The Importance of gratitude
When asked if grateful, most people affirm that they are. But when asked, what do you do to actively practice it? Everyone usually comes up blank. Over the years I have learned that gratitude is a skill like any other that needs to be practiced in order to feel its benefits. Well at least for those of us in recovery that appears to be true. Often heard in the recovery circles “gratitude is an action word” because the benefits of its practice are immeasurable when it comes to making lasting changes to our mental health, ego deflation, relationships, and overall happiness. Not just in recovery but in the mental health field, it is widely understood that making this a part of your life’s routine is a game-changer. Some of the most successful and well-rounded people on the planet like Oprah Winfrey, Brene Brown, and Wayne Dyer, etc. encourage the use of daily gratitude to aid improved health. This is a very important part of my work as an addiction counselor, in addition to my own daily living. So clearly I saw an opportunity to share with everyone some fun and creative ways to practice gratitude.
#1 List Em’
Okay maybe this isn’t all that creative, but I am sure you could add some flare to it. Write down every morning or night a number of things that you are grateful for and make it a regular habit. If you want panache then maybe do it in fancy ink, calligraphy, or maybe spray paint, Banksy style. (Anderson Recovery Concepts does not condone vandalism. LOL)
#2 Anchor Away
Create an anchor in your life that reminds you to think of things you’re grateful for. Pick something that you do often enough to make it worthwhile. So if you drive a lot, maybe set an intention to state something that you’re grateful for every time to get in the car, or flick a light switch, check your email, etc. This can also help you to slow down impulsive behaviour by drawing attention to it.
#3 Pocket It
Made famous in the movie The Secret, Lee Browen explains how he uses a gratitude rock that he carries around in his pocket. Every time he touches the rock he thinks of things he is grateful for. He does this when he puts it in his pocket in the morning and then when he empties them at night, To take this to the next level try it with a multitude of coins, marbles, or crystals. Throughout the day try to transfer them from one pocket to the other while attaching gratitude to each transplant.
#4 Let the World Know
Many of us spend a fair amount of time on our Facebook or Instagram on any given day. Why not practice sharing the things we are grateful for with the world. Intentional post pictures, share links, or comment on a post with the forethought of gratitude, Check out those hashtags of #gratitude too.
#5 Pray
This is definitely nothing new and not for everyone. However, it should be noted that this is an easy and impactful way to count your blessing. Set aside sometime in the morning, night, or before a meal to bring light to the wonderous things in life we often forget.
#6 Make It a People Thing
We tend to gravitate towards “things” or objects when we start listing our gratitudes. Why not make the focus on people and their qualities? I am grateful for Mom’s love, Dad’s integrity, Joe’s passion, and Sally’s courage. Then if you want to take it to the next level, actually tell that person. Don’t forget about strangers and service people. I am grateful for that servers attentiveness, or that nice man who just let me into traffic while driving.
#7 Paint, Draw, or Sculpt
Take your time and create the likeness of something you are forever grateful for. While in the midst of this creation be sure to sit in the feeling of gratitude. Not only while working on it, but when in its presence. I believe that inanimate objects can carry the energy we impregnate them with. Who doesn’t want that feeling in their home?
#8 Alpha-graties
This is a new one for me. One that I fell instantly in love with when I heard it. Practice going through the alphabet naming something you’re grateful for that begins with each letter, I tried it right away and found it to be actually quite entertaining. Remember to have some forgiveness with the X’s and Z’s. ;) Or you can pick one letter a day and find as many things as you can that begin with that letter. There is a free PDF at the bottom of the page for you to download.
#9 Self Gratitude
Many of us struggle with self-esteem or self-respect from time to time. Even the idea of saying nice things about ourselves can be cringe-worthy. So what better way to build confidence and practice gratitude than to list the things about ourselves, our lives, and experiences that we are thankful for. This is also a fantastic tool to help you reframe some of the negative situations in your life. “I am grateful for my resiliency to deal with that tough situation”, “I am so happy that I can laugh about that now”, or “I am grateful for my courage and strength”. Keep in mind that these are for you and don’t need to be shared.
#10 Sofa King Grateful
At the end of every day, a vast majority of us come home to complete some of our never-ending household tasks and responsibilities. Followed by making our way to the sofa for the evening. What better time to practice gratitude than before turning on Netflix for the night? Get the family involved and make a game of this. Ask everyone to share gratitude for the day and take moment to celebrate each other as a group. Then just for fun, whoever has the best gratitude gets to pick the snack or the show you’re all going to watch, They are then crowned the Sofa King or Queen. However, king sounds so much funnier. ;) ;)
