Begin Your Day With Feeling Grateful

Let’s talk about Gratefulness. Gratefulness is all about appreciating the good things in our lives. Starting your day by thinking about all the things you have to be grateful for is a great way to set the tone. Practicing gratefulness makes you focus on all the good and pleasant things in your life and that, in turn, starts to improve your overall happiness.

Gratefulness

So, here’s the deal. Spending a few minutes early in the morning thinking about what you are grateful for, can improve your mood and your feeling of being happy for the entire day. I’ve done it, I’ve helped others do it, and it works! This is definitely something well worth digging into, and in addition you don’t have to spend a lot of time on it.

As you are waking up, or while you’re sitting at your kitchen table sipping your first cup of coffee or tea,  think about all the things and people you are thankful and grateful for. I like to do this before I even get out of bed in the morning. Focus your mind on anything positive that has happened the day before, or that you anticipate happening today.

You can be grateful for the smallest of things as well.  When everything fell apart in my life, I woke up and was thankful that the sun was shining. You can wake up and be grateful that you have a warm and comfortable bed to sleep in. I’m  always grateful for the delicious  cup of coffee that I look forward to in the morning, and having some dark chocolate at the end of the day.  Think about the people in your life that you are grateful for ~ family, friends, colleagues, people in an organization you volunteer at, etc.  Think about something good about all the important people in your life. You can choose one each day to be thankful for if that helps. 

Look Around You to Experience More Gratefulness

Another option is to just look around you. I am so grateful for nature ~ I enjoy looking at lush greenery, and of course beautiful flowers. You can look at your sunny kitchen, or the trees and shrubbery that you can see outside your window. No matter what your living situation is right now, I’m sure you can think of things about it you are grateful for, even if it isn’t your ideal living space (I can attest to this).

Make this grateful exercise part of your morning ritual. Focusing on it, and practicing it at roughly the same time each morning and, if possible, in a similar setting, will help you form a habit. And that’s the goal for the long run. You want to be able to practice being grateful effortlessly and without having to think about it. Getting to that point alone will have a huge impact on how happy and content you feel from here on out. Give it a try for a few weeks and take note of how your mental outlook changes by simply adding this little exercise of gratitude in the mornings. Before long, you will do it automatically and won’t want to miss this opportunity to acknowledge all the good things in your life.

You’ll also want to read our article and listen to one of our Podcasts here.   I spoke about how developing an Attitude of Gratitude can Change your Life. It works, so why not start today?

Have you joined our 30 Days to Happiness yet?  Click here to join  our Movement and be sure to introduce it to friends and family who would benefit from a Daily Dose of Happiness each and every day.