Start & End Your Day By Counting Your Blessings

One really easy way to get started on a gratitude practice is to make a habit of counting your blessings both morning and night. You don’t even have to write them down, as in a gratitude journal, if that seems too overwhelming. Simply taking a few minutes when you wake up and before you go to bed is enough to begin cementing this new practice into your routine. Before long, you’ll be easily noticing that blessing abound. Here are some tips to help you begin.

Start SmallEasing into any habit is usually the best approach. By making it easier on yourself, you’ll be more inclined to continue moving forward. So, try not to put too much pressure on yourself to come up with grand examples of gratitude when you’re just starting out. Just appreciating the bed where you’re starting and ending the day can be something to add to your initial list. Sometimes simply recognizing a tiny blessing can have a big impact.

Add It OnA helpful method for remembering your new gratitude habit is to add it on to your existing routine. Whatever you normally do in the morning and night, be sure to include a few minutes to think of what makes you feel fortunate. For example, if you have tea every morning, this would be a good connection to make. Sitting down to tea will soon become a reminder to contemplate on your three things.

Create Visual RemindersIf you find yourself forgetting to do it or skipping out on your new task, add some visual cues to your environment. Post-it notes are great for this. Stick one on your nightstand. Add another to your bathroom mirror. Technology comes in handy for reminders, as well. Set an alarm on your phone so that you don’t leave the house or fall asleep without taking time to consider what makes you feel thankful.

Turn It AroundYou can also try the opposite. Turn complaints around into something positive. Maybe you wake up with a sore back and don’t want to get out of bed. It may seem obvious, but reminding yourself that you’re in overall good health and that you have a safe place to sleep can do wonders for your outlook. Try to find the silver lining. It really works.

Take NotesA good habit can be jotting things down during the day as they happen. It only takes a few seconds to make a note of what you feel grateful for in that moment. You can reflect on it later during your quiet bedtime routine.

Hopefully, you now see how getting into the habit of recognizing the good thing in life really isn’t all that difficult. A few small changes to your routine and you’ll find it’s actually quite easy to implement this practice.

What A Difference A Bit Of Gratitude Makes

Gratitude can be simply broken down to appreciating the good things in your life. It doesn’t always seem simple, though. When things are hectic or stressful, finding the silver lining can be challenging. However, learning how to embrace gratitude can significantly boost your happiness. Being grateful offers a host of other benefits you’re probably not aware of, too. Let’s take a closer look at the concept, ways it can improve your life and how to practice it.

About Gratitude

There are many definitions of gratitude. Some people believe it’s a feeling or emotion. Others look at it as more of a mood. Still, some folks believe gratitude is a personality trait a person exhibits. These can all be correct. In essence, gratitude elicits satisfaction and appreciation in a person through feelings, actions or even inherent qualities. However, even those of us who may be more inclined to feel grateful on a regular basis through our glass-half-full-optimism likely need to work on evoking such an outlook. Gratitude can be viewed as a practice or something you perform regularly. Most people practice something because it benefits them. This is true of gratitude. As with other practices, you’ll get better at demonstrating gratitude the more you work at it.

Benefits of Embracing Gratitude

There are many benefits of gratitude; many of them have been scientifically proven. Once you begin to understand these, chances are good that you’ll see why it’s so important to develop a grateful mindset. Gratitude can have a positive effect on both physical and mental health. Research has shown it to improve relaxation, sleep quality and energy levels. Being thankful for your blessings can enhance your emotional wellness. You’ll deal better in crisis situations and find you’re more resilient when you’re able to look on the bright side. This can contribute to better relationships, too. Appreciating the positives in life can simply make you feel happier.

Ways to Practice Gratitude

Recognizing your blessings may not come easily at first, but there are some ways to help make it a habit and a regular part of your routine. One of the most convenient and impactful methods for cultivating appreciation is through keeping a gratitude journal. In this practice, you’ll write down three things each day that you’re grateful for, which makes it easier to notice and recognize those good things. Meditation has also been shown to help. Also, making an effort to thank someone each day, for even the smallest thing, opens your eyes and heart to abundance. Giving back and doing good for others can provide tremendous perspective, as well.

Now you have a better idea of just what making a concerted effort to count your blessings can do for your life. Embracing and expressing gratitude are more important than many of us realize.

10 Side Hustles You Can Start for FREE

10 Side Hustles You Can Start for FREE

Are you like so many of us out there right now trying to figure out how you can make some extra money
so that you can pay off bills or save up for something great?  You are not alone! I know the idea of starting
a business is kind of scary, especially if you don’t have any start up money, but don’t worry, there are side
hustles that you can start for free in the meantime. 

1.  Dog Walker. People love their pets, but don’t always have time to walk them. If you like dogs, this is a great way to earn some extra cash.

2.  Driver. Do you have a newer, lower mileage vehicle? You can do some driving for Uber or Lyft to make some extra money! If you live in a bigger city, there is a lot of opportunity for this side hustle. 

3.  Focus Groups. Have you ever done a focus group? Many businesses hold focus groups to get customer reactions and they pay well for it. You can expect to make $50 to $100 an hour at focus groups.

4.  Teach English Online. If you have a Bachelor’s Degree, you can apply to work at VIPKid teaching English to children online, making $20 per hour or more.

5.  Online selling. Do you have stuff sitting around your house that you no longer use? Why not put it up for sale at Ebay, or FB Marketplace?

6.  Writer. There are websites such as Textbroker that will pay you for writing articles for them. These are lower paid jobs, but it’s one way to earn some money in your downtime and a great way to get a start as a freelance writer if that is something that you are interested in. 

7.  Pooper Scooper. There are a lot of dog owners out there that don’t want to scoop up poop and will gladly pay someone else to do it. It’s a yucky job, but it’s also a quick job that pays well.

8.  Babysitter. You can offer babysitting services in their home or yours. Only do this one if you like children though.

9.  Graphic Design. Do you know your way around Photoshop or Canva? There are many graphic design jobs out there that people are willing to pay for. Check out Fiverr to get some ideas.  

10.  Laundry Service. Are you the type that doesn’t mind laundry? Why not offer a service to do people’s laundry for them? There are many people out there that hate doing laundry and would happily pay for you to do it for them.