Introduction
When life gets difficult, it’s easy to forget how much we have to be thankful for. We focus on what’s wrong and forget that there are other things we could be focusing on. It can be difficult to find the silver lining when everything seems dark and scary, but in times like these, it’s even more important than ever to keep your head up and remember the good things in life. Thankfulness is always an important part of being happy; however, it can be especially helpful during difficult times.
It’s easy to be thankful when things are going your way.
It’s easy to be thankful when things are going your way. You have a job you love, the kids are doing well in school and you’re healthy. But what about those times when life throws you a curveball? What are we supposed to do then?
It’s so important that we find a way to be thankful even during difficult times. This can be hard sometimes because when things aren’t going well it can feel like nothing is going right… but there is always something good happening in our lives! It may not seem like much at first but focusing on those small victories will help build up gratitude over time and make it easier for us all around!
Be as specific as possible in your thankfulness.
- Be as specific as possible in your thankfulness.
- Focus on the things that you have control over, rather than the things that are out of your control (like a job loss or an illness).
- Avoid making blanket statements of gratitude like “I’m thankful for my family.” Instead, choose one member of your family and focus on them specifically: “I’m thankful for my mom because she always makes sure that I’m happy.”
The holidays are a perfect time to practice gratitude.
The holidays are a perfect time to practice gratitude. This can be a hard concept for many people because it’s not something we think about on a daily basis, but the holidays offer us an opportunity to reflect on how lucky we are and what we have in our lives.
When you think about giving thanks during the holiday season, start by focusing on the things that have gone right in your life throughout this year. Think about what you love about yourself and the things that make you happy. Think of all of the people who are important in your life and how they’ve helped shape you into who you are today! You can go back as far as possible — even if it was only five minutes ago when someone gave up their seat for you at lunch or offered advice when needed — these small gestures mean everything when thought about from an outside perspective!
Make a list of all the things you can think of for which you’re grateful.
Make a list of all the things you can think of for which you’re grateful. The act of writing down everything that’s good in your life can help you focus on the positive, and make it easier to identify when there are things that could be better. It’s also a great way to set goals and appreciate what you have while working towards improving yourself. Try writing at least one thing each day for which are thankful, or jot down a note of thanks to someone else each day (this might just inspire them!). In this way, we can spread happiness throughout our communities by constantly looking for ways to give thanks!
If nothing comes to mind at first, don’t worry! Everyone has different experiences with different challenges—what seems easy for someone else may be difficult for another person struggling with something similar (or vice versa). Take some time alone with your thoughts every now and then until something clicks. You’ll start seeing what makes life worth living—and how much more there is out there waiting!
List the people for whom you are grateful and convey your gratitude to them.
Another way to express your gratitude is through your actions. Here are some ideas:
- Write letters of thanks to people you’re grateful for. You could even send them in the mail!
- Give someone a hug or other physical expression of affection, like a pat on the back or a handshake.
- Thank people who helped you recently—whether it was with something big or small, they were kind enough to lend a hand and they probably did so without being asked. If you didn’t already say thanks in person, let them know how much their help meant by sending them an email or text message now (and don’t forget to smile when doing so).
You can also show your appreciation if someone does something nice for you without being asked—just tell them! It may be uncomfortable at first because we get used to receiving more than giving, but once we realize that saying “thank you” is not just polite but actually makes us feel good too then we start saying it all the time!
Keep a journal of thanksgiving–write down at least one thing each day for which are thankful, or jot down a note of thanks to someone else each day (or both).
If you want to make the most of gratitude, try keeping a journal of thanksgiving. Write down at least one thing each day for which you are thankful, or jot down a note of thanks to someone else each day (or both). Writing helps us focus on the positive. It also encourages us to stay connected with people and helps us feel more connected to others and ourselves.
Look for the little things.
It’s easy to let yourself get down on the little things that go wrong when you’re feeling this way. Certainly, bad things happen and we should be grateful for the good in our lives. But sometimes, it’s hard to even see those good things when we are focused on what is going wrong.
When a person is depressed or has low self-esteem, they can often feel isolated from others because of those feelings of negativity. So here’s a way to break through those barriers: Look for the little things that make you happy! Look at what makes your heart sing just a little bit more than usual. What gives you hope? What makes you smile? These are all things that will help give back some of your joy and help pull yourself out of negative thoughts and into positive ones instead.
