How To Make Gratitude A Daily Habit

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“When you are grateful, fear disappears and abundance appears.” – Anthony Robbins.

It’s sometimes the simple things in life that make me smile. The other day my son went for a walk with his dad and brought me back flowers from the garden. It’s the simple things in life, the sweetness of his thoughtfulness that brings me joy. What are you grateful for? The quickest way to shift your mindset, to elevate your mood and feel more joy is to focus on gratitude and to make a habit of being grateful.

One of the best ways to show thankfulness on a daily basis is to keep a gratitude journal. Start by focusing on 5 things that you are grateful for each day. I do this every day. If you start journaling what you are grateful for then within 30 days you will see that you’ll be more inclined to focus on even more of what you’re grateful for which eventually will completely shift your perspective to more moments that bring you joy. A gratitude practice trains the brain to be more in tune with experiencing gratitude, allowing more to be grateful for. There is growing research that shows that dopamine is released when a person expresses gratitude. Counting your blessings takes very little time, and the benefits are so powerful.

SEE ALSO: 5 Telltale Signs That Help Us Wake Up To Wisdom

The following are just some of the numerous benefits of keeping a gratitude journal and making it a daily habit:

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1. Decreases stress
2. Improves self-esteem
3. Buffers people from depression
4. Creates a positive mindset
5. Helps you sleep better
6. Makes you happier
7. Helps you focus on what really matters
8. Improves relationships
9. Creates more satisfaction in life
10. Lowers cellular inflammation

You have so much to be grateful for. What we choose to focus on expands even more. If you commit to writing in a gratitude journal every day for at least the next 30-66 days, you’ll give your brain an opportunity to form new neural pathways leaning towards more thoughts of gratitude. It takes on average 66 days to form a new habit. Every time we think a grateful thought and focus on the cup as half full we are creating new neural pathways in the brain and forming the habit of gratitude.

Every day I practice writing down 5 things that I am grateful for and it has completely elevated my mindset, energy, and perspective in life. It has allowed me to remember what is going well, despite stressors in life and in the world. I put what I am grateful for in the notes section of my iPhone because it’s much easier for me to make note of it, but if your prefer you can put pen to paper and use a journal. I typically write down what I am grateful for in the evening but as I come across things during the day that I’m grateful for I also make a note of it in my phone. It’s much easier because it’s always near me.

If you aren’t in the habit of practicing daily gratitude, I promise you it will become easier! Eventually, anything can become a habit that you will not want to live without. Take note of the simple things in life: such as getting a good night’s sleep, the smile on your child’s face, or making a nice meal. Eventually, the practice of gratitude will become so automatic, such an ingrained part of your mindset, and such a great way to lift your mood that you won’t want to stop doing it.

Once the practice of gratitude becomes a habit and you start focusing on the cup as half full you’ll be so glad because this shift in your mindset will bring you such incredible joy! Willie Nelson said, “When I started counting my blessings, my whole life turned around”. How great it is to have an incredibly powerful yet simple tool such as the practice of gratitude to create a buffer against negativity and stress in our lives. Our thoughts create our reality and the practice of daily gratitude will help your whole life change. It did for mine.