Gratitude entry:

• My wonderful, little family, and a fun weekend with them, in-laws, good food and wine
• This job! Working with and learning from awesome clients
• My health- finally feeling better after a week-long summer cold

I try to start and end most days with a gratitude practice. It’s incredibly simple. In the morning, first thing at the office, I spend two to three minutes thinking about that for which I’m grateful. I let the ideas flow and write whatever I come up with in my journal. In the evening, as part of our bedtime routine, I talk with my daughter about the top three wonderful things of that day. (She’s 14 months, so I really just guess what she’s grateful for, chat it out with her, and she stares at me with big, sleepy eyes.)

There’s some solid research about the power of gratitude practices of some sort, be it journaling or sharing gratitude with others. Practitioners report fewer physical complaints, better sleep, increased empathy and altruism, improved life satisfaction, and improved self-esteem. People with gratitude practices tend to spend more time exercising than before they started the practice, and they also report stronger bonds with others. In traumatic situations, those with a gratitude practice tend to be more resilient than those without one.

I have found my practice a simple way to get some perspective, appreciate what I have, and reframe my experiences. It improves my mood and connections with others. When I lack motivation to finish a project or am having a tough time figuring something out, I call on my gratitude practice. For six minutes a day, it feels like a win to me!

So, what’s sparking for you?

Do you have a gratitude practice? What’s your experience been? If not, do you want to start one?

Photo from Unsplash, credit to Ana Tavares