FERNWOOD FITNESS - PULSE eMagazine - Issue#14 - Flipbook - Page 55
How to practice
gratitude
Practicing gratitude
offers numerous
avenues for both
individual and collective
engagement. Just like
any skill, gratitude
can be cultivated and
strengthened through
intentional efforts.
• Identify what you’re
grateful for: By making
it a daily habit to ponder
on the positive aspects
of your life, you train
your mind to naturally
seek out and appreciate
the good. To maximise
the impact of this
practice, it is bene昀椀cial
to dedicate at least ten
minutes to the activity
rather than rushing
through it hastily.
• Start a gratitude
journal: Through the
act of writing, you
tap into different
perspectives and
access memories and
emotions from a fresh
vantage point. Research
has even shown that
maintaining a gratitude
journal activates brain
regions associated with
positive emotions and
moral considerations.
Revisiting your
own expressions of
gratefulness in the
future can also serve
as a source of solace
and inspiration during
challenging times.
• Tell someone how
you feel: Expressing
gratitude to someone
new each week can
also be profoundly
impactful. By setting
the intention to thank
someone in various
ways, you expand
your repertoire of
gratitude expressions.
It need not be limited
to verbal thanks;
you can incorporate
conscious non-verbal
communication, such
as making eye contact
and sharing a smile, or
convey appreciation
through thoughtful
messages, emails, or
gestures of gratitude.
• Give mediation a
go: Meditation is
another potent tool for
cultivating gratitude. By
engaging in meditative
practices, you
cultivate acceptance,
detachment, and
forgiveness, all of
which pave the way
for a deeper sense of
gratitude to emerge.
• Focus more on other
people’s actions:
Whenever someone
extends a kind gesture
or offers a gift, take a
moment to visualise
their willingness to
help, their desire to
bring happiness or
their availability to
support you. This
shift in perspective
can amplify your
appreciation for their
thoughtfulness and
reinforce your own
gratitude mindset.
By exploring these
various pathways, you
can develop a richer
and more meaningful
relationship with
gratitude, opening
yourself up to a world
of positivity and
contentment.
Each of us possesses
the capacity and the
opportunity to nurture
gratitude, a practice
that produces swift
results and doesn’t
cost a cent. Instead of
昀椀xating on perceived
entitlements, take a few
precious moments to
centre your attention
on the abundance
that surrounds you,
appreciating all that you
already have.
