How to Practice Gratitude

By Dr. Joti Samra, CEO & Founder of the Psychological Health & Safety (PH&S) Clinic and MyWorkplaceHealth

Create Gratitude Practice with Intention

Gratitude is one of my favourite topics. Gratitude is a practice that can have a significant impact on our overall psychological mental health or wellness, and it is one of the simplest practices to adopt. Most of us know what gratitude is, but here I am going to discuss why gratitude is so important and how to practice gratitude with intention as a way of increasing our resilience. 

“When you realize there is nothing lacking, the whole world belongs to you.” – Lao Tzu

What is gratitude? 

Very simply – it’s having, feeling and expressing appreciation for what one has, or for what others do for you. But gratitude is more than just etiquette – it’s about a state of mind. Studies have shown that people who frequently articulate and express gratitude experience positive benefits across a range of areas: 

• they have greater psychological and physical health; 
• they sleep better; 
• they have more energy and motivation; and 
• they are more connected in their relationships (both personal and workplace). 

This is likely because living a life of gratitude shifts our focus away from what we lack, and toward what we already have.

Why is an intentional gratitude practice so important? 

Life gets busy – and life is stressful. And when we are busy and stressed, we all have a natural tendency to focus on responding to things in our environment – trudging through our day’s To Do’s and tasks, without really stopping to smell the roses, so to speak. 

An intentional gratitude practice can help us make sure that we take mini pauses throughout the day where we are Appreciating and Feeling – rather than just Doing.

How to Practice Gratitude

1. Commit to starting. When we know something like gratitude could have a positive impact on our health and on our lives, we can intend to start doing something but often think about starting it tomorrow and then it never happens. Grab a pen and paper and try it right now – write down 3-5 things you have gratitude for (big or small!).
2. Pick a time of day. Pick a particular time of day and stick to it. It can help keep this practice as part of your regular routine. Many people, including myself, tend to choose first thing in the morning to set intentions for the day. 
3. Write it down. Something about writing things down makes it more real and it makes it easier to come back to later. Also, lists are great.
4. Do it even when you don’t feel like you have anything to be grateful for. It doesn’t have to be huge things, it could be as simple as being grateful for having a warm pair of socks. Be gentle with yourself and identify anything you can be grateful for, no matter how small. You don’t necessarily have to find new things every day.
5. Revisit throughout the day. Come back to the list of things you are grateful for throughout the day, several times if possible. Over time, this can cultivate a more automatic attitude of gratitude.
6. Pass it on. Share with other people in your life. Having an accountability partner to share your gratitude practice with can not only help to keep you on track but give you perspective on gratitude. Also, incorporate telling the people in your life why you are grateful for them into your gratitude practice. Not only will it help both of you feel good about yourselves, but it will help strengthen your relationship.
   

How I Practice Gratitude

Personally, I identify things I have gratitude for first thing in the morning (I’m a snoozer ~ so I have a few minutes in those early morning hours where I can think uninterrupted!). I pick 3 things – big or small – that I have gratitude for. These don’t have to be new and unique every day – you can certainly put things on repeat! Then, through the day, I bring my mind back to those 3 things.

Some of the things I find I routinely have gratitude for are having a safe and secure home, living in Canada, and having running water.

I encourage you to try out an intentional gratitude practice for just one week. Remember to identify at least 3 things – big or small – that you have gratitude for, and try to bring your mind back to these things through the day.