Being grateful, thankful, or showing an appreciation of kindness in a mindful way is a great way to cultivate happiness in your life.
This week we’re going to talk about how exactly you can get better at gratitude and why it’s so important.
Watch the video below to find out how Dr. Rob stays grateful every day!
https://youtu.be/9NY21ioRUrQ
Like Dr. Rob mentioned there is a ton of research on the plasticity of the brain. The brain is a living organ that can change it’s structure and functioning even into old age and we can change it by using our thoughts!
It is pretty crazy and cool what we and our brains are capable of. I’m pretty grateful for that!
So by writing down what you’re grateful for in a gratitude journal every day is like a tiny dose of happiness. Thinking of what we are grateful for rewires your brain to notice all the little things in our day that we may have taken for granted.
There are also a ton of proven benefits to keeping a gratitude journal! Like better sleep, fewer symptoms of illness, and more happiness in kids and adults who keep them!
Dr. Rob mentioned how he was a little embarrassed to share about his gratitude journal and that’s a totally normal reaction to writing down thoughts and feelings where someone could potentially read them. I would be totally flustered if someone read my journal!!
As cheesy as a gratitude journal may seem, it’s extremely effective at changing how your brain works. Seeing your thoughts laid out on paper helps you see them from a third-person perspective and validate them.
So if you’re convinced to give gratitude journaling a try, here’s some tips to start!
- Ask yourself why. We are more likely to benefit from journaling if you make a conscious decision to be happier and more grateful! Don’t just do it because you’re ‘supposed to’
- Go for depth not volume. If you elaborate on one thing you’re grateful for it has more impact than making a long list of things.
- Get personal. Think about people in your life you are grateful for and why!
- Nothing is too big or too small! You an be grateful for something as small as a short line at the grocery store, or as big as your family and health
Try Dr. Rob’s template he uses every morning:
Goals: What are your goals today, this month, this year?
Grateful for: What are you grateful for today?
Today will be great if…: this helps guide your day!
Or try my (Caitlyn) template I use before bed!
Goals for tomorrow: what do I want to get done tomorrow? (this helps me ‘empty’ my brain before I try to sleep)
3 good things that happened today: even if I had a crappy day this forces me to see all the good things that happen in my life!
Remember : There is no right or wrong way to create a gratitude journal. If you practice gratitude you get better at it!
We challenge you to let us know how you practice gratitude and if keeping a journal helps you attention to gratitude-inspiring events!
May 16, 2019 at 12:59 PM
Hey Dr. Rob, no need to be embarrassed! That was a great blog, with a great "prescription" :) We sometimes lose sight of the fact that good health is even bigger than fitness and physical health!