Having a gratitude practice isn't just a way to look appreciative on Instagram. It's actually good for your mental health. But while staying grateful when everything is going splendidly might be pretty simple, what is not so easy is maintaining a gratitude practice when you're a little off-kilter.
Feeling ungrounded in your life, whether you're struggling with work, relationships, mental health, or even a simple case of the blues, makes it tough to keep up with good habits. But staying grateful, even in moments of stress, can actually help you feel a little more centered. In fact, it can help reground you when everything seems to be falling to pieces.
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Here are seven simple ways you can keep practicing gratitude when things aren't going as planned.
1. Clean Something
It might sound counterintuitive to put yourself to work when you aren't feeling your best. But cleaning up can actually have a positive impact on your overall mood. And when it comes to practicing gratitude, cleaning something is important. It helps you feel grateful for your home, your space, your car, or your toilet! After all, you're bound to enjoy it a whole lot more when it's not a mess. It will also help you feel a little more grounded and pleased with yourself for your efforts.
2. Remind Yourself About a Challenge You Faced
Again, this one might not make sense at first glance, but reminding yourself of a challenging event in your life can be good for your gratitude practice. The reason is that, while you might not be grateful for whatever the tough experience was, looking back you can see that you overcame it. It may help you to get through whatever your current challenges are with a little more grace, or at the very least remind you that "this too shall pass."
3. Keep a Journal
Writing in a journal is helpful for so many reasons. When it comes to a gratitude practice, it's pretty much a no-brainer. You don't have to write down only the things you are grateful for, however. You can write whatever you want, take some space from your words, and then reflect on it later. Writing things down often gives us the opportunity to revisit our feelings with fresh eyes and open hearts. That might just give you the chance to find something you are truly grateful for that you otherwise may have missed.
4. Help Someone Who Is Having a Tough Time
Going out of your way to help someone who is struggling is one of the best ways to actually feel better when you're struggling yourself. The reason is that it shifts the focus to how you can be of service, rather than thinking too much about your own upheaval. It may make you feel useful, happy, and more content, too.
Of course, make sure you're giving yourself the attention and care that you need. But if you need a good distraction that can also help you feel grateful for where you are in life, try focusing on someone else for a bit. You'll likely end up feeling grateful that you had the capacity to help.
5. Move Your Body
Getting active doesn't just keep us fit and our minds healthy. It also helps us to feel grateful for the fact that we're able to move, stretch, and experience the world through movement. Whether it's stretching, taking a walk outside, or practicing yoga, getting up and moving is one of the best ways to feel grateful for our amazing bodies.
6. Focus on the Small Things
When we're bummed out or generally feeling ungrounded, it can be easy to focus on the big, major issues we're having. Sometimes, it's better to start small. Focus on the things in your life that are relatively simple but undoubtedly bring you joy. It could be your morning cup of coffee or deep breaths of crisp fall air. It could be the changing colors of the leaves. Whatever it is that is within your reach, take notice, no matter how seemingly insignificant.
7. Ask Yourself What This Moment Is Teaching You
Going through struggles isn't easy. It's necessary, however. Every part of life can't be easy and sunny. The good news is that the difficult parts of life are often the times we grow the most. It might be hard to tell when you're feeling a little unstable, but you're learning something. Try to think about what this challenge is teaching you. It may take some time to get the full message, but having those moments of reflection is important. They may help you come back to feeling grateful, even through a struggle.
