Friday, September 4, 2015

Stress Management Practice #3: Be Grateful

“Joy is what happens to us when we allow ourselves to recognize how good things really are.” Marianne Williamson

My final stress management suggestion is to incorporate a daily gratitude practice. I often find myself dwelling on everything that is going wrong in my life, especially when I am overwhelmed. In these times, I find it really hard to look for the good in my life and to be grateful for all that I have. I would therefore like to encourage you to develop a gratitude practice. There are many ways to do this (just google “gratitude practice” for other ideas), but my favorite is to keep a gratitude journal. Every night before going to sleep write down three things from the day that you are grateful for. For example, today I am grateful for an awesome yoga class, my sweet cats that love to snuggle, and my laptop that makes it so easy to get work done anywhere! This doesn’t have to be some deep, spiritual type journal (unless that makes you happy). It is simply a way to ensure we are regularly recognizing how many good things we really do have in our lives.

Click HERE to download a pretty and simple way to record what you are thankful for. Print out as many copies as you like. If you don’t have time to write these things down, don’t worry, just take a moment to reflect on three things you are grateful for that day or even share it with your partner, friend, or a family member. You will be amazed at how much smaller your worries get when you take the time to be truly thankful for all of the good things in your life.

Let me know how it goes! 

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