It’s hard to focus on the good stuff, especially if things feel stressful and out of your control at home, work, school, or in your social life. The trouble with fixating only on the negative is that we miss out on seeing the things that are working. This small shift in our attention, even if just for five minutes, can be enough to change our mood for the better and up our motivation for life in general. One way we can shift our attention from what’s not working to what is, is to practice gratitude.Science tells us that gratitude is one of the strengths most strongly linked to satisfaction and happiness.
Exercise
Think about someone you’re grateful for. Maybe someone covered a shift for you when you had an appointment or lent you some money for the vending machine. Or maybe you’re grateful for a supportive friend or a kind neighbour who brings your rubbish bin in. Write this person down and why you’re grateful for them.
Now, your challenge is to tell this person that you appreciate them. You could send them a text or make a note to tell them the next time you see them. A simple, ‘Hey, I really appreciate you as a friend; I just wanted to let you know that’, is more than fine.
Final thought
Gratitude is a powerful tool for improving your mood. When much of your life might feel outside of your control, a simple expression of gratitude is a small, pro-active thing you can do right now to take back some control and shift your attention away from what’s not working, to all that is.
Exercise
Think about someone you’re grateful for. Maybe someone covered a shift for you when you had an appointment or lent you some money for the vending machine. Or maybe you’re grateful for a supportive friend or a kind neighbour who brings your rubbish bin in. Write this person down and why you’re grateful for them.
Now, your challenge is to tell this person that you appreciate them. You could send them a text or make a note to tell them the next time you see them. A simple, ‘Hey, I really appreciate you as a friend; I just wanted to let you know that’, is more than fine.
Final thought
Gratitude is a powerful tool for improving your mood. When much of your life might feel outside of your control, a simple expression of gratitude is a small, pro-active thing you can do right now to take back some control and shift your attention away from what’s not working, to all that is.