Find a gratitude buddy.
If you’re having a hard time finding the motivation to be grateful, consider finding a “gratitude buddy.” It can be just as helpful to share your gratitude with someone else as it is to keep things in perspective by reminding yourself of all the good things that have happened. When you are feeling down or out of sorts, talk with your friend about what’s going on in your life—what’s been happening? What are some things that have gone right lately? How could these things make me feel better? By talking about what’s going on in your life and how it makes you feel, both parties will feel more positive about their current situation and be more motivated to do good for themselves.
Take it day by day.
Being thankful is a process. You have to be patient when things don’t come easily. It’s one thing to decide that you want to be grateful, but it takes time and practice for your mind and heart to adjust.
The best way to start is by focusing on the present moment. When you sit down for dinner, focus on what you can see, hear and taste—the colors of food on your plate, the sounds of conversation around you, and the warm feeling of holding hands across the table with someone who cares about you. Don’t worry about tomorrow or yesterday—they aren’t here yet; they are not real yet! Focus instead on what is happening right now: good things like friends laughing together or bad things like people arguing over politics online while we eat dinner together as families in rooms full of love rather than hate despite our differences in opinion because we all care deeply about each other no matter how much we disagree (or agree) politically.
Make sure that gratitude isn’t just limited within yourself but also extends outside through acts where others could benefit from some unexpected generosity such as giving away free tickets or offering discounts/freebies at restaurants/stores so those less fortunate can enjoy themselves too without having spent too much money upfront (which doesn’t always work out well since sometimes these places end up losing money).
Give yourself a break.
Giving yourself a break can be difficult, but it’s important to remember that you are human. You are not perfect and you don’t need to be. It is okay if you have a bad day or mess up once in a while, as long as you learn from your mistakes and move forward in life. Being kind to yourself will help reduce stress and make it easier for others to love you too!
Giving yourself permission to have bad days is one way to improve the way that we treat ourselves. Often times we feel like we need perfection all the time because others expect us too, but this isn’t true! When people do things wrong or make mistakes they shouldn’t be ashamed or embarrassed about it either because everyone does this at some point in their lives (even adults). The best way I could sum this up would probably be “be patient with yourself”.
Sometimes being hard on ourselves can lead us down paths where we’re not living our best lives because we’re always worried about what everybody else thinks about us instead of focusing on what makes sense for our own personal needs/wants etc…
Focus on finding something to be grateful for in each moment.
When you are finding it difficult to be grateful, focus on finding something to be grateful for in each moment. This can be a small thing like the warmth of your bed or the pretty leaves falling from trees. Think about how lucky we are to have warm beds and beautiful leaves!
Another way to practice gratitude is by having a gratitude buddy – someone who will encourage you when it’s hard. You could ask a friend or family member that knows what you’re going through and maybe they’ll want to do this with you too!
Write down what you’re thankful for.
If you’re in a bind and can’t think of any reasons to be thankful, write down what you are thankful for.
You can do this by typing it up on the computer. Or if that’s not feasible, write it down on a piece of paper or napkin, or sticky note. Maybe even scribble it onto your hand if you have to! But don’t keep thinking about how hard things are right now—think about all of the good things in your life instead.
Learn from hard experiences.
It’s important to remember that hard experiences are not always bad. They may not be what you want, but they can provide you with valuable lessons and growth opportunities. Reflect on the experience and learn from it: what did you do well? What could have been better? How can you apply this knowledge in your future endeavors? Take time to process what happened and how you can avoid it in the future so that when another difficult situation arises, your response will be more effective than it would have been otherwise.
Conclusion
I hope you’re feeling more prepared to practice gratitude, no matter how difficult it might be. Remember that there are many different ways to express gratitude, and the more you can find new ways to do so, the easier it will be for you! The goal is not necessarily about finding something for which we all have an automatic response of thankfulness; rather, it is about creating positive experiences in our daily lives through intentional thoughtfulness. I think that this holiday season especially provides us with a great opportunity to try something new (like writing down one thing each day), and learn from those experiences so they can lead us toward greater levels of happiness in life.