8 Ways to Develop and Attitude of Gratitude this Thanksgiving

8 Ways to Develop an Attitude of Gratitude this Thanksgiving

It’s November!! Say WHAT?? Is anyone else staring at the calendar and wondering where the rest of the year went? I know I am!

With the arrival of November, you will notice a sudden surge in gratitude. Many people make a habit of posting something they are thankful for each day on Facebook or Instagram. Lots of people start thankfulness and gratitude challenges. These are awesome! But…what does it really mean to be thankful?

Posting a quick “Today, I’m thankful for my job,” or even the more in depth “Today, I’m thankful that I have an amazing job,” isn’t going to change your life. It might give you a more positive outlook for a few minutes, or even a few weeks during the “Month of Thanksgiving,” but is it going to make your life better?

Having a thankful attitude all the time will improve your life. It’s not always easy – in fact, some days it’s downright difficult to have an attitude of gratitude!! You know the kind of days I’m talking about. You wake up late, you spill your coffee on yourself before you’re out the door, the house is a mess, things don’t go right at work, you come home worn out, dinner doesn’t turn out…and you really just want to go to bed and hope that tomorrow the world figures out how to right itself!

We’ve all been there! The struggle is real! The struggle looks different for each and every one of us, but it’s sooooo real!! On those days, I get it. You don’t want to be thankful. You’d rather just be grouchy at the world. On those days, it’s easy to put up a post that says “Today, I’m thankful for the rain,” and call it good.

But that is not what we’re talking about today. Today, I want to challenge you to be thankful – really thankful – all the way down deep into your soul. So without more ado, here are some ways to be really, truly thankful all day, every day.

Start your day with a smile. When you get out of bed in the morning, smile. No matter how tired you are, the act of smiling can really improve your overall feelings. There are actual studies on this (google it – you’ll smile, I promise!)! The act of smiling can reduce stress and make you feel happier. Ever hear the phrase, “Grin and bear it?” A smile, even a forced one, can make anything a little more bearable.
Enjoy your morning routine. Get up just a little earlier and take some time to enjoy the morning. Get a hot mug of coffee (or whatever is your cup of tea), and curl up on the couch to read for 15 minutes. Do yoga for 20 minutes before taking a shower. Give yourself enough time to eat a good breakfast. Give yourself time to primp a little. Do whatever it takes to start the day off positively.
Take time to breathe. When things get stressful, stop and breathe. When things are going well, stop and breathe. Taking in deep breaths can calm and center your mind and body, signaling your brain to stop reacting to stressful stimuli.
Count your blessings. Here’s where the gratitude really starts. Throughout the day, notice the things that bless you. Some mornings, my husband gets up before me and brews me coffee. He does not drink coffee and gets nothing out of it beyond blessing me, and I am SO blessed when he does! It’s the little things that mean the most. Take moments often during the day to look around and see what is blessing you!
Count your struggles. This one is harder, but sometimes it’s easier to recognize our blessings when we understand what we’re struggling with. Sometimes, those things that give the most frustration can actually lead into blessings when you really stop and examine them. That irritating wait for the train when you’re running a little late? Recognize it as a struggle, and then take a moment to be thankful for the brief minutes of peace.
Express your gratitude in multiple ways. Don’t just recognize things you’re thankful for. Express them! This is where those Facebook posts come in. But those are only one way. Tell your family and your friends what they mean to you and why you’re grateful for them.
Take charge of your bedtime. If getting up in the morning is tough, then maybe your bedtime routine needs a little work. Take charge of when you go to bed and what you do before going to bed. Don’t spend the evening thinking about what you have to do tomorrow. Write down a list of things to do the next day, then forget about it. (Take another deep breath after writing down your to-do list. Personally, I like to use my bullet journal to list out the next day’s tasks so they are right where I need them in the morning). Then do something relaxing. Finally, turn off your screens at least 20 minutes before going to bed. Looking at a screen before bedtime messes with your sleep, so help yourself out here!
Go to bed with a smile. Finally, smile when you go to bed! Again, smiling is very de-stressing. You’ll sleep so much better if you let your stress go.

There you have it! Eight ways to make a habit of thankfulness that will truly give you an attitude of gratitude. They say that it takes 30 days to develop new habits, so let’s use this month when Thanksgiving is at the forefront of our minds to develop the habits of deeper thankfulness in our lives. I’m going to make an effort every day to develop these eight habits. Will you join me?