Welcome to another MondayMotivator, the weekly newsletter that kickstarts your thinking. Every Monday, I email you with thoughts on Life, the Universe and the issues I’m struggling with or thinking about. This week I’m writing about 1) the importance of gratitude, 2) recognising times are tough and 3) how being grateful helps me sleep.
I’m also trying out a new format. Let me know what you think by hitting reply.
Let’s go!
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What is gratitude?
It’s very simple. Gratitude is a genuine appreciation of what we already have.
I’ve been practising being grateful for several years now. It’s a part of my sleep routine I always do and enjoy the exercise. It only takes a moment and I have journals full of the things I am grateful for now. And notes on my phone which is where I write them now.
When material things appear to be your only goals it can be hard to believe that you’re grateful for what you have.
This has been an issue for me. And I’ve written about what drives us before because it is different for all of us, and that’s ok. I only realised it was ok this year and was able to convey that to the doubters.
Gratitude is a powerful exercise. It anchors us to the present moment and is so simple to do.
Now, I know that in our fast-paced lives when shit is piling on around us or where at a funeral or worried about our future. Practising gratitude isn’t going to be easy and that’s ok. It might even seem like a luxury to slow down. Time we can’t afford to take.
However, research has shown, and there is a lot if you do a search for it, gratitude is good for you and your brain.
Research has shown that gratitude increases empathy, makes us less materialistic and envy other people. You won’t feel the need to ‘keep up with the Jones’ as it were.
As I mentioned earlier it can help you sleep better. It works for me. I write three things I am grateful for each night before getting into bed. I use the notes app on my phone these days. I write the date and then, “Today I am grateful for…”, and the three things that pop into my mind. Sometimes I might have made a note of something extra-ordinary that happened during the day so I can note it down too.
It’s easy to practice gratitude when you’re sitting where you are or out and about walking. You can pause and appreciate where you are right now or someone you’re thankful for. Or you can look around you and be grateful for the clean air, the sun or the rain or anything else that gets your attention.
I saw a 30 Day Challenge recently I thought would be useful to share. If you’re keen to see results you could take this 30 Day Challenge (https://www.melbournechildpsychology.com.au/blog/importance-grateful/) and see what effect it has on your life.
I want to recognise it’s been a tough year and for some, it’s still tough so I know being grateful is going to be hard. You know what though if you have your health, your friends and family, you woke up this morning and the sun is somewhere in the sky, shit ain’t all bad and it’s a great time to be grateful.
Have a great week.
Glenn