Gratitude. It seems like a really popular word these days and I love it. Why? Because gratitude is such a simple thing and it can make such a big difference. Gratitude can change up the way you think about things. A whole day that you were ready to throw in the garbage because everything went wrong can turn into a ‘not-so-bad’ one (that’s a real technical term 😉) when you look at what you are grateful for.
I talk a lot about negativity bias and our pull towards negativity as humans. I love gratitude because it helps your brain see the positive. It makes you deliberately and consciously give attention to the positive things in your life. Want to stop resenting your spouse/coworker/mother-in-law? Starting choosing 1-3 reasons you are grateful for them each day. Sure, your spouse chews like a horse and/or leaves their dirty clothes (or maybe wet towels) on the ground, but did they help set the table or hold your hand when you needed it or took over parenting your 3-nager (or actual teenager) when you were going to lose your sh*t? Ok, maybe that’s a stretch lol – but did they do anything positive today? Probably 🙂
The other thing gratitude does is briefly take us out of the comparison trap. When we can look at all we are grateful for in our lives, it redirects our brain from focusing on all the things we don’t have when we look at others’ lives. Comparison makes us feel unworthy, envious and miserable while gratitude makes us feel joy.
I talk more about gratitude in my free guide: Frantic Girl’s Guide to Lowering Stress & Overwhelm and I would love to share it with you. Grab it here and start creating a life you love today!
