Five Easy Ways you can Incorporate Gratitude into your Family Life

1. Gratitude Journal

Each day, either first thing in the morning or before bed, write down five things you are grateful for. Like I do, try not to re-use items and be specific. Say: “I am grateful for this beautiful sunny day because it makes me feel good,” and not, “I am grateful the sun is shining.”

2. Write Thank You Notes

Drop an email to someone who helped you at work, or to the teacher that goes the extra mile. Maybe even send an actual letter (gasp!) to a business that provided you with great service.

3. Make a habit of Paying Compliments

Make sure that you say something nice to someone every day. This will take a while (typically 21 days or so) to establish the habit, but it will make you feel better and brighten someone else’s day.

4. Challenge yourself to a No Complaining week

The inverse side of gratitude is complaining, so if we eliminate some of the time we spend whining, then we free up time to focus on more positive things. Complaining is a default status for many of us. We do it without even realizing it, and it simply creates a negative cycle. Challenge yourself to resist the urge to complain for one week. Employ the old, “If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all,” advice. (Was that Bambi or Thumper’s mother that said that?)

5. When bad things happen, remind yourself of the good

All too often, but it’s our reaction to negative events that dictates how quickly we bounce back. Remind yourself that this is only temporary and that you have overcome enormous challenges in the past and you WILL bounce back. If possible, try to see the lesson being offered by the difficult circumstance.

First and foremost, be nice to yourself. As they say, wherever you go, there you are and we need to be mindful of how we talk to ourselves. It’s hard to be grateful for anything if we speak unkindly to ourselves. There is good in you and in the world. Seek it out and reap the benefits!