Be Grateful For What You Have : The Power Of A Daily Gratitude Reflection
You’ve probably heard it a million times – be grateful for what you have what you have. But did you know gratitude is consistently associated with greater happiness in research studies, or that gratitude can help you manifest what you want faster?
Gratitude is one of my favorite topics because absolutely everyone can benefit from it and it’s relatively easy. 🤗 Being grateful for what you have is powerful for helping those with anxiety and depression, which I know from first hand experience.
Be grateful for what you have – what does it mean to have a daily gratitude reflection?
Having a daily gratitude reflection can be done by spending a few minutes each day, preferably in the morning, to recognize and acknowledge something you appreciate that you don’t normally think about. If you’re reading this, you can be grateful that you’re alive today and that you have the means to read this blog!
In a world where the media is always talking about the bad things happening in the world, and what products we should buy or want, being grateful for what you have and practicing gratitude daily is more powerful than ever. Gratitude is the act of intentionally switching your focus to what you have to be happy about right now in this moment. There’s always something to be grateful for – even when you’re having a tough day or even year. For example – your next warm meal, the roof over your head, and the list goes on.
Here are some examples of what I’m grateful for right now as I’m typing:
- The sun that fills my home with light
- How I have tons of information, stories and inspiring content at my fingertips on my phone
- The new throw pillows I just got in the mail
- The support and fun times I’ve had with my boyfriend, family and friends this month
- My healthy body
Focusing more on what you do have and are sure about, instead of what you don’t have and what you’re worried about, is a change we should strive for every day!
There are so many ways to be grateful for what you have and practice gratitude daily, and you can see which way works best for you. But first let’s talk about WHY it’s so powerful in case you aren’t convinced already. Or you can skip right to the gratitude reflection by clicking here!
Daily gratitude reflection – What are the benefits?
If I attempted to list out the benefits of a daily gratitude reflection the list would be very long, so let’s make it simple. In the short term, when you focus on something you have appreciation for, you feel good. This happens because gratitude increases dopamine, making you feel happier and more relaxed instantly. In the long term, changing your perspective to something that you have appreciation for regularly starts to retrain your brain to think in more positive ways naturally in every day life.
On a more physical level, gratitude has been proven to improve certain health conditions. According to a study Forbes reported on here, people who practice gratitude experience less aches and pains, feel healthier than their peers and get better sleep.
Be grateful for what you have : A powerful tool for anxiety and depression relief
The most powerful benefit of gratitude I’ve heard of and experienced first hand is that it helps some people with anxiety and depression to feel a little better each day, and maybe even a lot better! Research reported on by Harvard has shown that people who exercise gratitude reflection are more optimistic, feel better about their lives, and are way more happy.
I experienced this first hand – when I decided to take back control of my life and start working on my anxiety a few years ago I consumed countless books, podcasts, audiobooks and articles. Out of all the content, gratitude shines through as being the easiest and most consistently helpful tool I’ve used so far, and I plan to use it forever!
How to Practice A Daily Gratitude Reflection
There are so many ways you can practice gratitude in your daily life, but these are some of the top ways I’ve found have helped me most and that I see helping others in my community. Be patient and take some time to figure out what works best for you – certain things you try will resonate and others won’t!
Gratitude reflection journal
You’ve probably heard of a gratitude journal before – it’s the most popular and my favorite way to practice gratitude daily. I’ve found that writing or typing feels more powerful than just reflecting. Get yourself a notebook to write in each night or a phone app you can use to jot down notes daily, to use as a gratitude journal.
Personally every morning or whenever I can throughout the day I use the Gratitude iPhone app to type out what I’m grateful for. I highly recommend this app for a simple and pretty phone journal! I also have a few journals I’ll use when I have the time to sit down and write.
Be grateful for what you have and practice gratitude reflection while falling asleep or brushing your teeth
I chose to mention these two activities because most of us will do each of things at least once per day. Every morning when you brush your teeth think of one (or a few) things you have to be grateful for. Or even better, when you lay down to fall asleep silently reflect on two things you’re grateful for and imagine them in your head. This could even put you to sleep – and in a much better mood than if you were ruminating about what you have to do tomorrow!
Gratitude affirmations
There are countless good gratitude centered affirmations you can use to get in the right mindset. You can also easily make your own that resonate most with you! If you aren’t sure how to use affirmations, head over to my blog post The Power of Positive Affirmations to find out.
Some examples of gratitude affirmations:
- I have abundant gratitude for my beautiful life
- My heart is filled with appreciation today and every day
- My grateful heart is a magnet that attracts everything I desire
- I radiate gratitude and love
- I’m grateful to be alive today
Gratitude reflection reminders on your phone
Set a few reminders on your phone for gratitude reflection throughout the day and when it goes off, think of one thing you’re grateful for in that moment. This can be really powerful – it could even completely change your day around!
I have one daily gratitude reminder that goes off midday. More than once I’ve gotten the notification while in a funk and changing my perspective changed the course of my whole day! Just make sure not to set too many or you might get notification fatigue and start to ignore them.
This is also a great law of attraction tool. You always get more of what you’re focusing on, so if you’re able to switch your focus from something “bad” to something you have appreciation for, you’ll be on your way to manifesting everything you’re hoping for.
Gratitude reflection practice with your significant other, a family member or a friend
Spread your joy and practice gratitude with those around you! You can do this a few different ways, or however works best for you and your gratitude partner(s). Some ideas are to start a gratitude jar, set up a regular time to talk about what you’re grateful for – during dinner works great, start a gratitude journal together or simply ask what your friends or family are grateful for every now and then.
If you have kids or work with kids, I highly recommend doing this practice with them! You’ll be teaching them how to appreciate what they have, plus they come up with the cutest answers. 😉
Keep running a gratitude reflection list
This last idea is really powerful for when you want to improve one part of your life or manifest something specific. Or you can just use it to make that part of your life even better! Start a list of everything you’re grateful for about your romantic partner, your health, a friend of yours, a family member, your home, your financial situation, your job, etc. you get the point! Whatever you choose, you’ll be adding positive energy and intention to that area of your life, which will result in manifesting even more to be grateful for.
There are so many other ways to practice gratitude in your daily life, so get creative! I’d love to hear how you practice gratitude. Send me a message or leave a comment to share!
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