The Power of Positivity: How to Cultivate Gratitude Every Day
Practising gratitude, when done little and often, can create huge changes in your life. Many successful leaders across the world have spoken time and time again about the value of gratitude; for the perspective shift it has given them, and in turn, the optimistic, joyful reality they have experienced.
Gratitude can come in many forms; it’s how we show our loved ones that they’re appreciated, the ways that we consider the wonders of the world around us, the compassion we show for ourselves. It’s an incredibly powerful practice that when cultivated daily, can really shift the view you have over your life and those around you.
How to practice gratitude
There are a number of ways that you can bring gratitude into your daily routine. Making a habit of it is something that will take time and effort to start with, but will ultimately become a part of you and how you think. Here are some of the ways that you can cultivate gratitude every day:
Journal
Taking up journaling can be beneficial to your life in so many ways; from clearing your head of tangled thoughts to incorporating a mindful approach to practising gratitude.
Morning or night, whatever works for your schedule, try to open your journal and just write 3 things you’re grateful for. These can be small things that happened in the day, to bigger, life-affirming things that we all experience. The point is, to be mindful of something good that is in your life.
In her book, Manifest, Roxi Nafousi talks about the Three Categories of Gratitude: Gratitude for the self, Gratitude for your life and Gratitude for the world. She explains: “Some days you might find that, in the midst of particularly intense feeling of fear, sadness or anger, you are unable to feel gratitude for yourself or for the things in your life. If you are struggling to feel grateful for your own life today, focus on your gratitude for something universal. Just remember: there is always something to be grateful for, if you take the time to focus on it.”
Try to commit to this practice for a couple of weeks, and when you’ve completed it, take a look back at all of your entries. You will be astounded at all of the wonderful things in your life that would usually pass you by, had you not taken the time to focus on them.
Meditation
Meditation is an extremely powerful practice, one that we at The Positive Label can personally attest to the wonderful benefits it brings to our peace of mind, perspective and overall mental wellbeing.
There are so many meditations that are focused on practising gratitude and you can easily find these on YouTube. Taking the time in your day, even if it’s just for 5 minutes, to be guided through one of these practices. Rather than thinking negatively (which we often naturally do, without meaning to), we are actively choosing to switch our thoughts to a more grateful perspective. After all, you cannot be worried about the future or past, if you are being grateful for your present.
Small acts of kindness
Considering the things that we often take for granted, like having a roof over our head, dinner on the table, access to a bank account and a job, can be transformative to the way we see the world and our lives. By helping those who aren’t in the same position, we, in turn, can recognise the positivity of our own situation.
This could look like donating to or volunteering for a local charity, calling an elderly person or relative who is often lonely, buying some food for a homeless person, reaching out to a friend who you know has been having a hard time.
These small acts of kindness create a more grateful perspective for our own lives - where we realise the (often quite wonderful) situation we are in.
Wear your values
At The Positive Label, we believe that the clothes we wear embody who we are, and reflect our values and aspirations.
Our Gratitude Attitude Sweatshirt is designed to remind you to cherish the little things, and experience life through a grateful mindset, all while looking good and feeling extra cosy.
With 10% of our profits donated to The Donkey Sanctuary, we are also committed to giving back to supporting initiatives that do wonderful work for the animals and communities that need them.
Cultivating gratitude, every day
No matter how you practice your gratitude, the importance is your commitment to the practice. With just 3 grateful thoughts every day, you will shift your perspective and start to see a more positive world.
How do you bring gratitude into your daily routine? We love to hear your ideas!