With the uncertainty that’s currently happening in the world we can become quite consumed by negative thoughts,  one of the easiest ways to reconnect with positivity is to acknowledge gratitude each day. Daily gratitude allows us to appreciate what we have in life and focus on the positive and giving thanks.

There are many ways to acknowledge your gratitude, as with all things some will resonate with you as more effective than others. Give them a try and implement into your daily routine which works best for you. 

Gratitude Journal 

The most common way to acknowledge gratitude is with a Gratitude Journal. This is a diary of things you are grateful for, this could be as simple as jotting down 3 things you are grateful for at the end of the day (our Founder & Creative Director Beck and PR & Sales Coordinator Sara both love to journal gratitudes in this way), or as in-depth as writing a full page reflection about your day. 

Win For The Week 

The AOL team are all partial to a glass of bubbly and a cheese platter to celebrate the beginning of the weekend, perhaps you’re the same or you may sway more towards a good cup of tea and a movie. Regardless of how you choose to wind down from the working week, one way to acknowledge gratitude at the end of the week is to voice your win for the week during this time. This can be done either alone or with family or friends, it might be that you are grateful for a meeting that went well, for sticking to your exercise plan, creating a new meal or connecting with your family - anything that happened that week that you are thankful for. 

Say Thanks 

Being thankful is the simplest way to introduce acknowledging gratitude at any point during the day. It involves saying small thanks throughout the day, either in your mind or out loud, thankfulness is a practice that can turn any moment into gratitude. Thank you to your morning coffee, for finding an empty carspot at the grocery store, for feeling the sun on your skin or a hot shower. It’s helpful in other situations too, if you are stuck at traffic lights say thanks that you have the ability to drive and are on your way to your destination for example. During small moments in the day take a second to stop and say thank you, once you create this habit you will be pleasantly surprised at how it positively affects your flow through the day. 

Connect 

Connecting with loved ones and family (virtually ofcourse, unless you are lucky enough to live with them or be caring for them) will evoke a sense of gratitude. One of the most important things in life to be grateful for are the people around us, take this time in self isolation to reach out and give support to those people in our lives and be grateful for the relationships you have with them.

Breathing 

Breathing is a great tool for when you are feeling overwhelmed, focusing on your breath will allow you to stop for a moment and ground yourself. Use your breathing as a way to release your thoughts and clear your mind, then begin to think about what’s important in that moment and what is in your control. Start slowly breathing in through the nose and exhaling out through the mouth until you achieve long deep breaths, it only takes a few moments but might just be what you need to get through the day. 

The benefits of practicing gratitude daily include 

• Improved Sleep. If you are acknowledging your gratitudes at night, we recommend journaling before bed, this can help you feel calmer and set you up for a better nights sleep. 
• Less Stress. Reducing your stress levels through grounding your thoughts and proactively approaching challenging situations with a positive attitude.
• Increases Positivity. Focusing on positivity ofcourse increases positive thoughts and allows us to focus on what’s really important.
• Self Awareness. Acknowledging daily gratitudes will give you an insight into the things you appreciate, clarity on what you want in your life and perhaps those things that no longer serve your purpose. 
• A Keepsake. One of our favourite benefits of journaling your gratitudes is you create a keepsake of moments that you love, it’s something to look through when you are needing to re-adjust and reflect as a reminder of the great things and people you have around you.

Discover our Gratitude collection to assist in keeping you grounded and positive during this time.