Am I grateful enough? Have heard of people practising gratitude, but never knew how to start? Learn quick and easy steps on how to practise gratitude as part of your everyday routine.
After having a baby and enduring a lockdown for what seems to have lasted the better part of a year, I have been stuck in my thoughts and wondering where to go from here…
I always thought I was a positive person and would acknowledge what I was thankful for, or so I thought. But recently my mood has certainly taken a bit of a hit, leaving me questioning all manner of things :
What will make me happy?
What path I should pursue?
Am I doing all the wrong things in motherhood?
Should I invest time and energy into other things?
That’s just on the inside, not to mention the outside world’s problems…adding further despair! Don’t get me wrong, I know how lucky I am and privileged…but no matter how much I tell myself that – the uncertain feelings wont go away.
I looked at many ways I could help my mood, cramming as much productivity into the day as I could. Keeping busy is a good thing to do, right?
Then I stopped. It occurred to me I was always looking ahead, planning the next thing, and it was becoming exhausting. So instead of looking ahead, I looked back. I reflected on moments, and that really was the best place to start. Leading me to think – Am I grateful enough?
I Am Grateful Enough. Why Should I Practise Gratitude?
Are you creative, or maybe looking for a new direction ? Perhaps you’ve had a baby and it has brought up insecure feelings you didn’t think you had – leaving you more confused than ever?
Becoming a mother is definitely a tough gig, especially if you have no family nearby to help. There’s so much that can affect your worries and make you feel like you are going around in a circle – never getting off the ride.
Before anything….First thing’s first – get rest!
Make sure you are getting enough sleep. I know that’s all very well for me to say. But don’t rush this, try to get shut eye whenever you can. I finally got some sleep after my baby was 8 months old. It’s amazing what a little more rest does, it can bring you out from under that heavy cloud and allow you to finally think.
OK! So you got some sleep? Good on you!
So you may be like me and know you want to pursue something different, whether it be you want to start a new job after maternity leave or just explore a new creative you. My first recommendation is to get yourself a gratitude journal.
I can hear the inward groan from over here, my lovely! No seriously, I did this and saw a difference in my mood. I started to implement ways to practise gratitude in my everyday routine.
Why Should I Do Gratitude Journaling?
Practising gratitude makes the brain reflect on your happy moments for each day. It also helps you to seek out happy moments for the future, no matter how small they are. Everything counts here! There’s a science behind practising gratitude, with many studies showing the improvement in people’s mood to even the quality of their sleep! Gratitude journaling not only can make you feel better when you are writing them down but it can continue to have positive lasting effects on the brain.
So for something that takes very little time to do each day, and with a happy outcome to your mental health – I’d say it’s most certainly worth it.
How Do I Begin To Be More Grateful?
I recommend getting a notebook especially to record your gratitude. This is important so all your happy reflections are all in one place….and not mixed in with your ‘to do lists” – oh hell no!
If you can, I’d say have a beautiful notebook/journal that you are happy to look at, so everyday when you reach out for it – you already feel good.
Then all you need to do is write down three things you are grateful for.
But I don’t know what I’m grateful for? I hear you say.
Anything my lovely, just anything that makes your heart swell…even just a little bit:
“I saw bluebells pop up this morning in my garden, spring is on the way”
“My baby giggled like crazy when I tickled his neck, he brings such joy into my day”
“I love my new mug, it holds lots of coffee, which obviously makes me happy”
Gratitude Journal Everyday
It really can be as simple as that! I tried this for over a week and it pulled me out of whatever funk I was in. And the best thing I noticed, was even after I wrote down my gratitude moments, I found myself reflecting on more throughout the day.
Gratitude journaling is not a step by step process on what you should do to achieve happiness. Do what feels right for you, you can note even more moments of gratitude.
Or note down what had happened with your whole day, recollecting the special moments…
Or find a quote you like about happiness…
Whatever you want!
Enjoy the process, it’s only a small part of your day which has lasting effects. Good luck, I hope you practise gratitude everyday and love it like I do!
CG
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