How to start a gratitude practice

In which areas in life do you express gratitude? One of the first moments of the day I give thanks is when I rise and again when I hear my husband quietly breathing beside me.

Amy Morin, psychotherapist and the author of 13 Things Mentally Strong People Don't Do, highlights 7 scientifically proven benefits to giving thanks. Learn the benefits here. The challenge many of us have is determining how to start and sustain a gratitude practice. If this is something on your list of 'to do's', I offer you this advice - start small and keep it simple. More specifically, consider this approach:

1. Write out an intention. Be specific by inserting a specific time and place when you will give thanks. "I will write one reason I am thankful at 6:00 a.m. when I first wake up in bed."
2. Connect it to a practice you have to do. You'll have increased success if you can connect a new practice with something you have to do. "I will write one reason I am thankful at 6:00 a.m. when I first wake up in bed and turn off my alarm."
3. Keep it simple. Technology exists for a reason. Use your cell phone to capture your gratitude. You can also put an event in your calendar at the set time and at the set location. 
4. Make it rewarding. You read the 7 scientifically proven benefits of giving gratitude and know there are rewards in doing so. Perhaps it might take a while to see some of those benefits. Reward yourself early by tracking your streak and not breaking the chain. (Life happens so if the chain breaks, make sure you start back the next day.) 

Interested in really feeling the intrinsic benefits of your new gratitude practice while adding a bright moment to someone's day? When you express gratitude for someone being in your life or something that someone said/did/offered, take an extra moment immediately after your gratitude practice to share it with them!

Want to tackle and successfully accomplish some of the bigger practices you've been trying to achieve? Let's chat! With the right support, I'll help you make this easier than you think.

[email protected] 
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