PERSONAL GROWTH STRATEGIES & STORIES
Practice Gratitude For 30 Days — And See Your Life Change
A 30-day plan to rewire your mind & reframe your life
Life is chaotic. As simple as that.
The more we grow, the more complicated it becomes. With this ever-increasing chaos, it’s easy to get bogged down. It’s easy to start feeling stressed and discontent. I was no different. But a method changed my mindset and eventually changed my mind.
It’s as simple as starting or ending the day with a five-minute exercise. The exercise is — “Be grateful for 10 things that happened to you today”
That doesn’t work for you, does it?
You might be thinking, 10 good things didn’t happen to me today. Once you start looking, you might find that more than ten good things happened to you. Some of these are micro-moments, some are stuff we got used to and some are bigger. On most days, we won’t have bigger things to be grateful for. But that’s the beauty of this exercise. It teaches us to observe and be happy for all good things — big and small.
For example, you might have had a great breakfast. Check. You went to the bus station and didn’t have to wait to get on. Check. You got a good seat. Check. You had enough time after work to take a long bath. Check. You had a fun call with a friend for 20 minutes. Check. The list goes on.
Why do you find it hard to do?
Initially, it might seem forced and even hard to do. Like building any muscle or creating any habit, there will be initial inertia. That’s completely fine. With daily practicing, you will start seeing the present much better.
The benefits
- There’s a saying that goes-We are what we eat. If we eat healthily, we stay healthy. If we eat junk food too much, our health deteriorates. Similarly, negative thoughts are junk for our minds. Positive thoughts and gratefulness fill up our minds with positive feelings. It makes our minds healthier.
- Gratefulness helps us refocus our life from negatives to positives. Yes, there are many problems. But there are as many opportunities as well. Gratefulness teaches us to start looking for them.
- We also learn to appreciate people and our surroundings more. This exercise stops us from taking anything for granted. Once you are grateful for a small thing you start to value that more.
- It lets you stay in the present. We often spend too much time pondering about the past or wondering about the future. Once you start being grateful for the present, you will automatically start appreciating the current day more. That is one of the key elements of being happy in life.
Final thoughts
Psychologists say that gratitude brings in selflessness, spirituality, and empathy and eventually leads to true happiness. Its benefits span across better physical and mental health, pain management, and even sleep regulation.
It might seem difficult in the beginning. But continue this practice for 30 days, and you will see your life changing before your eyes.
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