Gratitude Meditations & Other Ideas for Practice

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SKjCL-s__d8

Gratitude has a myriad of benefits:

• less stress

• less anxiety

• reduced depression

• better sleep

• improved relationships

• heart health

Gratitude isn't something that some people are born with and other people don't have. But, gratitude IS something that some people practice -- and therefore have. To practice gratitude means to consciously articulate (aloud, in writing, or just in your head) what you are thankful for.

Several meditations for practicing gratitude can be found at this playlist on the One Small Stone YouTube channel. And/or you can practice gratitude by:

• writing a list

  • (I make a list of 10 things that I'm grateful for every night before bed. Sometimes the lists are very repetitive. Sometimes I'm surprised by what comes up. I can't say for sure, but I do think the practice has shifted what I see - and I know for certain that I enjoy the feeling of gratitude as I make the list.)

• saying a list in your own head

  • (Maybe you do this when you wake up, when you brush your teeth, while you make your coffee -- some moment in your day where you already have a habit of doing something and you can tack on the new habit of practicing gratitude.)

• going around the table and naming one thing out loud before a meal

  • (This can be a nice way of building gratitude AND connection. And, you may find yourself with extra gratitude -- vicariously being thankful for what others share.)

• any other practice that allows you to conciously articulate what you are grateful for. I'd love to hear what you do!