Gratitude

by Lizzy Walheim 

Take five minutes to start your day with gratitude. 

Step 1. 

Keep a journal right next to your bed.

Step 2. 

Take five minutes to write down three things you are grateful for when you wake up. (It can be something little or deep, just something you appreciate in your life).

Step 3. 

Write down three things that would make today great.

Step 4.

Write down one daily affirmation. “I am…” (strong, beautiful, capable, etc.)

And just like that, you’re ready to start the day. Simple as that!

This is the simplest, most effective thing you can do every day to be happier. It’s been proven that shifting your focus to positive aspects of your life can dramatically improve your happiness. However, the key to this happiness is consistency. Hold yourself accountable to take these five minutes every morning before doing anything else, no excuses. This consistency will allow you to receive all of the great benefits this exercise offers.

Gratitude can be defined as “the experience of counting one’s blessings.” There is always something to be grateful for everyday. These blessings can often be overlooked with the chaos of our daily lives. 

Being grateful for being able to walk, see, and speak. 

Being grateful for your favorite shirt, your favorite joke, or the clouds in the sky that day. 

These are the things that seem so simple, but we cannot imagine living our lives without them. Being grateful for things that have not happened yet is also a way to manifest happiness in your life. Acknowledge what sparks a sense of excitement or appreciation inside of you- the things that make you smile. A 2003 study by Emmons and McCullough found that keeping a daily gratitude journal leads to better sleep, reductions of physical pain, a greater sense of well-being, and a better ability to handle change. Writing your gratitude can be the key to happiness in your life. Wake up and enter each day with a positive mindset. That positivity surrounding this act will be expressed in the rest of our actions that day. 

Find the good, embrace it, and then spread it. 

Use this as a tool to positively change your life. Be in charge of your own happiness and have fun!