Ever heard your parents say, “Check your attitude?” Yeah, we’ve probably all been told that. Well, the team here at Dear Media is gonna say it to you again: It’s time to check your attitude!
However, we’re referring to having an attitude of gratitude. Having gratitude means you have an appreciation for yourself and your life as is. You take time to celebrate wins both big and small, and overall, you have a positive outlook and mindset!
For many of us, we’re stuck in negative thought patterns that contribute to our depression, anxiety, and all-around sh*tty mood. When you can develop an attitude of gratitude, you’ll probably feel happier and more fulfilled, even if everything else in your life stays the same. It’s all about perspective, guys! (Don’t believe us? Here’s the science behind gratitude.)
What Is An Attitude Of Gratitude?
An attitude of gratitude (or “gratitude adjustment”, as Jackie Schimmel puts it) is when you learn to see the beauty in everything and truly appreciate what you have. You do this by making yourself consider and reflect on all that’s going well in your world!
If you want to start a new habit that’s almost guaranteed to change your life in just a few weeks, cultivating a spirit of gratitude should be at the top of your to do list. Here’s how to improve your life, gain perspective, and learn to be grateful:
How To Cultivate An Attitude Of Gratitude
Celebrate all your wins.
A great place to start with gratitude is celebrating everything you accomplish no matter how small! Get out of bed when your first alarm went off? Celebrate! Resist going back for seconds on dessert? Celebrate! Avoid texting your ex again during a late night binge of The OC? CELEBRATE!
Don’t just do this for the things you accomplish, but for the things that happen to you as well. Whether you narrowly missed a rainstorm or Starbucks mistakenly gave you two cake pops instead of one, celebrate those gains!
You can remember to do this by rocking your Celebrate Your Wins t-shirt from the Dear Media Shop. While you’re at it, learn more about practicing gratitude by celebrating wins in this episode of Barely Filtered.
Keep a gratitude journal.
Let’s be real, actively practicing gratitude and celebrating your wins can be a little awkward. Like, do we fist bump the sky and say, “Thanks, universe?!” That seems weird.
A way you can easily incorporate gratitude into your every day is by keeping a gratitude journal where you list out all of your daily victories. You might find you love journaling and use it to not only feel grateful but chronicle your life, track your daily habits, and manifest the future you’ve always wanted.
In the shop, we have the perfect gratitude journal that says “Luckiest Girl in the World,” which is exactly the vibes you want. Grab the journal, choose a gel pen, and listen to this 101 Guide to Journaling from The Dream Bigger Podcast!
Meditate on what you appreciate.
Meditation is all the rage, and for good reason. Meditating is an AMAZING way to clear your mind of negative thoughts and draw in all the positive energy from practicing gratitude!
Just sit, clear your mind, and then focus on all the good stuff. If meditating is new to you, we definitely recommend Jackie Schimmel’s podcast Mind. Body. No Soul. where she delivers super real meditations without all the overly-spiritual stuff. You can listen to the episodes Grateful Heart and #Blessed for gratitude meditation guides!
Express gratitude to those around you.
Don’t keep the gratitude to yourself. Show gratitude to those around you! It could be a simple text to your boss, a handwritten note to your mom, a back rub for your S.O., or this Bestie of the Year shirt for your ride or die BFF. If you want more ideas, here are some quick practices to grow your gratitude muscles!
Be generous with what you have.
Generosity is a way to show appreciation in lots of different ways. First of all, you’re showing gratitude to the person or organization you’re giving to. You obviously value what they do or who they are if you’re willing to be generous to them!
Second of all, you’re showing appreciation for your income and stability. When you give out of abundance, you’re telling yourself that what you have is more than enough to care for yourself and others. That’s something to be grateful for!
Practice mindfulness.
Mindfulness is the ability to be present, calm, and intentional in all situations. Yeah . . . tall order, right? That’s why we say “practice.” You can be mindful by participating in slow living, deep breathing, meditating, and just being totally in the moment. This episode of House Guest gives a great summary of what mindfulness is and how you can practice it.
Cut negative people from your life.
Nothing is going to kill your gratitude vibe like a “friend” who is super negative all the time. Someone who’s a chronic complainer is just going to encourage you to fall back into those negative thought patterns you’re trying to avoid. If you have anyone in your life like this, you may want to consider setting some boundaries or even pausing the friendship. It’s for the best!
Stop the gossip and comparison culture.
Speaking of negativity . . . quit gossiping and comparing your life to everyone else’s. It’s seriously toxic! You’ll always feel like the grass is greener on the other side, and you’ll probably start to find joy in bringing other people down. That’s not going to make your life better it’ll just fill you with more negative vibes!
Plan your gratitude and make it a daily habit.
At the end of the day, practicing gratitude will be a challenge at first just like starting any other habit! We totally recommend scheduling it and planning when you’ll be grateful. It could start with morning affirmations, move to a midday meditation at work, and finally close with journaling before bed. Whatever it is, lay it out in the calendar so you don’t forget. You could also wear this “Lucky” crewneck as a reminder that you and your life are AMAZING.
Cultivate an attitude of gratitude with these tips!
Gratitude is essential to a fulfilling life packed with positive vibes. Take time every day to be thankful for what you have and who you are! You can dive deeper into gratitude with these gratitude podcasts and find more ways to prioritize your mental health on the Dear Media blog. We’ve got what you need to own your future and elevate your life!