Since starting the blog, it has encouraged my own learning journey, essentially the search for insights, knowledge, tools, and resources to help me be and do better in life. Whether that’s dealing with stress, developing time management skills, increasing my mental and physical strength, improving my food and nutrition, or even personal finance. It all comes down to one fact, I want to be the best version of myself that I can be. And of course, by being open and honest about what I go through, I hope to inspire others to do the same. That leads me to today’s ponder. It’s all about gratitude; what it is, why we should practice it daily, and how.
Gratitude: what is it really?
This may be common sense for some, but as I’m sure many of you will be aware, common sense isn’t actually that common. So, we’ll start at the beginning. Gratitude, the way I see it anyway, is being grateful. Not just in a passive or generalised way but being active in paying attention and wholly appreciating what you see, think, feel, and have in your life. It’s about seeing the beauty and appreciation in the small moments. It could be feeling the sun on your face, or a cuddle with a pet. It could be the support from friends and/or family. Even light bulb moments when a student shows what they’ve learned.
Take a moment to think of something from your past that you are grateful for. Truly grateful for.
If you feel comfortable, post a comment, and share that gratitude.
Why should we practice daily gratitude?
For me, as someone who twelve weeks ago did not practice daily gratitude, I’ve got to say it’s a bit of a life changer. For a habit that is so small it really makes the world of difference. Especially if the worries of the world feel overwhelming. Practicing each day can take as little or as long as you want to dedicate to it. When I’m practicing, I set aside half an hour in the evening, and I write it all down. It keeps me connected to the here and now and helps me to build real appreciation for both the small and big moments. It keeps me grounded and reminds me that there is good in the world.
How can we practice gratitude in the day to day?
It goes without saying, I’m only writing this from my own experience. But this is what I’ve found helpful. At the moment there are two things that I’m doing. Firstly, I’m writing down 3-4 things that are ‘wins’ for the day and I also write down 4-5 things that I’m grateful for from the day.
The wins can be anything that I’m proud of. One day that could be ‘got out of bed’ or ‘did a load of washing’. Or it could be ‘got through some marking’ or ‘did some research’, even celebrating things like mindfulness, exercise, or my personal favourite, hitting my water intake. I’ve always had a bother drinking water on its own. Ever since I was little, so hitting the 1.5-2l mark is always a big win.
With regards to gratitude, that can be anything too. I’m continually grateful for things like my partner, my cat, my family, rides on the motorbike, fun classes with students, colleagues, the list goes on. But when I’m writing it down each day, I’m more specific with the gratitude. For example, I’ll ask, what was it about my colleagues that make me feel grateful for them today. Or if it’s my cat, what happened that made me feel that gratitude. I find the more specific I am, the deeper the gratitude.
For example, today my wins are…
- I made Lasagne from scratch for dinner. It was immense.
- I got out for some exercise – a wee hill climb.
- I got to spend quality time with people I love.
My gratitude list for today is…
- I’m grateful for the sunny weather today. It meant I got to sit in the conservatory which is my favourite room in the house.
- I’m grateful for my body. This body got my up the hill today.
- I’m grateful for my parents. They are my rocks, and I’m grateful that I get to see and speak to them at the drop of a hat.
These will all be written into my bullet journal before I go to sleep.
The thing I’ve found most interesting about practicing daily gratitude, it that I’m a) more aware of what I’m grateful for and b) I’m actively looking for things to be grateful for through the day. These combined have brought me a greater attention to detail and helped me to develop skills that allow me to be in the moment. There is kindness, goodness, and wholesomeness present. You just need to be looking out for it.
Being in the moment… that’s a blog for another day.
As we head to the end of today’s ponder, here is the takeaway task…
For the next three days, each evening write down, or take a note in your phone of three things you’re grateful for each day.
It might be hard but stick with it! At the end of the three days, note how you feel.
Let me know how you get on!
If you’ve made it to the end, well done. I know for some this will be too much into wanky territory, but I swear it’s been a game changer for me, and as always if I can help someone else change their game – I’m here for it!
This has been a SmartPonder.
Thanks for reading.
Steph x
SmartPonders 