“Gratitude is a quality similar to electricity: It must be produced and discharged and used up in order to exist at all.”

—William Faulkner

If there was a supplement that has been shown to decrease symptoms of depression, anxiety, pain, disease, and improve mood, sleep, and immunity, would you take it? I would, I’d be looking at Costco to buy it in bulk. The good news is, this supplement does exist and doesn’t require a yearly membership or three low payments of $19.99; however it looks different than adding a packet into your morning smoothie.

Practicing gratitude daily helps override our automatic tendencies to hyper focus on problems and gain some perspective in difficult situations and seasons of life. Gratitude can also be a path we follow to find hope in difficult seasons. Practicing gratitude daily for three weeks develops positive mindset into a habit. After the initial three week period gratitude should still be practiced on a regular basis but can be done less frequently while still gaining the benefits. 

Practicing gratitude can look a lot of different ways. It can be as simple as waking up in the morning and choosing one thing you are grateful for that day. It can also be a conversation you share with a loved one at a meal. One way I have begun to incorporate practicing gratitude with my toddler is by asking her what her favorite part of the day was at bed time, often times what she picks is unexpected and changes my perspective of the day. 

Personally, my go to gratitude exercise was developed by Dr. Altman and is called G.L.A.D. 

G- Something you were grateful for today.

·      Think of something very basic you are grateful for. It could be something as simple as the sunlight or the nourishing food you eat. Write it below. 

·      Now think of something truly important in your life like a meaningful relationship, kids, friends, or your health. Write it below.

L-Something you learned today.

·      Write down something positive you learned about yourself today. It might be something you already knew, but it came into focus today.

·      Write down something you learned about another person today. Again, it might be something you were already aware of, but you were more aware of this quality today.

·      Write down a fact you learned today that made you curious or more aware of the world around you.

·      Write down how something you leaned today changed your perspective of yourself or the world around you in a positive way.

A- One small accomplishment you did today. 

Many people feel that accomplishments have to be a big important tasks, but it’s the little things that make a difference in your life. Perhaps you are working on a goal like exercising more or eating healthier or finding a new job. Small steps towards your goal are important accomplishments.

·      Write down something you accomplished today.

D-Something that brought you delight today.

·      What made you laugh or smile?

·      What small thing of beauty did you see today?  What did you hear today that lifted your spirits? A song? A child’s voice? A joke?

-Lexi Weimer, LLC