3 Simple Exercises To Flood Your Life With Gratitude

Here are 3 simple exercises which can help you start flooding your life with gratitude and so magnetise more success and happiness – once you start practicing, it all starts to snowball and you will soon find more and more things to be grateful for.

1. 30 days to a appreciating yourself and releasing negativity. Firstly, create a daily “focus switch”. Each morning for 30 days, think of one thing you appreciate about yourself. Come up with something new each day. Some people may find this easy and others may struggle to find anything at all. Open your mind, it doesn’t matter how small or seemingly insignificant it may be. It could be that you appreciate your perfectly straight nose, it could be your proficiency at step aerobics, your quirky sense of humour, perhaps your problem-solving ability, or your listening skills; or your love of gardening or animals. Any thing about you that generates good feelings for you. If you don’t believe that you will find 30 things to appreciate about yourself, well, find them anyway. Now, every time you think about something that is currently concerning you, causing you stress, fear or anxiety, stop thinking about it immediately and start thinking about your “focus switch” for the day. Stay focused on it until your mood changes and you have let go of your concern. Stay with your daily “focus switch” for the full 24 hours – don’t chop and change and think you might have come up with something better – save it for tomorrow. There is a reason you chose what you did, so stay with it. Think about your daily “focus switch” throughout that day, even when you’re not feeling concerned or fearful, and keep this up every day, with a new one each day, for the full 30 days. Think about it as often as you can, whenever you remember. Your concentration on appreciation for yourself will help break your negative habits faster than you can imagine.

2. The quick fix. Spend up to five minutes daily, weekly or even just monthly thinking about all the things you are grateful for. It is important that this exercise remains a pleasurable experience, so do it as often as you like but don’t let it become a chore. Start by thinking about the things you are grateful for within yourself – your health, your freedom, your knowledge and skills, what you have achieved, the choices you are able to make. Start to expand outwards and think about the people and things around you, your family, your closest friends, your pets, your workmates, and let your imagination dwell on all the things you are most grateful to them for. Think about all the situations and opportunities you feel thankful for, the knowledge and technology that makes your life easier, the beauty of nature, all the wonders and magic in your world. No morsel of thankfulness is too small to acknowledge. Saturate your mind with the delicious warmth of feeing sincere, heartfelt gratitude. Stay in this feeling for a few minutes then open your eyes and carry this feeling with you throughout your day. Speak your gratitude out loud if you feel inspired to do so.

3. Be thankful to everyone around you, all the time. Create a habit of expressing gratitude. Notice things that others do that are helpful, thoughtful, or selfless. Even seemingly minor acts are worthy of a smile and a sincere thank you. Express your thanks with feeling. Take a few moments at least once a week to write a quick note or card to thank someone who has done something kind or generous or has done something that has especially moved you. Send notes to thank people who have inspired you in some way. A few sentences are enough. It is preferable to hand write these notes rather than sending an email or making a phone call as this is a truly personal note for them to hold on to and treasure. You will be spreading a tangible example of positive energy. Don’t have an expectation of getting something in return – the act of expressing your appreciation is its own reward.