Maintaining a Mindset of Gratitude
This time of year can be challenging for many people. Seasonal depression, the colder weather, constant reminders of what has been lost, family gatherings or lack thereof… whatever it is you find hard about this season, we understand. Maintaining your mental health is always a priority, but even more so within these last few months of the year.
One of our favorite ways to pull ourselves out from a funk is to spend some time focusing on GRATITUDE. This is more than just a “focus on the good stuff” mantra. It is a mindset that, with practice, can help you maintain long term positivity that is great for both your mind and body.
An Attitude of Gratitude
Gratitude is the art of truly being thankful for what you have and understanding that the challenges you face can ultimately lead to positive growth. Even though life can be overwhelmingly difficult at times, obstacles you overcome help you evolve as a human. The lasting effects of those tough times and how you evolve is all about your attitude and how you choose to perceive your experiences.
“Life will give you the experience most helpful for the evolution of your consciousness. How do you know this is the experience you need? Because this is the experience you are having at this moment.” - Eckert Tolle
You get to choose if those experiences create a better version of you or if those challenges overshadow other positive aspects of your life. Without oversimplifying how hard things can be, we want to encourage you to make an effort to maintain a grateful and positive attitude. Focusing on gratitude has long been accepted as a foundation of happiness. Even when it is hard, happiness is something you choose and daily gratitude can help you get there.
Gratitude as a Daily Practice
Having a gratitude practice that is utilized in your daily life can help you maintain a long term mindset of positivity and wellness. When you make a habit of expressing gratitude, you will find that your mind begins to focus on the good without effort. All it takes is adding a daily gratitude exercise to your life and you will slowly start to see how remaining grateful is an easy and natural pattern for your brain to latch on to. Here are some methods of expressing daily gratitude that can help you maintain a more positive outlook:
- Journaling - Get a Gratitude Journal or even just a plain notebook to use for daily reflection. Write about positive elements of your life and how those aspects have an impact on you and the lives of the people you care about.
- Goal Setting - Make a list of future goals. Focusing on achieving in the future can help you stay encouraged and hopeful.
- Notice Good Things - Make a conscious effort each day to notice something good happening around you. Take note that good can be found in things you might otherwise perceive as mundane or commonplace.
- Guided Meditations - Spending a few minutes each day meditating can calm your mind and clear the unnecessary clutter that can cloud your ability to see the good.
- Good Deeds - Doing something nice for someone feels good! It can also release those good brain chemicals we are all chasing - dopamine, serotonin and oxytocin all help you feel more stable, calm, and happy.
The Magic of Gratitude
Getting into the habit of gratitude has a proven positive effect on many aspects of life beyond just your mental health. Yes, it is amazing for reducing toxic emotions and emphasizing positive ones, but it can also help you…
- Develop better relationships and maintain connections
- Improve physical health - studies show that grateful people experience less inflammation, pain, and illness.
- Reduce aggression and enhance empathy
- Sleep better
- Improve your self esteem
- Increase mental speed and agility
- Improve spiritual energy for positive manifesting
Gratitude really is like a vitamin for your mind and body. We encourage you to start practicing daily gratitude and take advantage of all of the benefits it has to offer. When you improve your mind and body with the energy of gratitude, we are sure you will find more opportunities coming your way. We would love to hear about your experience with maintaining a grateful energy. Join our community on Instagram!
