Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend.
– Melody Beattie
A Recipe for Gratitude
We wouldn’t walk into a kitchen for the first time and expect to make the perfect pumpkin torte, right? We have to start small (think chocolate chip cookies) and build our skills through regular practice. The same goes for your gratitude practice. Here is a simple recipe to get you started:
Ingredients:
Notice: Pause to pay close attention to the moments when good things happen. Who are you with? How do you feel in your heart? What do you notice in the rest of your body?
- Add in a daily reminder to notice and say aloud/to yourself, 3 things you’re grateful for.
- Start a gratitude journal. It can be blank or one that offers you prompts to practice gratitude.
- Create a gratitude ritual. This can be alone or around a table before meals with your family. Get others involved to help you in your practice.
Savor: Now that you have started noticing who and what you are grateful for and the moments that spark feelings of gratitude, enjoy them! How does it actually feel to feel gratitude? Express that feeling with words. Say it out loud if you can, something like, “this moment feels really special” or “This is a such great feeling.” When we express our positive feelings to ourselves or to others verbally, we are more likely (and easily) to notice them again in the future.
Share it with others: Once you’ve noticed and savored the moments of gratitude you experience, you’re ready to share it! We all know how incredible it feels when someone shows gratitude for something we do for them, or how we treat them. We sometimes forget to actually express our thanks and how someone’s kindness makes us feel. Here are a few ways to work on this:
- Share appreciation to people who show you kindness. Some quick phrases to start with are:
- “That meant so much to me, thank you.”
- “It was really thoughtful of you to…”
- “I really appreciate when you…”
- Pass that kindness on.
- Kindness is contagious so “pay it forward” to create an environment around you where good and kind things happen and are shared. Notice how you feel when you do this.
- Write it down.
- Sometimes sharing aloud how we feel can take some getting used to. As you build your practice of expression you can start by writing.
- Send a text of thanks or appreciation to someone.
- Write a letter and mail it to someone you appreciate.
- Slip a thoughtful note into a loved ones work bag/backpack/etc. to share your thanks.
- Sometimes sharing aloud how we feel can take some getting used to. As you build your practice of expression you can start by writing.
Like any recipe, gratitude has to be practiced and expressed often to see and feel the progress. Start small and build on what you create, noticing how you feel along the way. We guarantee this recipe will yield regular doses of positivity, joy and gratitude when practiced often.
Wishing you well in your healing journey,
