We often hear that practising gratitude is good for us and promotes wellbeing in so many ways, don’t we? 

I must admit, at times in my life in the past, I really didn’t feel very grateful for much or I just couldn’t seem to muster up the enthusiasm for it. I’ve since learned this is just when it’s even more important to introduce the practice. 

In positive psychology research and I quote, “gratitude is strongly and consistently associated with greater happiness. Gratitude helps people feel more positive emotions, relish good experiences, improve their health, deal with adversity, and build strong relationships.”

My 10 Top Tips for Introducing a Gratitude Practice

There is no right or wrong way of doing these. Try out as many of them as you want 😊:

1. Just after you wake up – lie in your bed and think of 3 things that you might be really grateful for. You could do this again at the end of your day.
2. When you say thank you to someone in the supermarket or in a cafe – why not tell them that you’re grateful for their help? It is so simple, yet very powerful and you will really make their day.
3. Write a little thank you and gratitude note to someone and send it off to them – you don’t have to say a lot in the note but it will make you feel so good and it will be greatly appreciated.
4. While you’re preparing your meals – think about how wonderful it is to have all this fresh food. You can be grateful to the lorry drivers, the supermarket staff, the farmers, the packers – the list goes on.
5. When you’re having a walk out in a park or in the countryside – count 10 things that you’re grateful for; the sun (even if it’s hidden behind clouds), the trees, the changing seasons, the abundance of nature, squirrels scampering in the distance, the birds singing, the sky at night…
6. Try this as you walk up some stairs, at home, at work or maybe at the shops – On one step, say out loud or silently, “Thank and on the next step “You”. The more steps you have to climb, the more you will feel the gratitude for all you have.
7. Thank your money – when you’re out shopping or on the internet, as you pay, silently thank the flow of money and all the abundance around you. When money is coming into your account or you get paid for work, thank the money flowing to you. This is especially helpful for when you have feelings of lack, to shift the energy.
8. Write a thank you letter to your body – take 5 minutes and start with dating your letter and start with “Dear” and just allow the words to flow. Thank your physical body for everything you can enjoy in life, even the parts of your body that may not be feeling that healthy. Without your amazing body, you wouldn’t have the experience of life.
9. Think of 10 things that you can deeply appreciate about yourself – your resilience, your courage, your sense of humour, your creativity. Have fun with it and feel the gratitude for the beauty of who you are.
10. Listen to a gratitude meditation on a regular basis – follow this link or listen below for my gratitude meditation recording. 

5 Top Benefits of Feeling Grateful

And if you need more encouragement for why practising gratitude is so good for you, here are 5 benefits, according to research:

• Gratitude improves relationships.
• Gratitude improves physical and mental health.
• Gratitude enhances empathy and reduces aggression.
• Gratitude helps people sleep better.
• Gratitude improves self-esteem.

If you would like to find out more about how you can start your journey of loving yourself every day and to have a life you feel more and more grateful for, have a look at how I can help here and drop me an email at hello@lizdoyle.net