Gratitude Deficit Disorder is an ailment that far too many people suffer from. I don’t personally think that people intentionally catch this ailment…I think people catch it as a result of getting too busy and letting life drive them instead of them driving their life. It’s an easy trap to fall into, but the good news is that it can be an easy problem to cure if you do a few simple things each day. Here are just a few ideas that might help:
Post-it Notes: Always keep a fresh block of post-it notes around with a marker to write on them. Then each day hang a few random post-it notes around the house in places with notes that remind you of things to be grateful for. For example, put one by a light switch one day that says “I am so blessed to have lights!” and put one on your refrigerator that reads “Having food to eat is fabulous!”, etc.
Keep a Gratitude Journal: Studies have shown that people who do this are up to 25% happier than those who don’t! You can do this in a written journal or you can do it as a quick note on your iphone. You can even add a once a day all day appointment in your phone calendar called Grateful For… and add what your grateful for that day in the notes of the appointment. It doesn’t matter how you record it – it only matters that you do it. Jot down just a couple of quick notes on the things that you feel grateful for that day before you go to bed. It only takes a quick minute and the benefit to yourself and your future posterity will be tremendous!
Recognize Your Blessings: The other day I posted a blog about imagining your life without certain things in order to help yourself feel more appreciation for what you do have. It’s a great way to stay aware of just how blessed you truly are.
Prayer and Meditation: Taking time to thank the Higher Power you personally believe in for all that you have is one of the best ways to bring on feelings of gratitude. Getting on your knees and thanking God (or the Universe or whatever you believe in) puts you in a mindset of being humble and it causes you to focus on what you should saying “thank you” for.
At the end of the day, taking steps to help yourself feel more Grateful is also the best way to help yourself become HAPPIER! And who doesn’t want to be HAPPIER?! I can’t speak for anyone else but I personally LOVE BEING HAPPY!
Overcome Gratitude Deficit Disorder and have a HAPPY day!
~Amy Rees Anderson
2 Comments
Excellent advice and I hope you had a HAPPY day, too!
-The Circle of Gratitude
Attitude of gratitude – always.