5 Ways To Practice Gratitude Daily (My Fool Proof Tips)

Practicing gratitude daily is one of the best habits I picked up this year. And oh how I love it! It has helped me keep sane during the bad times because there’s always this thought somewhere in my head that says, last week was good, if this week isn’t going well, that’s fine because next week will be better.

I am certain you are already wondering who and why/what you should be grateful to and for respectively. Yes I asked those questions too when I decided to practice gratitude daily. You actually do not owe anyone but yourself and your Chi (God).

I like to think practicing gratitude daily is a psychological thing based on my experience. I’ve realized in the past few months that the more I am grateful for the little good things, the more I don’t let the little bad things get to me.

We humans always strive for more. We always want to do better, be better and all that. Which is absolutely good but sometimes the need for more can be quite overwhelming and just push you to the brink because you feel like you aren’t progressing. This is where practicing gratitude daily helps, it reminds you of those things you don’t remember and rid you of the feeling of “I am not progressing”.

On practicing gratitude daily

The idea to do this post on practicing gratitude daily came to me during a chat with the amazing Asakemi, one of the few people whose lifestyle inspires me. I had sent a message to her, a message where I talked about how practicing gratitude daily and unconditional giving are the best things I’ve learnt in 2018.

I told her how I no longer take anything as mere “chance”, how I now treasure each and every moment and celebrate seemingly trivial things like arriving at my destination before a heavy downpour, getting to eat what I’m craving etc. And it was in that moment I knew I just had to share this new found lifestyle with you all.

So here are 5 ways to practice gratitude daily

1. Add it to your morning routine: I find this to be the easiest way to practice gratitude. Find out time in your morning routine to start practicing gratitude daily. For me, the perfect time is in between my bath and breakfast.
2. Keep a journal: A year ago, I would have told you keeping a journal or having a planner is highly overrated. But I’ve since realized the folly in that because keeping a journal/daily planner has been monumental in my success this year.
   I practically live with my journal; it goes wherever I go and it has its own position on my bed. One way I practice gratitude daily is to write it down using a journal. I advice everyone trying to embrace practicing gratitude daily to not skip writing it down. You will find that sometimes time runs so fast and before you say jack, it’s December. You might have a difficulties remembering all the amazing things that happened if you didn’t write them down. So get yourself or journal or be like me and use a daily journal app to document the things you are grateful for. If you want me to share my favourite journal/productivity apps, do let me know.
3. Embrace positive affirmations: For every newbie learning to practice gratitude daily, it’s best you include positive affirmations. They have a way of elevating your spirits and thus making you remember all the amazing things you should be grateful for. There are thousands of positive affirmations and my favourite place to get them is on Pinterest. You can even write some of your favourite positive affirmations and stick them in visible areas around your home, so you can always see them.
4. Become more aware of your surroundings: Darlings, this is an amazing habit to pick up if you want to be more intentionally grateful. I used to be the ear phones plugged, phone-in-hand, mind-adrift kind of commuter, I still am but not as much as before. Now I’ve learnt to be more aware of my environs and daily I encounter things that make me more grateful.I remember during the Nigerian independence day celebrations I felt there was absolutely no reason to be grateful due to the state of the Nation. But on my way out some days later, I regretted not celebrating and being grateful because I observed a few things in the bus I was in that morning and I realized that although the state of the Nation is in shambles, all hope isn’t lost. There’s Hope still, it shows in the way passengers all scream at a driver who isn’t sympathetic to a fellow passengers plea, it’s in the little act of giving up ones seat for a heavily pregnant woman with a toddler while someone else’s obliges to lap the toddler and many other scenarios. So yes, being more in tune with my surroundings has been helpful in my practice of daily gratitude.
5. Before you sleep: Before I kiss the world goodnight daily, I always try to remember the events of the day and be grateful for them. This makes it easier to have a good night rest, as I am happy and at peace.

Practicing gratitude daily isn’t a walk in the park but with due practice, it will become a habit and trust me when I say it’s one habit you won’t regret developing.

The year is coming to an end and this serves as a perfect time to practice gratitude daily, in appreciation of the year 2018 and in anticipation of the year 2019.

So I am embarking on a 20 days gratitude challenge starting on the 5th until the 25th of December 2018 and I will love for you to join me. 

It’s going to be so much fun to practice gratitude with you all, I will be giving out more details on my Instagram page soon, so follow me on Instagram @giftcollins_.

Even the word of God teaches us to be grateful. There are so many scriptures on gratefulness and Thanksgiving (I might share them all soon) but my absolute Favourite is Colossians 3:15- Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.

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