Buzz word: Gratitude

It is all over TikTok and instagram. Having a “gratitude practice” is the new matcha.

I read about the benefits of gratitude years ago: improves mood, lowers stress levels, and releases oxytocin (the bonding hormone). I thought to myself: “I am already very grateful for everything in my life, not much to do” . But there is a catch, if you are grateful for everything (as I was!), it is almost as you are thankful for nothing, right?

We usually say “I am thankful for my dog, or my kids”…ok, cool…but what about them in particular are you grateful for (I am not grateful when they leave the damp towels on the bathroom floor!), but I thoroughly enjoy hugging them half asleep in the morning with their crazy hair and warmth.

That extra question brings in the real reflection and makes you think about that person/thing in detail. That is when your brain lights up. You live a situation again, savoring that moment, reliving it. When you get to the details, and all your energy is focused on that special being/situation, your body feels lighter, your self of accomplishment grows, the stress will go down and you will surely smile. What a change in energy!

How to develop your Gratitude Practice: don’t start too big, it will fail. Set a goal of writing down what you have been grateful for the past days 3 times a week. Be vivid with details, no need for fancy journals, any notebook will do. Re-read them when you need an extra boost of comfort and energy. You can experiment doing it more or less often, but keep it up. It takes a while to find new things to be grateful for after you worked on the usual suspects…that is when you really start flexing the gratitude muscle.

Level up: write a gratitude letter to a close person. Be detailed, tell them all the qualities you value in them, and how they impact you. If you are around, make the effort to personally deliver it. In a world of Amazon prime, be the homing pigeon.

Love,

Agustina