Gratitude Practices

Gratitude Journal

Robert Emmons, a professor at the University of California, Davis, shared these research-based tips for reaping the greatest psychological rewards from your gratitude journal.

  • Don’t just go through the motions. Research by psychologist Sonja Lyubomirsky and others suggests that journaling is more effective if you first make the conscious decision to become happier and more grateful. “Motivation to become happier plays a role in the efficacy of journaling,” says Emmons.

  • Go for depth over breadth. Elaborating in detail about a particular thing for which you’re grateful carries more benefits than a superficial list of many things.

  • Get personal. Focusing on people to whom you are grateful has more of an impact than focusing on things for which you are grateful.

  • Try subtraction, not just addition. One effective way of stimulating gratitude is to reflect on what your life would be like without certain blessings, rather than just tallying up all those good things.

  • Savor surprises. Try to record events that were unexpected or surprising, as these tend to elicit stronger levels of gratitude.

  • Don’t overdo it. Writing occasionally (once or twice per week) might be more beneficial than daily journaling. See what works best for you.

 

Meditation on Loving Kindness

May I be free from suffering.

May I find my joy.

May I be filled with love.

May I be at peace.

Shift focus now to: A benefactor; good friend; neutral person; someone you have difficulties with; someone you really don’t like; all the beings of the world.

Websites:

http://greatergood.berkeley.edu      www.thnx4.org     www.grateful.org/

 

10 Steps to Savoring The Good Things in Life

by Fred Bryant, social psychologist at Loyola University Chicago

  1. Share your good feelings with others

  2. Take a mental photograph — pause for a moment and consciously be aware of things you want to remember about a particular good thing

  3. Congratulate yourself

  4. Sharpen your sensory skills — consciously use all of your senses to experience something. This flexes your savoring muscles

  5. Shout if from the rooftops — laugh out loud, jump for joy shout for joy

  6. Compare the outcome to something worse

  7. Get absorbed in the moment — pause and reflect on the positive experience on the spot.

  8. Count your blessings and give thanks

  9. Avoid killjoy thinking

  10. Remind yourself how quickly time flies — remember that good moments pass quickly and tell yourself to consciously relish them.

Brother David Steindl-Rast, the world’s teacher of gratitude

“Times that challenge us physically, emotionally and spiritually may make it almost impossible for us to feel grateful. Yet, we can decide to live gratefully, courageously open to life in all its fullness. By living the gratefulness we don’t feel, we begin to feel the gratefulness we live.”