Practicing Gratitude and Meditation
By Kaitlin Costarene
Gratitude and meditation are two of the best ways to reset the mind, calm the body, and be still. Both of these practices have incredible health benefits, not only for the mind, but also for the body. Over the summer I began to get more involved with gratitude and mediation, and I simply cannot express to you in words how drastically these practices have changed my perspective on my daily life, on both the good days and the bad. To find out for yourself, give them a try.
Gratitude, the feeling of thankfulness and appreciation, is a very positive emotion. In order to reap all of its beauty and benefits, it is crucial to incorporate a daily gratitude practice into your routine. I personally prefer to do my gratitude practice every morning. I write down five things I am grateful for every single day in my gratitude journal. Sometimes, they are things as small as “the bed I woke up in” and other days, they are as large as, “my health and safety.” Often, it can be difficult to find gratitude in every single day if you are only looking at the big picture. It’s important to remember that as humans, we naturally take much of the blessings in our lives for granted. For example, you might forget that you are grateful for your ability to walk, because not everyone can. Or you might be grateful for the food in your refrigerator, because not everyone has that either. There are so many small, simple things in life to be grateful for, like good music or a hot cup of coffee in the morning.
By writing down five things that I am grateful for every morning, I set myself up for optimism and gratitude throughout my day. This, in turn, gives me a better perspective on each day, on what matters most, and serves as a reminder of how blessed I am. According to Happify Daily, people who regularly take time to notice and reflect upon the things they are grateful for “experience more positive emotions, feel more alive, sleep better, express more compassion and kindness, and even have stronger immune systems.” These benefits are all pretty incredible, and can happen with just a simple, daily gratitude practice. My personal practice requires me to wake up five minutes earlier than I normally would, which is absolutely doable for anyone who is willing. It takes so little time and is so worth it to think about the things, people, places, and more, that you are thankful for.
Meditation, a practice of being mindful and often focusing on the breath, is another daily practice I highly recommend. There are a variety of meditation types and practices available online, so it is important to find one that works best for you. I have recently been doing a ten minute, guided meditation each night before bed, and it has significantly improved the quality of my sleep, my levels of relaxation the following day, and my sense of peace and serenity in the moment. Meditation gives the body a sense of deep rest, and has been proven to have many health benefits as well. Healthline.com states that meditation can help reduce stress, control anxiety, promote emotional health, enhance self-awareness, lengthen attention span, generate kindness, improve sleep, fight addiction, control pain, and much more. This daily practice feels so good in the moment and is so good for your mind and body, so taking those few extra minutes out of your day to truly relax and be present is something I cannot recommend enough.
According to further research, it takes about 21 days to form a habit, and about 90 days to make it a permanent lifestyle change. I have not yet reached the 90 day mark for either my gratitude or meditation practices, but I intend on getting there. If you are at all curious about how these practices may improve the quality of your life, it doesn’t hurt to try. But please, try more than once. Try for a few days in a row, and maybe that will eventually turn into 90 days in a row, and suddenly, you have a significant lifestyle change. And if these practices aren’t for you, then at least you know you tried. With that, I urge you to take a few minutes out of each day to cultivate gratitude and be mindful. You won’t regret it.
