Gratitude is one of those things everyone says is good for you, and most of us keep up for about four days. Then the journal ends up in a drawer.
What helped me was making it small, specific, and tied to something I already do.
Attach it to your morning coffee
A new habit needs a home. Pick something you do every day without thinking, like making coffee, brushing your teeth or starting the car. Do your gratitude right after. Five minutes is plenty. One minute is fine to begin.
Write three things, and be specific
My family is nice, but it slides right past the heart. Try this instead: my son laughed at my bad joke at dinner. Specific details make you feel it again. They also train your eyes to notice good things during the day, because you know you will be writing them down tonight.
Count the small stuff
Hot water. A green light. A stranger who held the door. When we only count the big things, we feel grateful maybe three times a year. The small things are always there, waiting to be counted.
Say it to someone
Gratitude doubles when you share it. Send one line to someone: I am thankful for you, and here is why. It takes under a minute and lifts two people at once. If you want help finding the words, try the Make Someone’s Day page.
What about the days you do not feel thankful
Some days it is hard. Write one anyway. Maybe it is just I got through today, or I have a roof over my head. You are not lying to yourself. You are choosing where to point your attention, and over time that choice changes how a day feels.
Try it for seven days. Same time, same place, three specific things. At the end of the week, read your list back. You may be surprised how much good was already there.
Phil
