We thought that we would write something about gratitude as we think it goes hand-in-hand with having a positive mind-set, which is something that we are always keen to promote.
If we are grateful for what we have things will not seem so bad. However, we often take what we have for granted, whether that is people such as our family and friends, our health, our home comforts, etc. It is particularly hard for people when they are undergoing challenging times in their lives to look for the positives. However, in doing so, it means that they can focus on the good and not the bad. This will help them to get things in perspective. Often when we are worried, or anxious, or feeling a little down, we increase those feelings by our negative thought patterns. Looking for things to be grateful for can help balance out our thinking and better appreciate the positive things in our lives.
You may or may not have heard of ‘Gratitude diaries’. It is a good idea to get into the habit of thinking about what we are grateful for on a daily basis – perhaps before going to bed at night. You may think that there is often nothing to be grateful for on our ‘down days’. However, this practice is something that is suggested on a course that Julie facilitates for cancer survivors.
Often when we are trying to overcome a major challenge in our life it is difficult to focus on the positive. Getting into the habit of creating a ‘Gratitude diary’ means that we start to count all that we have in our lives that we can feel positive about, and we probably have a lot more to feel grateful for than we may initially appreciate.
You may wish to come up with say three or perhaps five things a day that you are grateful for and record them in writing. Try to make them different. They don’t have to be major things – for example, it could just be someone paying us a nice compliment. Let us know how you go on with this! We are also keen to hear your views on whether you find this useful.