Changing Our Mindset through Gratitude

A positive outlook on life and a grateful heart are crucial to your health and wellness. Unfortunately, the human mind is naturally wired to more easily remember negative instances than positives. However, as we learned with Three Good Things, there are ways we can re-train our minds to focus on positivity. The same can be done with gratitude. Gratitude is simply being thankful. You might be thankful for the people in your life such as friends and family. You might be thankful for the cup of coffee you had this morning or the walk you took. Everyone’s idea of what to be thankful for will look a little bit different. Being thankful can take many forms, big or small.

Practicing gratitude is taking time to think about what you are thankful for, what is good in your life, and what makes you happy. Start simple. Think about the people and things in your life for which you are thankful. It’s okay to be grateful for the small things – the book you just read, getting a good night’s sleep, or someone opening the door for you. Eventually, you will start to notice the good things that happen all around you! What’s more, practicing gratitude may help improve your mental well-being, sleep, and immune system. People who practice gratitude regularly also tend to show more compassion, kindness, and resilience. Everyone can benefit from gratitude and positive thinking in some way.

Changing Minds is a new Perham Health initiative. Join us in our mission to change minds through the simple habit of practicing gratitude. Once you start thinking good thoughts, you are more open to seeing the good around you and you are more likely to spread happiness to others. What better way to make an impact than to spread positivity through gratitude? As William Faulkner said, “Gratitude is of a quality similar to electricity; it must be produced and discharged and used up in order to exist at all.” By cultivating a mindset of gratitude, we can all change our minds for the better. Changing Minds starts with you.

Want a simple daily practice that can lead to better health and a better outlook on life? Practice Gratitude!

Our challenge for you is simple – try setting aside time each day to practice gratitude so you make it a habit. Give it a try and you might be surprised at the power your mind has on your health and wellbeing.

Check out these tips to help get you started:

  • Practice gratitude at the same time every day to make it a habit.
  • Spend time thinking about the people, places, things that you are thankful for.
  • Use prompts like “I am grateful for these three teachers, books, food, songs, friends, etc.”
  • Share three things you are grateful for at dinner or bedtime.
  • Write down the things you are grateful for. Be creative.
    • Write in a gratitude journal.
    • Create a gratitude jar and fill it with slips of paper with gratitude items.
    • Build a gratitude tree. Add leaves to the tree with gratitude items.
    • Create a gratitude chain. Write your items on a piece of paper and link them together to form a gratitude chain.
  • Put up images of people or things that make you thankful.
  • Post notes around your house to remind you to be grateful.

Because Every Mind Matters

Join the Changing Minds movement and help us change our minds for the better! Stay tuned for more to come on the Changing Minds initiative. How do you practice gratitude? Share your tips in the comments below.