Gratitude is suggested as one of the powerful techniques for mental well-being. I have tried multiple ways to incorporate this habit into my routine. I started to write down 3-5 things that I'm grateful for at the end of each day, then I shifted this habit to the beginning of the day. I also tried a slight variation to the same practice and called it my happiness journal. But none of these habits were sticking to me and I didn't really "connect" deeper to the purpose behind them.
But in the last week, I started practicing a new technique to incorporate gratitude into my life.
When you sense something is going well in your life, just feel grateful during that very moment. Don't leave it for the end of the day, the beginning of the day, or whenever you open your journal next. There is no need to jot down. Just the feeling is sufficient to realize its tremendous power.
Mindfulness is a prerequisite for this technique. Being aware of the present moment creates that space to feel a sense of gratitude.
As I started to do this, I realized that there were multiple moments during the day when I felt grateful for my family, pets, books, friends, mentors, and the Universe.
- That evening when I had viral fever, terrible body pain and my hands were shivering. D brought me a tumbler of hot water and asked me to hold it so my hands can stay warm
- The very next morning, I woke up feeling exhausted and felt relieved to see K having made idlis and coconut chutney for breakfast
- As I snuggled inside a warm blanket after taking a painkiller tablet, my pet cat W cuddled next to my legs, giving me company the whole afternoon
- When I woke up in the evening, feeling a little better, the other cutie Octi came running to me and greeted me with so much love
- My househelp wasn't keeping well either but she somehow arranged an alternate person to help me with washing the dishes
- As I received the books that my soul friend had sent me as my birthday gift, I felt so happy and blessed to have a thoughtful friend
- Friends who messaged and enquired when my city was flooded a few days ago
These were just a few such moments but there were a lot more these past few days.
It just feels like I have finally connected myself to the power socket of gratitude and switched it on. Not that I wasn't grateful before, but somehow the habit of complaining/cribbing overpowered gratitude due to various reasons. As I became aware that this habit isn't helping me in any way, I was figuring out a way to get over it. And the events from the past week helped me transition over to moments of gratitude.