10 Ways to Feel Grateful Every Day

"Almost daily, new scientific findings are demonstrating the benefits of feeling grateful and expressing it to others.

12 Benefits of Practicing Gratitude in Everyday Life

Here are some of the many benefits that people experience when they leave negativity behind and cultivate an attitude of gratitude:

1. More energy
2. Better sleep
3. Better physical health
4. More enthusiasm
5. A greater sense of optimism
6. Deeper empathy
7. Greater popularity
8. A higher level of success in every realm (professional and academic achievement, money-making, friendship, parenting, relationship-building)
9. Greater resilience, better capacity to overcome setbacks
10. Enhanced mindfulness
11. A deeper sense of contentment
12. More happiness

10 Ways to Incorporate an Attitude of Gratitude Into Your Family’s Life

As with pretty well everything to do with raising children, the best way to encourage your child to have an attitude of gratitude is to have one yourself. That being said, there are also ways to teach your child about the benefits of feeling grateful.

1. Say thank you. Show your child how much you appreciate their presence in your life, as well as what you like about your home, your work, your friends, and whatever else you might feel grateful for. Say thank you to anyone who helps you or enriches your life—the supermarket cashier, the school custodian, the driver who lets you into their lane.
2. Transform entitlement and negativity into gratitude. Negativity corrodes family life, as well as everything else. But, happily, because negativity is a habit of mind, it can be changed. With help, even the grumpiest teenager can become someone with attitudes that others—including their families—can enjoy. A particularly effective approach is to help kids or adults move from a sense of entitlement (which breeds negativity) to one of gratitude.
3. At bedtime, think about today’s gifts. After all the other bedtime routines are done and your child is safely tucked into bed, sit down for a few gentle minutes with them and review what that day has brought that makes each of you happy. Perhaps you’ve had healthy food to eat or you’re glad you have a warm bed to sleep in. Maybe your child did well on a school project and is grateful for a feeling of accomplishment and success. Perhaps you’re feeling better after a cold and are grateful for your good health. Finish by telling your child how grateful you are that they’re in your life. You’ll be tuned in to all the things you love in your child, which will help them sleep more soundly and feel better about themself.

No matter how challenging your life is right now, you can find sources of gratitude. As Oprah Winfrey said, “The single greatest thing you can do to change your life today would be to start being grateful for what you have right now. And the more grateful you are, the more you get.”"

*I know this article is aimed at teaching children gratitude, but I think we can all use a little more gratitude in our lives. These lessons are ones that we can take and learn from as well! Gratitude is one of the most important things we can have in life. It can take our negative mindset and really turn it into a more positive one just by remembering everything we have instead of don't have. Thinking about the things you are grateful for before bed or writing a gratitude journal are just two ways we can practice being more grateful! Can you share with us 3 things you are grateful for today?*

#Gratitude #Positivity #SayByetoNegativity

For the full list of ways to incorporate more gratitude in your life, please refer to Psychology Today.

If you like this article, you may like this one on forgiving yourself!