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Gratitude: The Quickest Way to Boost your Mood

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When you arise in the morning, give thanks for the morning light, for your life and strength. Give thanks for your food and the joy of living. If you find no reason for giving thanks, the fault lies in yourself – Tecumseh, Shawnee Native American Leader

One of the quickest ways to welcome more happiness and optimism into your life is to practice gratitude. Gratitude is a feeling we experience by noticing, and being thankful for, the blessings in our life. It can greatly transform our overall feelings of well-being. People who regularly practice gratitude experience better physical and mental health. We cannot experience negative emotion if we are feeling thankful. Gratitude is accompanied by feelings of peace and joy; it has the potential to change our thoughts from lack to abundance.

Anyone can adopt a practice of gratitude. At first it may feel uncomfortable, even insincere, but overtime it becomes easier and much more natural. What we focus on expands, and when we choose to notice our blessings we find more things to be thankful for. You can instantly experience more gratitude in this moment by appreciating the simple things that so many of us take for granted. Appreciate the fresh water that you drink, the warmth of the sun, the air that you breathe. Notice small acts of kindness, like someone holding the door for you, or buying your morning coffee. Practice looking people in the eye and genuinely saying “thank you”. Be specific in your praise. Something as simple as saying to a waitress “thank you for your great service” will help boost their mood as well as your own. Take note of how the feeling of gratitude affects your body. Where do you feel gratitude? What thoughts strongly evoke feelings of gratitude? Practice these thoughts often.

Beginning and ending your day with a gratitude practice will evoke feelings of peace and joy. In the morning, before you get out of bed, take time to be grateful for the day ahead. Be thankful for the fun day at work, or the interesting conversation with a friend. Saying thank you in advance helps to set a positive tone for the day. So often people dread getting out of bed because they are worried about the things that might go wrong throughout the day; instead, practice being grateful for things going smoothly. At the end of each day, when you are lying in bed, think of the best thing that happened that day and say “thank you”. Often times people use the time before bed to reflect on what went wrong throughout their day; what someone said to offend them, how they were disrespected, lied too, etc. Or people spend the time mentally preparing a to-do list for tomorrow. Using this time to reflect on what you are grateful for will help you fall asleep in a positive state of mind.

Gratitude is a way of approaching life. It is a choice we make to focus on the good in each day. Post a list of blessings in your room, and choose to look at it often. Carry a list of blessings in your purse or pocket and look at it when you are feeling down. When we are thankful for what we have, we make room for more good things to come into our experience.

Life Lessons In Disguise

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When things are going well, it is easy to remain optimistic. We need only look around to observe the good in our lives. The challenge is remaining positive during difficult times, finding meaning in life’s obstacles. When we are faced with hardships, it is easy to become overwhelmed and question, “Why me?” or “What have I done to deserve this?” But what if there is something valuable to be gained in these challenging times? What if hardships provide us with invaluable lessons that make us stronger, wiser, and enable us to grow emotionally and spiritually? Often, perceived mistakes become our biggest blessings and a difficult situation our greatest opportunity for growth.

The question then becomes, “How do I keep the faith during challenging times?” “How do I trust that perceived mistakes can be blessings in disguise?” An important first step is believing there is a greater order and purpose to life than we see in the present moment, having faith in a higher power, and trusting that the universe or God can help us make peace with difficult times. Believing there is an ebb and flow to life can help us appreciate the “good” and the “bad” and see the value in both. A second step we can take is practicing self-care. When we are feeling down, we often turn to comfort foods and neglect our workout program when this is precisely the time we would benefit the most from looking after ourselves. Make sure you are getting adequate rest and exercise and eating a healthy diet; your body needs the extra care and love. Lastly, adopting a mindset of gratitude can be transformative. It shifts our focus from what has gone wrong to everything that is going right. If we expand our definition of gratitude, we may find ourselves becoming grateful for life’s challenges.

If you are able to keep the faith during difficult times, you will be able to look back on your life and appreciate the lessons, and even the many blessings, that are present in all your experiences. Perhaps losing your job encouraged you to start your own business and pursue what you are passionate about. The loss of a relationship led you to look within and learn more about yourself and what you want from life. The death of a loved one led you to explore your spiritual beliefs and come to an understanding that we are more than our physical bodies.
In order to receive these important life lessons, we must be open-minded, not get so wrapped up in our current situation that we fail to see the possibilities that surround us, challenge our definition of what it means to live a meaningful life, and understand that within every experience there is a life transforming lesson we can choose to receive.

Connect with the Spirit of your Inner Child

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Fotolia_5492051_Subscription_LEach of us has an inner child who is longing to come out and play; to laugh, be silly, have fun and enjoy life. Our inner child is the curious, fun-loving part of our personality that seeks spontaneity and adventure. It wants to explore all that life has to offer with an open mind and heart. It knows how to have fun for the sake of having fun. Our inner child unapologetically embraces who we are, perceived flaws and all. When you connect with the spirit of your inner child healing takes place, leaving more room for joy, peace, and fun in your life.

One of the best ways to connect with your inner child is to do the things you are passionate about. So often the things we care about the most get pushed aside as we get swept up in our daily to-do lists packed with things we feel we have to do, instead of want to do. Become very clear about what matters most to you and make an effort to have your daily activities be a reflection of these things. Start taking note of the activities and people who put a smile on your face and fill your heart with joy. Notice the times when you are feeling at your best; what are you thinking? What are you doing? Who are the people around you?

To truly make your inner child smile it can be helpful to reflect on the things you enjoyed doing during childhood. What were your favorite activities? Did you have an imaginary friend? What toys did you like to play with? What games were you drawn toward? It can also be helpful to reflect on your childhood dreams. Did you envision yourself as an artist creating breathtaking paintings for the world to see? Did you imagine yourself as a teacher sharing your knowledge and wisdom with others? Childhood dreams may be expressed differently today but there are still ways to honor them. For instance, if you wanted to be a singer you could join a choir or go to karaoke. If you had dreams of becoming an actress you could take an acting class, or try out for a local play. Looking over childhood pictures can help trigger memories of things you enjoyed doing. Thinking back to these earlier years can provide insight into things you may still enjoy today but have not made time for.

So what stops us from letting our inner child play? Often we feel we need to hold ourselves back. We remain composed, serious, and ‘adult-like.’ Or we get so weighed down in the demands of daily life that there seems to be no room for fun. It is true that we have daily responsibilities and at times we need to step into our adult shoes, but it does not mean that we need to leave our inner child behind. Allowing our childlike spirit to shine through makes us more open-minded, joyful, creative, and productive. It can even make our daily routine seem more interesting. Through the eyes of a child everything is a new, exciting adventure, full of possibilities. Every situation is made more enjoyable with a little imagination.

When you allow your inner child to shine through you will see the world with new eyes; eyes of love, positivity, and joy. Give your inner child the love and approval that it is longing for by making sure your self-talk is supportive and encouraging, honoring the unique, beautiful person that you are. Don’t take yourself so seriously. Be silly, laugh, and have fun. Let the spirit of your inner child shine through in all that you do and your daily life will be transformed in many magical, fun ways.

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