As Thanksgiving approaches, we turn to gratitude. There is a whole body of research showing how practicing gratitude regularly and gratitude journaling supports our mental health and well-being. At the same time, I hear this a lot:
When I ask myself, "What am I grateful for?" I have the same answers - my health, my family, my partner. It gets old, and then I fall off the practice.
You are not alone. It can feel repetitive, and then we lose motivation to keep up the gratitude practice.
So, here are three tips for keeping the simple, but powerful, "What am I grateful for?" fresh every day, so every time you ask, "What am I grateful for?" you are renewed with gratitude and nourished in mind, heart, and spirit.
1. Be specific
Say you journal, "I am grateful for my partner." Be specific. Go deeper. What is something about your partner you are grateful for? How does that something about them impact you?
Say you write, "I'm grateful for my health." Be specific. What is one healthy, or healed, or healing part of your body or mind that you are grateful for? How does this area of your health impact you?
From me, for example: "I'm grateful for the way my partner laughs with his whole body. He doesn't smile much, so when he laughs, it feels like a victory and it's so contagious. It fills me with joy and time stops when he laughs."
2. Journal about specific experiences
Journaling about experiences you are grateful for never gets old, because you always have new - and old - experiences to draw from.
At the end of the day, for instance, you can journal about one experience - big or small - from your day you are grateful for. Maybe it was a challenge you overcame. Maybe it was a moment of connection with someone. Maybe it was something you learned. Maybe it was some support you received. Maybe it was the hot shower you took.
As you journal about the experience, go deep. What was it? How did it make you feel? What did you gain from it? What did you learn from it? How do you feel now as you write about it?
As we think about gratitude during Thanksgiving, you can reflect back on your year - what are some experiences from your year you can be grateful for?
3. Use your five senses
Another way to get specific is to use your fives sense in practicing gratitude. Consider the prompts:
Right now, I am grateful that I see...
I am grateful that I hear...
I am grateful that I smell...
I am grateful that I taste...
I am grateful that I feel...
From me, for example, in my gratitude journaling: "As I look up from my laptop, I am grateful that I see the mix of red orange leaves and bare branches that reassure me that change is natural. I am grateful that I can feel the soft fur on my cat. It brings me comfort I can count on every day."
The main thing is: Be specific. Go deeper.
By being specific, we can always draw on something to feel the nourishing affects of gratitude and gratitude journaling. By going deeper, we also learn about ourselves - what matters to us and what serves us, further supporting our wellness practice.
Explore our wellness journals, including our Custom Wellness Journals where you can add gratitude journaling prompts and our Lil Gratitude Journal!
With love,
Alina
You are worthy of your wellness
How to get more from "I'm grateful for..."
Posted by Alina Liao on