Start Your Day With Gratefulness (Day 4 of 30 of the Happiness Challenge)

Today’s topic is gratefulness.

This is all about appreciating all the good things that are in our lives…

…And what better way to set ourselves up for the day then thinking about all the things we are thankful for.

It can just set the whole tone of the day…

When we think about being grateful for the good stuff it puts our focus on positive things, which in turn contributes to our overall happiness.

Put in another way, choosing to spend a few minutes first thing in the morning thinking about what we are thankful for can improve our mood and sometimes last the whole day long.

This habit doesn’t take a lot of time and is definitely worth pursuing as one of the methods to feel happier in general,

Ideas to Think About

So, as you wake up, or if you are like me after a cup of tea or coffee to kickstart the brain, think about all the things and people you are grateful for.

Or events that happened the day before that made you smile, or something good that you anticipate happening today. It can be really small things, like having a warm and comfortable be to sleep in, or that hot drink as it slides warmness down your throat and prepares you for the day.

Or think about the people in your life (online and off) - it could be parents, grandparents, significant other, kids, friends, acquaintances, a boss that employs you and what it is about them that makes you grateful.

It is important to consider online friends here, although you haven’t met them and may or may not ever meet them, you can form firm bonds and though not in the flesh, we are still all real people.

If you are struggling to find something, take a look around you - the sun beginning to perk up the day or the rain that will help flowers grow, your comfy chair, Ithe birds or the trees, your faithful cat or dog, or hamster.

No matter what your circumstances now is, even if it’s far from ideal, there must be something about it that is good, even if its just the fact you have a roof over your head.

Make Gratitude a Part of Your Morning Ritual…

You can make this grateful exercise a part of your morning ritual by focusing on it, doing it the same time every morning and ideally in the same place each morning (it could even be in the bathroom if that helps you remember).

Doing this will make it a habit and this is the main goal for this method, that it becomes a practice that becomes automatically effortless and you do it without thinking.

When you get to that point, just this simple act will have a huge impact on how content you feel.

So please do try it out for a few weeks and take note of how this little exercise of gratitude changes your outlook. I think you will be pleasantly surprised.

Then when it becomes a habit, it will be something that you don’t want to miss out on as your brain will automatically find opportunities to acknowledge all the good things in your life.

I would suggest thinking of 3 to 5 things each day. If you feel like challenging yourself, make it something different everyday, but only after you have got into the swing of it.

What My Week Might Look Like

Sun:

• Lie in cos no football
• My lovely cozy bed
• Morning cuddle with my daughters

Mon:

• Anticipating morning message from a friend on Discord make me smile
• Enough money for food till end of month
• Easydex for conversations that always raise a smile

Tues:

• Time to myself while girls at school
• Remembering how my ribs ached after laughing so much rollarblading with the girls
• Grateful for roof over my head

Wed:

• Looking forward to chicken curry for dinner
• Really enjoyed my first cup of tea
• Happy I can work from home

Thurs:

• Looking forward to coffee with a good friend
• All the awesome rains on the Crypto Coins Discord Server
• I’m grateful to Mark Manson for writing “The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck”

Fri:

• Looking forward to that fruit cider in the fridge
• Proud of myself as I went to local meet up yesterday, even though really shy
• I’m grateful for Steemit, Whaleshares, Weku and all the future blockchain social media I will get involved with (like EasyLife).

Sat:

• For my Dad taking my daughter to an away match
• Looking forward to good soak in bath
• Grateful to able to make videos and photos of family moments

Previous Days

Day 1 of 30 of the Happiness Challenge: How Happiness Is A Choice You Can Make Daily
Day 2 of 30 of the Happiness Challenge: Make Happiness Your Best Friend
Day 3 of 30 of the Happiness Challenge: Start Your Day With Gratefulness