During the business of the holiday season coming…please take time, each day to write down 3 things you are grateful and or thankful for each day.  Focus on what you are doing right, good choices and positive things to fuel you for the next month.  The practice of expressing gratitude and thanks will improve your mood; open your mind to what is good, and elevate how you feel - even if something isn’t quite right at this moment. Changing your focus can change your attitude. Instead of focusing on what is wrong or the negative things, focus on how far you have come and look for the positive moments in your life. When we make a conscious effort to call out our blessings, we increase our resilience and shift our mindset. When we foster an attitude of gratitude, we create happiness.

Journaling is a great way to express gratitude and keep a log of it for days that are a bit tougher. Practice looking for the good with your family…maybe at the dinner table. Everyone can share something that they are grateful for; thankful for; proud of or was the best part of their day…it will bring positivity to your meal and create a bond with your family.  It is also the perfect time to start this practice with Thanksgiving coming up quickly!

Building the positive mentality of gratitude will help your mind, body and your soul. It can make mealtime an enjoyable experience, and a safe place for everyone to share what is going on in their day. It can help build resilience for your family by taking the stress of the day and balancing it with what you are grateful for. We all can use a little help to focus on positively and what is going well in the world and our lives.  Let’s collectively focus on and build on what is good…and fuel the biochemical activity of the body that way…verses bathing in the hormones of stress and negativity that surround us at every turn.

You will feel better and want to be better when you do this practice. The exercise of expressing gratitude will become a natural part of your conversation and a highlight of the day. We all have so much to be grateful for!