How to Practice Gratitude and Mindfulness

There are some things in life that you may be naturally grateful for, the expression and feeling comes and is given naturally; but the real mindful gold is in cultivating your gratitude practice.

How is gratitude related to mindfulness? As with most mindful practices, a conscious gratitude practice is an opportunity to bring awareness to your thoughts and how they are impacting you, and then make simple changes to bring about an abundance of wellness. By focusing on gratitude, you are bringing awareness to your thoughts, and choosing to cultivate thoughts which serve you, rather than deplete your energy.

Why do we need to practice mindfulness? Mindfulness is a bit like a physical muscle; the more active practice you dedicate to mindfulness, the easier it will become. By practicing mindfulness it becomes easier and easier to draw on that tool when you are in moments of stress, anxiety, anger, sadness or any other challenging situation or emotion. This doesn’t mean that we never feel anything challenging, but that we find it more manageable and are less likely to become overwhelmed or react by turning to unhealthy coping mechanisms. A mindfulness practice can be a key element in overcoming addictive behaviours, self harm, depression, anxiety and many other debilitating presentations. If you are struggling and would like some guidance and help, please contact us - we can discuss ways we may be able to help; we run a donation and scholarship program for those who need financial assistance, you can apply here. In the next section we look at how to practice mindfulness and reduce anxiety, improving quality of life with 5 simple ways to practice gratitude.

5 Ways to Practice Gratitude

Let’s take a look at 5 ways to practice gratitude whilst developing your mindfulness:

Speak gratitude

Our words are powerful, they hold a lot of energy - have you ever stopped to think how amazing language is, the sheer volume of words at our disposal to describe the nuances of life? One of the best ways to practice gratitude daily is to start speaking your gratitude - speaking gratitude in your mind counts and out loud is also great - try this each morning for the next 30 days:

When you wake up, before you get out of bed, speak the things you are grateful for. If you find it challenging, then start with just one, two or three things - maybe your comfy pillows and opening your eyes to a new day or the feel of the sheets at your fingertips. Once you start to feel more comfortable your list can grow and grow, there’s no limit to how many things you can speak gratitude for.

Tip: Try smiling whilst you speak your gratitude list, this can really amplify the positive energy from this simple gratitude practice.

2. Write gratitude

Some believe that words hold even more power when they are written down. We advocate for doing this in any way that works for you - if typing in notes on your phone means that you maintain the practice then that’s a great practice! - however, there is some weight to the idea that writing in your own handwriting can be a more powerful way of identifying on a deeper level with what you are writing. Your handwriting is something you have come to know and identify with over many many years and your subconscious may be more willing to believe in what you have written if it is in your own handwriting.

Choose a time of day that works for you, morning or just before bed are great times for this, and write down everything you are grateful for. This can be a simple list of words or a journaling style, whatever you prefer. As with the spoken gratitude practice, start small if you find it challenging and allow yourself to grow into a longer written gratitude practice - try this gratitude practice for 30 days, or why not challenge yourself to a grateful year!

Tip: If you miss a day, don’t worry - there’s no such thing as a perfect practice; be grateful to start where you find yourself, right now is all we really have anyway.

3. Feel Gratitude

This is the suggestion we make when we’re asked how to practice gratitude at work or perhaps how to practice gratitude in a relationship; sometimes when we haven’t got a moment to speak or write a list, or we’re in an overwhelming situation, we need a quick tool to bring us to centre and fill us with positive energy.

Tip: You may need to practice this one in a more peaceful setting first, so that you can draw on it when you need it - remember what we said about mindfulness being a bit like a muscle.

When you first start a practice of feeling gratitude, it will probably help to bring to mind something or someone that you are truly grateful for. Whilst you visualise that thing or person allow the feeling of gratitude, that strong emotion of kindness and appreciation, to fill your heart centre and rise into your mind, radiating outward throughout your body and all around you. A smile can really help with this and remember to take deep diaphragmatic breaths - breaths into your abdomen as well as your chest - ideally in and out through the nose. Once you get the hang of doing this on cue, you can roll this helpful little gratitude tool out whenever you need it and remind yourself how it feels to be grateful, in any situation.

4. Meditate on Gratitude

In meditation we are bringing awareness to the part of ourselves that is the observer. Have you ever considered how you are both the person that experiences and the person who can observe yourself experiencing? - take some time with that paradox to get really comfy with it. When we meditate we are observing with non judgemental interest. Meditation can be a great tool for gratitude and for amplifying the health benefits of gratitude. Find your comfortable meditation seat, close your eyes and bring attention to your breath. Much as we did when we were practicing feeling gratitude, allow that same sensation of appreciation and kindness to fill your being and radiate throughout your body and mind. You may find it helpful to think of the things or people that you are grateful for to begin with, but soon you may be able to bring about the experience of gratitude by will. Practice sitting in your quiet meditation with the experience of gratitude for 10, 20 or 30 minutes - you may find that you can reside in this energy for long periods of time but even a 2 minute gratitude meditation is a great place to start. There is nothing to do here, just be, and be grateful for being.

Tip: enlist a coach to help you start a meditation practice - contact us here - or try one of the meditation tools in our last blog post.

5. Gratitude for Manifestation

The theory goes that gratitude is the emotion connected with already having something; by practicing gratitude for the things or situations that you want to draw into your life, to make manifest, you are sending out an energetic signal that draws that very thing or situation towards you. There is some weighty research to back up this theory - we recommend Dr. Joe Dispenza for his ongoing scientific research in this field, though there are many practitioners offering anecdotal evidence. The basis of the theory is that everything is part of an interconnected, universal field; that the boundaries of physical matter and time are only one perception of the full experience of existence. This is usually explained with a dive into quantum theory and particle and wave theory. Once the boundaries of physical matter and time have been released, we are able to draw anything, at any time, from the universal field. A strong signal for that magnetism, is an expression of already having - gratitude.

How to practice an attitude of gratitude for manifestation? Firstly, get really clear about what it is that you want to manifest, understand how your senses interact with it, how it feels, looks etc. Next, become familiar with how you will be when that thing is manifested in your world, how will you feel, what will you be doing, how will you be interacting with those around you. Now, bring in the gratitude. Exist in that place of having and cultivate strong feelings of gratitude.

Tip: do this practice as part of a meditation and sit with the feeling of gratitude for a period of time.

Practice Gratitude for Mental Health

Possibly the strongest reason for starting and maintaining a daily gratitude practice is the well researched benefits to our mental health, as well as the health of our relationships and work life. We love this infographic from the Greater Good Science Centre:

What’s Next? Simple ways to practice gratitude

We hope this article has given you a good starting point for your gratitude journey. Try our 5 ways to practice gratitude over the coming months. If you would like some more help then get in touch. Gratitude can be a life changing practice, we believe it is even more powerful when incorporated into a practice of meditation, mindfulness and other wellness habits. Ask us how.