Even though I am on a life-long journey of self improvement, I sometimes wake up vibing in the wrong direction.That of self doubt, fear, or anxiety. So how do I deal with my negative thoughts and emotions? I do several things. As you know, I meditate, I hang out in nature, and I practice gratitude daily. In fact, I use a daily planner, called a Panda Planner, recommended to me by my bestie, which builds a gratitude practice into my morning routine, including a daily affirmation. (The Panda Planner has many great attributes; see it HERE.)
In his book, How to Stay Human in a F*cked Up World, Tim Desmond shares an exercise where he invites us to take a daily moment to visualize everything good in our lives in the present moment. This is what drives me to fill in my planner, get into being present in this moment and realize I am ok in the midst of whatever chaos is swirling around me.
So now, do this….take one minute and visualize all that is good in your life in this present moment. Set your timer and close your eyes. Open a journal if you like, and write all this goodness down.
Congratulations, that was a gratitude journal entry! So if this is a practice you’ve been meaning to start, you just did. This is one fast and easy way to identify the good things in your life, in turn leading to a natural feeling of joy and, of course, gratitude which shifts your energetic vibration from reverse into drive mode. From this space, we can accept and admire the many aspects that make life worth living and acknowledge our role in making good choices.
There are boatloads of research on positive psychology that support a daily gratitude practice to improve quality of life and reduce stressors leading to anxiety and depression. While some consider gratitude a practice, others consider it a value, and still others consider gratitude a feeling. No matter where gratitude falls on this spectrum it is accessible, free and we all benefit from incorporating into our daily self-care routine, in order to live out best lives in this precious, present moment.
Peace. ✌🏻♥️🐴