With Thanksgiving right around the corner, I thought it would be appropriate to do a post on gratitude. I was thinking a lot today about how challenging this year has been for me, and how, at the same time, there is so much I feel especially grateful for this year. I know sometimes I feel  guilty that if I focus on or make space for the negative and tough things in life, then I am not really practicing gratitude. This simply isn’t true, though. Gratitude does not depend on eliminating the negative thoughts, feelings, or situations from our lives. It does, however, require intentionally noticing the things that are good in your life. There are physical, emotional, and spiritual benefits of having a regular gratitude practice. Even if you are prone to negative thinking or depression or anxiety, you can still absolutely form a gratitude practice and experience the benefits of it. 

A gratitude practice can look like many different things — taking time to pause in your day and bring to mind something you are grateful for, keeping a gratitude journal, noticing beauty in nature, smiling regularly, and communicating warm, grateful feelings towards others. There is no “right” way to practice gratitude, other than finding ways that help you connect to what brings you joy in life. Engaging the 5 senses can also be really helpful in forming a gratitude practice by noticing what sights, smells, tastes, sounds, and things you can touch that bring you positive energy and connection. 

I decided today to do a very simple gratitude practice and make a list of 10 things I am truly and deeply grateful for. If you want to keep it very quick, you can simply list 10 things that bring you joy. Or, you can do a more detailed version, which I decided to do, in which I wrote some detailed notes about why I was grateful for that person, item, or aspect of life. I found that in doing so, I became more deeply connected to the sensations and feelings associated with my gratitude, and that brought me an immediate sense of peace, joy, and connection. I strongly encourage you to try this!

And, on that note, thank you to all of the people who have been following, supporting, and sharing this blog. I have sincerely appreciated all of the feedback and you taking time out of your busy lives to read what I have to say! Wishing you all a Thanksgiving filled with lots of love and gratitude!