Anyone want to join me in starting a gratitude practice for 2016?
(And yes I know it is January 4th. It is ok! I give us permission to start on whatever damn day we feel like. Isn’t it fun pissing off the inner perfectionist?)
Last year I started a daily(ish) walking meditation practice and I am STILL hooked. (By the way, walking meditation is just a fancy way of saying that I took a walk, breathed in and out, and paused to express gratitude.) It has become integral to my mental health. I’m more centered, calm, and I certainly yell less at my kid. Win-win-win.
I wasn’t thinking of adding an additional gratitude practice this year…but then I saw Elizabeth Gilbert with her big ol’ jar of gratitude (see below). Sweet Moses, how fun would it be to read through those at the end of the year?!
It got me thinking that there might be other neat ways to practice gratitude. Here is a round up of some simple ideas I came across. As for me? I think I’m going to do a variation of the gratitude jar. Needless to say mine will not be made of glass. (Oh, just imagine how quickly my kid would shatter that lovely jar!)
FUN GRATITUDE PRACTICE IDEAS:
1. Gratitude Garland
Wildfeatherswellness provides instruction for creating a Gratitude Garland. You write thoughts of gratitude, remembrance, inspiration or refelction onto your garland and hang it where you can see it and be reminded of it.
What a beautiful way to remember a loved one or simply make visible the moments that fill your heart.
2. Gratitude Jar, courtesy of Elizabeth Gilbert:
3. Gratitude Journal
Simply write down your thoughts in a journal as you see fit. (I like this one, this one, and the one at left from Raven + Lily, a company that helps employ over 1,500 marginalized women with the goal of alleviating poverty among women.)
Or, if you prefer modern convenience, consider using a gratitude app for your phone!
Any other gratitude practices you want to share? Please feel free to comment below or on Twitter or Facebook.
Ooh, love the simplicity of the walk! I’ll try this. Love the garland, too, but, I know I probably won’t make one!!
I use The Five Minute Journal, which I love. It’s not just used for expressing gratitude, but also for setting daily goals, and other positive things too.
Lovely post. Happy New Year. x
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Thanks so much for the comment! I love the idea of a five minute journal…I came across one when I was looking for gratitude journals online and had never heard of them before. Such a great concept and totally realistic for busy parents too! (Also, I hear you about the garland. Not gonna happen. lol. But still pretty cool!) BTW I LOVE your blog. I really enjoy your posts! 🙂
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Aww, thank you! x
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Gratitude is the right Attitude 😉
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Love it! Yes indeed 🙂
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Love Elizabeth Gilbert. She is so wise. I have heard of doing a gratitude journal, and I started one last year. At first, I wrote in it every night before bed, but it’s slowly become a once a week thing. Nonetheless, I see it on my nightstand and it keeps gratitude at the forefront. Good luck with yours!
Also — your daily walk is such a good idea! I’d love to try it, but I think I need a friend. Writing is something I do alone, so it’d be fun to walk and chatter with someone… I’m going to work on finding that friend this year.
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I love the idea of finding a friend to do the walk with. I totally hear you about finding an activity that isn’t solitary, too. I gravitate toward a lot of activities that nurture my introverted side (writing, yoga) but it isn’t very helpful for making friends! Good luck branching out, I am working on that myself!
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