GRATITUDE: A NIGHTLY RITUAL

We all have rituals  and routines.

Maybe your nighttime ritual is to brush your teeth, shower and read a chapter of your favourite novel. Or check your email and social media accounts. Some of our rituals are healthier than others! 

About two years ago I started a new ritual, and my husband has since joined in!

Every night after brushing our teeth, we say out loud three things we are grateful for! Approximately once a week, we also say  one thing we are proud of each other for and one thing we are proud of ourselves for! This is also a great bonding exercise and can help to improve the quality of your relationships.

So take a few moments to reflect on this; express your gratitude and appreciation to eachother....but also your gratitude and appreciation for yourself!!

What are you grateful for?

The reality is there are so many things we have to be grateful for. If you are anything like me, you will probably discover that you take a lot for granted. This exercise can really challenge you to become more aware and appreciative of all the "little things" in life that really do make a positive impact on our day-to-day lives! 

Once you have been expressing your gratitude for a few weeks, try to challenge yourself by not repeating any of the things that you have said previously. (This gets harder the longer you do it, and also tests your memory!)

Additionally, this is an exercise of compassion...self-compassion. I know that I am not alone in saying that I have the tendency to not give myself enough credit for my accomplishments and to dismiss things easily. This is why this exercise can be so powerful!  It gives you the opportunity to acknowledge and appreciate yourself! 

Challenge yourself every night to come up with three things you are grateful for as well as 1 thing you are proud of yourself for. No repeating! See how many different things you can come up with! I think you will be pleasantly surprised!


**Want to make this exercise even more effective?

Write it down.

Create your own Gratitude Journal that you can refer to and keep it handy!