5 Gratitude Habits That Will Change Your Life
Do you wake up some mornings feeling down, unhappy because you’re not where you think you should be in life? Do you wish you could just pick up, move, and start over in a different town?
If you are feeling this way, don’t worry; there is nothing wrong with you. We all get down on ourselves and we are our own worst critics. The good news is; we don’t have to let negative thoughts dominate our thoughts. And we don’t have to move to another town or make a pile of money in order be happy.
We can be happy right where we’re at and where we are in this present moment. It all comes down to mindset and how we choose to look at our situations. Practicing gratitude daily and living a life of gratitude for everything we’re given, even in times of hardship, will transform us.
Here are 5 gratitude habits that will change your life.
Writing
Writing is therapy, whether you’re writing a novel, a Medium article, or an entry in your journal. Sometimes — or I should say, more often than not these days — we need some form of escape; a means to escape from reality if only for a small slice of time in a day.
That can entail pouring all of your thoughts and heartaches onto the pages of your journal, or living them through a fictional character you’ve created.
2. Prayer and Meditation
Never underestimate the power of prayer. There is nothing more comforting than knowing that there is a higher power who is with us and who only wants the best for us. He gives us peace of mind, and through him, are we able to change our mindset and our thought processes.
3. Express Yourself
It’s perfectly normal to experience sadness and anger when faced with a sudden loss or other difficult situation in life. It’s not okay though to swallow your emotions and pretend that everything is okay. Because it’s not. Feigning positivity will only hurt you and damage your close relationships in the long run.
Do know that it’s okay to cry and it’s okay to be vulnerable. That’s what good friends are for. A true friend will lend you a shoulder to cry on and he/she will lend an ear for you to express your feelings.
When we express ourselves, we allow ourselves to genuinely feel and we provide an outlet for our emotions. In doing so, we build stronger coping skills. And when we are better able to cope with any challenge life throws at us, we are better able to express gratitude.
4. Find the Silver Lining in Life’s Challenges
Having a positive outlook on life and having faith that everything will work out well is important to our mental health. It’s our hopes, our dreams, and our goals that keeps us moving forward in this life.
Yes, it’s much easier said than done when life or other people knock us down. At the same time, though, it’s important to acknowledge that suffering is a part of living and life can’t be good all of the time. It just doesn’t work that way. However, if you make an effort to find the silver lining in life’s challenges, you will become a stronger and happier person.
For example, instead of saying, “I hate being single. It’s so hard!”, turn it around and say something like this: “Being single has its challenges for sure, but I have good friends and I am not lonely. I do get out and have fun.”
5. Embrace Change
As difficult and painful as it can be, change is a part of living. No one person or circumstance stays the same forever as much as we’d like it to sometimes.
When change is sudden, upending our plans and goals, the best thing we can do for ourselves is to let go and let God. Trust that things will work out well in the end. Be grateful for all the good things that we do have. Acknowledge how hard the change might be, but see it as an opportunity to pursue better things and embrace it.
A Takeaway
When you make these 5 habits your daily routine, you will be better able to cope when the going in life gets rough and you will be able see the silver lining in the clouds of life’s storms. This is what will lead you to a life full of gratitude and happiness. Just remember though; it’s not possible to feel happy all the time. In fact, it is completely unrealistic. It’s perfectly okay to feel sad and angry at times. It’s all a part of being human.