NikithaI was on a 30 day gratitude challenge this October and the challenge changed my life for the better. I felt more positive about myself and the people around me.
Why should you feel grateful? Why should you do a challenge for gratitude?
What is gratitude?
Gratitude is about feeling grateful for all the good things you already have in life. Your life might be in the lowest state. People around you might be mean. But by being grateful you tend to look at the positive side of your life inspite of the negativity around you.
Myths around Gratitude:
I came across gratitude journaling a year ago. I was reluctant to start it because I thought thinking about the positive things makes me feel lazy. I thought it will make me stop aiming for bigger things in life if I focus on the small things. I thought people will cast eyes on my happiness if I talk about what I was grateful for.
All those were myths I held in my head. Looking for the small things to feel grateful for taught me how to search for the good even in the worst. Goals and gratitude are totally two different things. In fact, you will start making progress towards your goals only when you can appreciate the small things you have been doing well.
What are the benefits of gratitude?
1.It increases your happiness
According to the Journal of personality and social psychology, counting the blessings instead of burdens improves your well being. I felt happier when I looked back at my gratitude journal for all the good people have done for me.
2.Changes the way you look at relationship
You might have been in a constant riff with your partner. But once you start gratitude journal by writing about the good things he does for you, your relationship with him improves dramatically. This research has been published by Psychological science.
3.It helps you stay positive
In the month of my 30 day positive challenge, I did gratitude journaling. If not for the gratitude journal it would have been tougher to stay positive. I am grateful for the gratitude journal. Journal of Positive psychology also mentioned that it is helpful to sustain positive emotion.
When should you write it?
1.You can write it as soon as you wake up to greet your day with a positive note.
2.You can write it during the day whenever you feel grateful for something
3.You can write it in the night before you go to sleep so that you have a happy sleep.
What should you be grateful for?
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I have not started gratitude journal for a long time just because I did not know what to start writing on. But the secret behind what to write is really simple. There are no rules. Just start writing whatever made you happy today. Ideas come to you automatically. But if you are still stuck, the following are a few prompts:
Family:
I stay with my parents. They are my family. My mom does a lot of things for me. I am her priority. Which human being can stop being thankful for a person who does everything for him/her? I can be thankful for her for different reasons everyday. She is wonderful. Or maybe I perceive her to be that?
Even if you don’t stay with your parents, if you share your stay with someone, you can feel grateful to them at least for one thing daily. This does not mean that you curse yourself for what others won’t do for you. But you need to find the good things they did or the bad things they didn’t which in turns can be termed good for you.
Not only your parents, but your siblings and grandparents are also your well wishers. They occasionally give a few surprises which you should be grateful for. Even if it is not for the surprise, you should feel thankful to god that they are alive and they are wishing everything well for you.
Health:
Do you remember accomplishing any challenging work when you were sick in bed? Be grateful for the good health you have. I occasionally have headaches. They remind me of how I need to be grateful to the good and painless days.
Food:
I have a lot of friends who are food lovers. I am not really a food lover. But I feel grateful to have decent food on time.
Friends:
Human beings are social beings. Without any acquaintance, we cannot sustain. Our friends do a lot of small and big things for us. Should not we grateful for them?
Sometimes you can consider strangers too. One stranger offered me a seat in public transport after a long tiring day. I was so grateful for her that day. Another stranger held the bus while I was running to catch it. Even though they are not big things, they are still acts which are worth feeling grateful for.
Work:
Whatever might be your workplace, it involves interaction with people. It might be virtual or real. You help each other and grow together as an organisation. People who find meaning and purpose for their work are happier. You will find at least one reason to be grateful for if you start looking at it in the positive light.
Weather:
I enjoy the evening breeze along the sea daily. What do you enjoy the most about your place? Even if you stay in a depressing climatic zone, there are a few days when the weather seems to be pleasant.
For what you have:
I am thankful to god for giving me another day on this earth. I am thankful to him for having a job. I am thankful for being able to afford food three times a day. There are many other small things which you can feel grateful for.
30-day challenge Prompts:
For a 30-day gratitude challenge guide download this file.
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How should you make it a habit?
Join the facebook 30 day gratitude challenge group.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/394788047610116/
Commit to it and post what you are grateful for daily. You can take a help of the 30 day gratitude file which I created for you from the above section. Invite your friends too to join the challenge and create a happier society around you.
Happy being grateful!