardships.
Okay, maybe I did want to you remind you to be grateful! However, a better use of our time is tackling applicable ways to go practice gratitude. Moving beyond knowing we should, and actually doing it.
5 Ways to Implement Gratitude
Gratitude is like any other discipline, it must be practiced. Here are easy ways to master gratitude so it becomes second (better yet – primary) nature.
#1. Practice Your ABC’s.
When you don’t where to start, name something in your life you’re grateful for that starts with each letter of the alphabet. Big or small, name it. A-animals. B-babies. C-Chick-fil-a. D-doors God has closed. E- ears that hear. You get the picture. You can do this while cooking dinner, showering each morning, or driving to work. Maybe you won’t get such a bad case of road rage.
#2. Keep a Gratitude Journal.
When we’re in the midst of trouble, our figurative blinders can block out the good things in our lives and amplify our problem. We can be so caught up drowning we don’t see the lifeboat was there the whole time. Since our minds can be so overwhelmed by emotions, fears, anger, etc, one way to keep a heart of gratitude is to take a few minutes each day and journal the things we’re grateful for. Jotting these down will give us something to look back on during those days we struggle to be thankful. Plus, it encourages us to shift our focus each day toward gratitude, and this practice helps shift it long term.
#3. Start a Gratitude Jar.
Similar to the gratitude journal, write things you’re grateful for on a slip of paper and collect them in a jar. As you go throughout your day, week, month, and year, take note of the things you’re grateful for and add them. Then, on New Year’s Eve or your birthday or even Thanksgiving, pull out your (hopefully) full jar and read over your year of thanks. It’s a fun tradition, as well as a short and easy opportunity to record your gratitude if you’re not big on journaling.
#4. Don’t Dwell on the Negative.
Did you know your brain will store that which you focus on? Meaning, if you obsess over the negatives in your life, then these are the things that will fill your mental storage space. And they’ll stay right there until you actively replace them with something else. You must intentionally NOT dwell on negative thoughts so your brain can dump them. Instead intentionally dwell on that which is good and that which you are grateful for. There are technical, scientific terms for brain processes here, but I’ll spare you the nerd-fest. (Feel free to be grateful for that now.)
#5. Share Thanks with Others.
Take – actually, MAKE – opportunities to express gratitude to those around you. Tell an employee or colleague you appreciate their hard work. Write a letter to someone who did something kind for you or influenced you. Stop and let your mate know how much you appreciate him/her. Verbalize it to everyone you encounter. Don’t go to bed without telling someone in your life something about them you are grateful for. Don’t be stingy with the gratitude; rather, pour it out generously. You’ll be surprised how easily it begins to flow and I bet you may even start a chain reaction of thanks amongst your relationships.
I like this quote by Gilbert K. Chesterton, “I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought, and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder.” Choose today to go change your thoughts and increase your happiness – go practice gratitude.
-Joel Walton