Uncommon Gratitude
“Small seeds of gratitude will produce a harvest of hope” (Anonymous). With Thanksgiving right around the corner, it seems like the perfect time to focus on gratitude as a coping skill. Beyond savoring a feast with loved ones, there’s a reason gratitude seems to be a buzzword lately. It actually is one of the best combatants of depression.
Gratitude is an extremely powerful mindfulness tool because it helps us focus on the present and see what is there to be thankful for, instead of what isn’t there. Just imagine what would happen if we allowed ourselves to bring our attention to the people, accomplishments, and things we currently have instead of focusing on what’s missing, or what we think we “should” have or have done. This takes practice though; daily, frequent practice to retrain our brains to focus on the good instead of the negative. That means being grateful the other 364 days of the year!
Here are some uncommon prompts to help you get started on, or expand on your gratitude practice:
Feel the sun on your face and be thankful for the heat of the sun.
Heat a cup of water for some tea and be thankful for the microwave, the cup, the warm tea.
During your workout, give thanks for your strength and your body.
Name a person you are grateful to have in your life.
Recall your favorite memory and express gratitude for the experience.
Feel the softness of your bed or favorite cozy spot and be grateful for its comfort.
Snuggle your pet and feel the gratitude for their presence.
For you fellow shoe lovers, wear your favorite pair and send gratitude to yourself for your style, or for working hard for the money to buy them!
Look out the window and look for any signs of nature you can see (trees, clouds, birds). Appreciate its power or beauty.
Put one of your best skills to use and acknowledge yourself for this skill.
Try taking mental notes of little things like these at first. Better yet, write them down to give yourself something to look back on when your mood is low. This type of gratitude practice is helpful when you may be thinking “there is nothing to be thankful for”. Give it a few weeks and then be grateful for your own grateful heart!
