The Gratitude Attitude

You might remember an article where I spoke about the importance of living in the present and learning to worry less about the future and/or the past.

What I didn’t go into, and I will now, is what techniques can be used to help when you start to notice the mindset shifting past the here and now. I understand that we all live busy lives and it would be almost impossible to meditate for 5 hours a day, but there are certain things you can do to focus on the present…

Simple Awareness

Ask yourself if your current thought process is necessary and helpful? For example you might be reading this on your way to work or in the evening maybe stressed about what work will bring that day or the next. What is that going to achieve for you right now other than taking you away from the present and enjoyment you could be experiencing with your partner, friends or some downtime by yourself? Whether you spend the day stressing about it or happy and carefree the work will still be there in the morning regardless.

Write a Gratitude Journal

Learning to be grateful for what you already have is the simplest way to experience gratitude. Although it might seem a little goofy, writing a gratitude journal is a great way to do this. Studies have traced a range of impressive benefits to the simple act of writing down the things for which we’re grateful—benefits including better sleep, fewer symptoms of illness, and more happiness.

How to Write a Gratitude Journal:

In many of the studies, people are simply instructed to record five things they experienced in the past week for which they’re grateful for. The entries are supposed to be brief—just a single sentence—and they range from the mundane (waking up) to the sublime (friends generosity) to the timeless.

Don’t just go through the motions. You must make the conscious decision to become happier and more grateful!
Go for depth over breadth. Elaborating in detail about a particular thing for which you’re grateful carries more benefits than a superficial list of many things
Get personal. Focusing on people has more of an impact than focusing on things for which you are grateful.
Try subtraction, not just addition. Reflect on what your life would be like without certain things, rather than just tallying up all those good things.
Remember surprises. Try to record events that were unexpected or surprising, as these tend to elicit stronger levels of gratitude.
Don’t overdo it. Writing occasionally (once or twice per week) is more beneficial than daily journaling.

Remember the Bad

Sounds horrible right? But remembering the bad times you have experienced will help you see how far you have come. Seeing how large the contrast is will help you to ground yourself into how much you have to be grateful for in the present.

Make a Vow to Practice Gratitude

Research shows that making an oath to perform a behaviour increases the likelihood that the action will be executed. Therefore, write your own gratitude vow, which could be as simple as “I vow to think of one thing I am grateful for a day,” and post it somewhere where you will be reminded of it every day.

Watch this Ted Talk

I am a great fan of Ted Talks, I have attached a link to a Ted Talk by Guy Winch, where he points out how we tend to beat ourselves up when we get rejected or make a mistake. It’s a useless habit that often only makes things worse. One suggestion he made was to be more impartial about analysing your mistakes so you don’t make them again. But he also suggested gratitude: instead of focusing on why you got turned down, think about the ways in which life is still good. This puts you back in the driver’s seat.

We'll go to the doctor when we feel flu-ish or a nagging pain. So why don't we see a health professional when we feel emotional pain: guilt, loss, loneliness? Too many of us deal with common psychological-health issues on our own, says Guy Winch. But we don't have to.

So take a deep breath, take a second to appreciate everything good in your life RIGHT THIS SECOND