Just as millions of snowflakes pile up to create a
blanket of snow, the ‘thank you’s’ we say pile up and fall gently upon one
another until, in our hearts and minds, we are adrift in gratitude. ~Daphne
Rose Kingman
Getting back to normality takes time when you’ve
been on holiday just as getting back on track does if you’ve had a break, that’s
why I’m taking it one meal at a time, if I try to plan the week I will end up
overwhelmed by it all which is why I like the idea of being able to do F&H
just for a day at a time, the idea of doing it for an entire week used to fill
me with dread but I can manage a day.
This time of year can make us feel a little down,
it’s cold, dark and most of us are skint with Christmas on it’s way, the
majority of us have just received our last pay packed prior to Christmas and it’s
not usually a good feeling, so I find looking at the positives helps
enormously. Adopting an attitude of
appreciation towards the good things in your life makes an enormous difference
to your level of happiness. People who consciously attempt to be thankful and
appreciative tend to feel happier to a greater extent than others.
According to research people who practice some form of conscious gratitude exercised more regularly, were healthier, slept better and felt more optimistic. They also made more progress towards personal goals and were more alert, enthusiastic and could handle stress more effectively – I’ll have a bit of that thank you!
Some people are naturally more optimistic and
positive than others, and some studies suggest that, to a certain degree, our
genes determine happiness. However, even the most pessimistic of souls can
develop a more optimistic and happier mindset with gentle and persistent
practice. Here are some ideas for feeling happier and more at peace.
Be careful when you make comparisons
It’s natural to compare ourselves with others, and many of us tend to compare ourselves with those who are better off. Of course, we all encounter problems and obstacles every day, but most of them are trivial compared with the problems many people experience. We all know that people experience serious illness, live constantly with great pain or relentless hunger; there are people who never had an education, who can’t read or write, people who have been abused or who have no family. The list, of course, is almost endless.
Is the glass half empty or half full? Of course, there are people who are more successful, wealthier, have a ‘better’ job, etc., and it is easy to be envious of them. But there are so many others who are worse off than ourselves, so why not focus on how fortunate we are? Feelings of envy are corrosive and can cause great damage to your happiness and self esteem, so choosing the right comparisons is important.
It’s natural to compare ourselves with others, and many of us tend to compare ourselves with those who are better off. Of course, we all encounter problems and obstacles every day, but most of them are trivial compared with the problems many people experience. We all know that people experience serious illness, live constantly with great pain or relentless hunger; there are people who never had an education, who can’t read or write, people who have been abused or who have no family. The list, of course, is almost endless.
Is the glass half empty or half full? Of course, there are people who are more successful, wealthier, have a ‘better’ job, etc., and it is easy to be envious of them. But there are so many others who are worse off than ourselves, so why not focus on how fortunate we are? Feelings of envy are corrosive and can cause great damage to your happiness and self esteem, so choosing the right comparisons is important.
Be more conscious about the things we take for
granted
Many of the things we should be thankful for get forgotten because we are so used to them, and it is only when we lose them that we remember how fortunate we were. Don’t wait until something’s gone before you are grateful – your sight, your health, your family – take some time to appreciate these wonderful things. As daft as it sounds I’ve always seen Facebook as a negative taking up my time and slowing my work down, whilst away last week (when I couldn’t access it) I realised it also has the positive that it helps me stay in touch with friends and family in a way that I couldn’t if it wasn’t there.
Many of the things we should be thankful for get forgotten because we are so used to them, and it is only when we lose them that we remember how fortunate we were. Don’t wait until something’s gone before you are grateful – your sight, your health, your family – take some time to appreciate these wonderful things. As daft as it sounds I’ve always seen Facebook as a negative taking up my time and slowing my work down, whilst away last week (when I couldn’t access it) I realised it also has the positive that it helps me stay in touch with friends and family in a way that I couldn’t if it wasn’t there.
See the good in every situation
Situations are rarely ‘all good’ or ‘all bad.’ These are, to a large extent, labels we put on situations whereas, in reality, it is our response to the situations that determines what kind of experience it is. Even in the most apparently awful situation, we can derive some benefit if we have the right mindset. I think most people would agree that growth and development usually involves some degree of pain, and so challenging situations are opportunities for such growth.
Keep a gratitude journal
This is something very concrete you can do to ensure that gratitude is a conscious and regular part of your day or week. Making a list of the good things in our life can be a wonderful experience. Although we might not think we have much to be grateful for, when we start writing, it becomes clear that we do have a lot going for us. At the end of the day, why not take ten minutes to list a few of the good things that happened during the day? You will end up with a record of things you are grateful for which it will be very helpful to read in times of stress or unhappiness.
Situations are rarely ‘all good’ or ‘all bad.’ These are, to a large extent, labels we put on situations whereas, in reality, it is our response to the situations that determines what kind of experience it is. Even in the most apparently awful situation, we can derive some benefit if we have the right mindset. I think most people would agree that growth and development usually involves some degree of pain, and so challenging situations are opportunities for such growth.
Keep a gratitude journal
This is something very concrete you can do to ensure that gratitude is a conscious and regular part of your day or week. Making a list of the good things in our life can be a wonderful experience. Although we might not think we have much to be grateful for, when we start writing, it becomes clear that we do have a lot going for us. At the end of the day, why not take ten minutes to list a few of the good things that happened during the day? You will end up with a record of things you are grateful for which it will be very helpful to read in times of stress or unhappiness.
Little things matter
A dripping tap soon fills a bucket until it is
overflowing. The same is true of anything in life, and developing appreciation
is no different. Appreciating the many small things in your day will lead to
greater and greater levels of gratitude and happiness. When someone smiles at
you, when you receive a small complement, when the bus is on time, when a
friend sends you a nice text message… these are all things to be thankful for.
As with all things, success requires persistence. A
little bit of gratitude every day can, over time, make a big difference to our
level of happiness and well being.
On that note, I’m grateful I’m running behind
because at least I had the energy to get out of bed this morning ‘-) Have a
fabulous day!
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