How to Be Grateful Even During Tough Times

Faced with busy schedules and challenging lives, we often forget how fortunate we truly are. Even when things are going well we forget.

Being thankful should be treated as an important part of the day because appreciation contributes to our genuine happiness.

When you are grateful, it helps you to be more positive, receptive, optimistic, hopeful, peaceful, and grounded, especially during trying situations.

When times are tough, or if you are in the midst of despair, or emotional mayhem, taking a moment to foster your appreciation will create a sense of encouragement and calm when you need it most.

When you acknowledge the people and things in your day that were helpful or appreciated, it can put things back in perspective again and bring you back to the center or a more mindful space.

It is good to write things down before going to bed, creating a grateful ending to the day. Using all these techniques will really focus you on your blessings, even in the midst of challenges.

Make A Conscious Effort: When you make a conscious effort to acknowledge the things and people in your life that you are thankful for, you are saying, “No matter what, I am still grateful”. You aren’t closing your eyes, you are keeping them open to see more and more beauty and goodness in your life even on days when it’s tough to see them.

Write Them Down: When you jot things down, as opposed to just thinking about them, you are truly taking in each and every one. You aren’t just aware of them, you are acknowledging them. You are pausing and remembering the positives of your day and in your life. You are focusing on a moment in time that you truly appreciated and you are allowing it to sink into your heart and soul.

Remain Hopeful: Some days can be extremely hard to be optimistic or feel good about. Being grateful reminds you there are people supporting you and things that helped you through your day. These are the encouragements and cheerleaders to help you through the tough time and it’s important to recognize and honor them.

Acknowledge the Challenges: Challenges are generally not something someone wants to go through, let alone appreciate. Yet, they are often the very things that can help define, fine-tune, improve, alter, and sometimes force necessary changes and growth. In time, triumphs really can emerge from tragedies. Don’t forget to acknowledge the challenges, what you are learning, and most importantly, what you are grateful for because of this hardship.

Treasure The Moments: Moments come and go throughout the day, and sometimes they can be overlooked, under-appreciated, or taken for granted. They won’t be though if you acknowledge them. It’s the little things that may go unnoticed but are so important to notice.

Don’t Forget When You Are Feeling Good: When things are going great, and you are feeling on top of the world, don’t forget to appreciate all that you have and all that you are. In a blink of an eye, things can change and you don’t want to forget to truly be thankful for all the goodness in your life.

There truly are many blessings, and it’s important to acknowledge and give thanks for them.

What and/or whom are you grateful for today?

Source: How to Be Grateful Even During Tough Times