This 5-minute gratitude exercise will save your day!
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One simple gratitude exercise can save your day. Daily life can sometimes wear us down. Nothing serious, but the accumulated stress along with fatigue can easily spoil your life.
Today, I wanted to share with you a very simple and quick exercise that is a true antidote to negativity.
If we can’t change events, we can, however, control our thoughts and reactions. The benefits of gratitude are proven, both for our moral and physical well-being. This very quick exercise can truly change your state of mind and make you feel good in just five minutes. I will explain everything in this article.
How cultivating gratitude daily can change your life?
Taking care of your mental health is important, and cultivating gratitude daily can genuinely transform your life in a profound and meaningful way.
Yes, we are all super busy with a hectic and often stressful life, but just taking a few minutes to breathe, center yourself, and appreciate what you have already done wonders for the morale.
Of course, we must distinguish between the work of a real therapy done hand in hand with a professional and this exercise accessible to everyone, which has the advantage of giving us a different perspective on the situation.
This exercise practiced regularly will train your mind to adopt a more positive and optimistic attitude. I recommend doing it once a day whenever you feel the need.
The 5 x 3 Rule
The gratitude exercise is very simple. You can do it anywhere at any time.
First thing in the morning or whenever you have a moment of stress or a little dip in morale, do this:
- Think of five personal things you are grateful for (e.g., I am grateful to be strong, to be resilient, to have talent…)
- Think of five things/people or events you are grateful for (e.g., I am grateful to have a supportive partner, to have a family that listens…)
- Think of five general things you are grateful for (I am grateful to live in a peaceful country, to be alive…)
Be as specific as possible; for instance, if you are grateful for your partner, mention why. Instead of saying “I am grateful for this person,” say “I am grateful that this person called me this morning to check on me.”
What happens after doing the gratitude exercise
By thinking of positive things, about the people close to you and your qualities, you typically feel more serenity and less stress after doing the exercise.
This gratitude exercise serves to give you the distance you need in times of stress.
You can also include it in your meditation practice, for example, in the morning before starting your day.
Personally, I do this exercise whenever I feel that I am getting angry quickly, that I am late in the morning, and that I am losing control of the situation.
The situation may not change, but your state of mind will, and I assure you that you will have a much better day.
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