10 Ways to Celebrate National Gratitude Month
November is National Gratitude Month.
It encourages us to embrace the power of gratitude which is more than simply saying “thank you”. Gratitude is about putting our attention towards the positive rather than the negative. When we do that, we help improve our physical and mental well-being making us more focused and productive.
Here are ten ways you can celebrate National Gratitude Month:
Make a Gratitude List
When you start to experience gratitude, make a gratitude list. You can jot down five things that you’re grateful for each day. This will help you keep a more grateful attitude in general by focusing on the positive things in your life, you’ll have more energy, patience, and inner peace; all which can be directed towards achieving your goals.
Tell someone how much you appreciate them
Your family, friends, coworkers, partners, sponsors, advocate; they are all special. So tell them so. Tell them how much you appreciate them in person or via a handwritten note. They will appreciate it.
Be thankful for what you have
Having a grateful heart allows you to have more compassion for others and more love and compassion for yourself. It also empowers you to grow and learn and support your needs. Focus on the things for which you are grateful and remember that the things that go wrong don’t define you.
Set an intention for the day
If you have intentions for each day, you’ll be more likely to complete them. The first intention is to be kind to yourself and recognize that if you want something, you have to be willing to do what it takes.
Compliment someone on their strengths
Complimenting someone’s strength is a great way to show that you admire the person for his or her character. Resilience and strength makes people feel they are equipped to handle the stressors in their lives and that they are able to take on difficult tasks and see them through.
Practice mindful eating
One of the ways you can practice mindful eating is to focus on the flavor of your food. When you take a few seconds to savor the taste of your meal, you will be more satisfied and will eat less.
Volunteer your time to give back to others
Another way to put our focus on the positive is by volunteering or dedicating your valuable time to a cause you feel strongly about. Advocate for it and help change lives for the better, maybe even save them.
Focus on the good
Every night before you go to bed, write down 3 good things that happened to you that day. This will help shift your perspective by concentrating on your positive moments in the day which helps to increase your overall happiness. It will also help you sleep better.
Live in the present
As we start to take our focus off of the past and the future and we focus on the here and now, we can be grateful for the lives we live today, as well as the lives we will have tomorrow.
Appreciate the little things
Rise and shine with a great cup of coffee, attend an inspiring talk or schedule in your lunch break to appreciate the things that make you smile every day. It’s the little things that can easily go unrecognized so take some time to focus on them.
“Cultivate the habit of being grateful for every good thing that comes to you, and to give thanks continuously. And because all things have contributed to your advancement, you should include all things in your gratitude.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson
