We set appointments, reminders, and alarms for all sorts of things that we want to remember. Most of these reminders are set because we are afraid of forgetting something and the negative consequence that will happen if we do. What if we also set reminders for things that have positive rewards? We could set a daily reminder on our phone to think of one thing we are grateful for.
The idea is to practice wellness, so if having your phone go off for yet another thing sounds stressful to you, think of some other ways you can cultivate a habit of gratitude. How about a little note on your bathroom mirror so you can focus on something you are grateful for every time you brush your teeth? Would that improve the quality of your day? Is there a small task (like checking the mail) you do everyday that you could associate with practicing gratitude?
One last idea…for most of us, chores aren’t our favorite. What if we incorporated gratitude into our chores?! For example, before we wash dishes we say “I am grateful to have food, running water, and a clean place to eat”. Or before we sweep the floor, we could say “I am grateful I have a floor and a house to clean”. We could teach our children these habits too. Tell us what you think? Is being grateful for chores just too out there? 🙂
If one of these ideas resonates with you, let’s challenge ourselves to think of simple ways to extend the benefits of gratitude beyond this week!
