Starting the Week by Practicing Gratitude

Happy Monday! How was everyone’s weekend? Some of the highlights of mine included shopping for autumnal decorations for the apartment (really into fall right now if you can’t tell) and taking an insane 90 minute dance class that was a total blast.

I’m not the best dancer at ALL, but I couldn’t help but feel 1. exhausted and 2. grateful after taking the class. Why grateful? Because gratitude is something that has been on my mind a lot lately. I’m trying to journal more as part of my daily routine, one part which consists of writing down what you are grateful for.

Starting the Week by Practicing Gratitude

There are so many surprising benefits to journaling – cultivating self awareness, boosting creativity, helping with memory, and keeping track of goals. Of course, all habits take time to build. One habit I heard time after time to add to my routine is journaling.

Here’s why and how you should keep a gratitude journal:

Journaling is an incredibly personal activity that looks very different for everyone. How much and what I write depends largely on my mood and current emotional and mental state. My boyfriend suggested The Five Minute Journal as a way to ease into journaling. I love this journal because it is clean and organized, and already has the various sections I need to fill in every day laid out for me. Oh, and it only takes five minutes a day (sometimes less!).

My favorite part to fill out everyday is the section on gratitude. I’d like to think that I don’t take things for granted and focus only on my problems, but the truth is ever since I started practicing gratitude on a daily basis, I’ve noticed a shift in my mentality and mindset. It’s so easy to do – there’s no right or wrong answer, it’s just what you’re grateful for that day, in the moment.

It doesn’t have to consist of the most profound thoughts you’ve ever had. But the simple act of writing down three things a day you’re grateful for can help improve your overall well being and happiness. Think about how often we compare ourselves to others or take what we have for granted. Oftentimes it isn’t until something unfortunate happens or we see something in the world that triggers certain emotions that we stop to appreciate what we have.

So yesterday, the three things I chose to be grateful for were looked something like this:

1. Having the physical ability to run and move freely for 90 minutes.
2. Surrounding myself with people that lift me up and inspire me – especially good friends, which can be hard to find.
3. A weekend to myself with my dog that allowed us to bond and spend lots of time together.

Today, I am grateful for:

1. New beginnings at work – a new opportunity to learn and grow.
2. Having a platform that allows me to reach others with my message and connect with them in ways I never thought would be possible.
3. Coffee. Because it’s Monday.

Practicing gratitude allows you to focus on the positive in your life, realize even the negative is not always so bad, and that there’s always more to be grateful for. Each new day is a new opportunity to reflect. I’m so happy I started this exercise and have found it has really helped me approach every day more positively. Even when I’m having a bad day, stopping for five minutes to think of three things I’m grateful for allows me to pause.

“When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.” < one of my favorite quotes, and so true! 

And yes, I know it’s officially fall – but it still feels like summer and I’m holding onto every last sun soaked day I can. Wearing a two piece set by one of my all time favorite brands, Spell.

Have a wonderful week everyone!

PS – If you’re loving these more

xx, Amy