Cultivating a habit of gratitude
In our last blog post: ‘Gratitude Changes Everything’, we talked about the power of gratitude to shift our mood and energy, and some simple ways that teacher’s can bring gratitude into the classroom.
As we know, cultivating a habit or mindset of gratitude takes time and practice.
Our human mind is prone to search for the negativity in our lives. It’s actually the way our human brains are hard-wired; looking for danger, preparing for the worst, is how we have survived as a species when dangers of being eaten by a prey existed. But, times have changed.
One of my favourite mindset mantras is ‘What you think affects how you feel'“
When our thoughts are consumed with negativity, it directly affects our emotional state. Our brain doesn’t discern between whether it is just a ‘thought’ or a real present time danger. The chemical reactions in our body respond the same.
If we can notice times when we are thinking negative thoughts, and turn this around… it changes our body response and the way we feel and act.
Gratitude is the key.
Let’s take an example. Remember a time when you were angry or upset. Remember the thoughts you were having. Why were you angry? What had happened? Feel how your body responds even now to just thinking about it again.
Our brain is triggered by the thoughts we have about this situation, even days, months or years about it has occurred. We may start to feel the agitation again just by our thoughts.
Now, turn your attention to someone in your life you are grateful for. It could be a friend, a family member, someone at work. Think about why you are grateful for them. How have they made an impact in your life? What are their great qualities? Feel how your body responds to thinking about them.
Notice the difference to how your body feels… just by the different thoughts we hold. Paying attention to your thoughts is vital if we want to hold a state of positivity or peace.
Turning our attention to gratitude in times of challenge
When we are facing challenging times (or people) in our lives, it can very difficult to keep a focus on gratitude. We can get consumed by the negative thoughts and emotions of the situation. This is where developing a habit of practicing gratitude really helps.
Beginning a regular practice of turning your attention to the positive things in your life, the people you love, the opportunities you have… just takes a few moments.
One of the most popular and effective ways of cultivating a habit of gratitude is to keep a gratitude journal. Each day, whether its first thing in the morning or last thing at night (or both), take a minute or two to turn your attention towards gratitude.
When we become strongly grounded in the focus on gratitude, we may find we are even able to feel gratitude in times of challenge. After all, every challenge teaches us something about ourselves and our growth points. Being able to hold a sense of gratitude in these times is very empowering.
First steps are to practice gratitude when things aren’t too challenging. Make it a daily habit.
Resources to support a habit of Gratitude
In collaboration with Megabyte Designs, we have now created a range of gratitude journals for adults and kids.
To see our full range of journals go to our Amazon Author page HERE
With much gratitude
Jan Carey,
Director, Centre for Mindful Education