We’re nearing the end of the year. Around this time, I find it really beneficial to take stock of everything in my life. I take the time to feel my gratitude for everything and everyone that I love. So many great things happened over this past year.
In fact, for me, gratitude is not limited just to New Year’s. My gratitude practice is woven into every single day of my life. I find it to be an extremely powerful way to help keep my mindset on track, and to stay focused on what I want to have in my life.
How can you practice gratitude?
A gratitude practice can look many different ways. For me, I use a daily gratitude journal. Journaling is a huge part of my life – I’ll be sharing more about that in a future post – so this is the way that feels best for me to bring gratitude into my life.
Every night, I write down the good things that happened that day in my journal. Sometimes they’re big things, like getting a new job. Often they’re small things, like a conversation I had with my family or some delicious healthy food I ate for dinner. I just take the time to think back over what happened that day, and to write down the good things that I’m grateful for. No matter what kind of day I’ve had, there’s always something to be grateful for.
Using a gratitude journal helps me to keep my mind focused on what’s great in my life. It’s so easy for our brains to notice the difficult or challenging things that happen. We can easily get stuck in negative thought loops, where we dwell on the bad things that have happened and can’t stop thinking about them. This is terrible for our mental health – and our physical health too. It causes a stress reaction, which has an impact on our skin as well as other parts of our body.
When you focus on what you’re grateful for, you bring your brain’s focus back to the positive. This is a way to balance things out – our brains have a natural tendency to focus on what’s negative, so choosing to place your focus on the positive brings back the balance. This helps to bring a sense of calm and peace, instead of stress and anxiety. Feeling calm and peaceful is fantastic for our mental and physical health.
You don’t have to use a journal. Some people choose to visualize what they’re grateful for, while others say it out loud. You could even draw or sing or express your gratitude in any other way that feels natural to you. For me, I really resonate with journaling, so this is what works for me. It has the added bonus that I can read back over it later if I’d like to be reminded of the good things that have happened.
Is gratitude practice a form of toxic positivity?
There’s been a lot of attention recently on the concept of “toxic positivity,” so I wanted to address that here. Toxic positivity is when you try to believe that everything is fine, even when it’s not. This can lead to suppressing your true emotions – hiding your true self in order to be “more positive.” In other words, it’s a way to be inauthentic.
You know that I’m all about authenticity. I’d never advise you to hide any part of yourself.
But when you’re focusing on gratitude, you’re not pretending. You’re choosing to think about what’s really great in your life, and focus on feeling your true gratitude for those things. Don’t try to force yourself to feel grateful for things you really don’t feel good about – that actually would be inauthentic. For example, if you’re in a relationship that feels toxic and you wish you could get out of it, don’t try to force yourself to feel grateful for that. It’s okay not to feel good about that situation.
But when you choose to think about the things that you truly do feel grateful for, then you’re not being inauthentic at all. You’re just making a choice to focus your energy on the thoughts that truly serve you. You’re choosing to spend your time on thinking about the wonderful things that you have in your life. This is about expressing your authentic gratitude.
What I’m grateful for
One of the things that I’m really grateful for is the opportunity to be of service to so many amazing women. When those with chronic skin conditions place their trust in me, and I get to see them becoming stronger, healthier, more authentic versions of themselves, this fills my life with purpose and joy.
My Mind Gut Skin Academy program has been designed to be truly transformational, and I’m grateful for the upcoming launch of the brand-new version of the program soon. Each person who joins MGS Academy makes it a better place, and gives me the opportunity to change another life. Every one of my health coaching clients gives me an even more intimate opportunity to help them transform, and I’m honored that they’ve chosen me as a guide.
I’m so grateful for each and every one of you. Thank you for being a part of this community, and for trusting me as your guide.
Here’s to a powerful and transformational new year ahead!
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