Living in Gratitude

Part of our inner well being comes from appreciating the people and things around us but often we get so caught up in the chaos of our lives that we can’t see outside of our own misery. When life isn’t going our way we often close ourselves down to the world around us, become skeptical, pessimistic and negative, trapping ourselves in a self imposed storm bubble. It is not easy to get out of our bubble once we’ve created it. Sometimes we’ve been in this state for so long we don’t even realize we’re in it. So how do you get out? How do you prevent it from happening?

Be Grateful Everyday!

Being grateful everyday is HUGE for our mental health and happiness. It changes our focus and challenges us to look outside ourselves and see things in a different perspective. With practice, even in your darkest moments you will be able to find something to be grateful for.

The Sun Rises. The Sun Sets.

It’s no coincidence that in many of my posts, I use a lot of photos with sunrises and sunsets . I use the constant of the sun rising and setting as my daily reminder and queue to take a few minutes to be grateful. Give it a try!

Start your day by taking a moment to look out the window and appreciate something, whether it's the sunrise, birds chirping, or recalling a funny memory. Inviting positive thoughts into your mind can help set a positive tone for the day.

In the evening, after a hectic day, take a few moments to reflect. Ask yourself questions like “what positive things happened today?” and “what can I look forward to tomorrow?”. This practice can help you start and end your day on a positive note, and with time, it can guide you through challenging days, as it does for me.

Sometimes, even with the sunrise/sunset method, I have tough days where it's hard to find anything positive and I get stuck in my head. On these days, I either look for distractions or talk to someone that will let me vent. Some of the distractions I use are; I listen to music, watch funny shows, silly videos, inspiring Ted talks, or smile at strangers, which makes me feel better when they smile back. By the end of the day, I'm grateful for the distraction or person, and it helps me reset, refocus, and end my day on a positive note.

What are some of the strategies you use to stay positive?