It’s that time of year when people begin thinking about the things they are thankful for. Although it’s nice to count your blessings on Thanksgiving, cultivating gratitude in your daily life can have a tremendous benefit on the quality of your life.

The practice of gratitude as a tool for happiness has been in the mainstream for years. Long-term studies show gratitude improves our physical and mental health, positively impacts our relationships, enhances sleep, reduces stress, and increases the rate of recovery from surgery.

But while we may acknowledge gratitude’s many benefits, it still can be difficult to sustain.  So many of us are trained to notice what is broken, undone or lacking in our lives. And for gratitude to meet its full healing potential in our lives, it needs to become more than just a Thanksgiving word. We have to learn a new way of looking at things, a new habit. And that can take some time.

That’s why practicing gratitude makes so much sense. When we practice giving thanks for all we have, instead of complaining about what we lack, we give ourselves the chance to see all of life as an opportunity and a blessing.

Remember that gratitude isn’t a blind optimistic approach in which the bad things in life are whitewashed or ignored. It’s more a matter of where we put our focus and attention. Pain and injustice exist in this world, but when we focus on the gifts of life, we gain a feeling of well-being. Gratitude balances us and gives us hope.

There are many things to be grateful for: colorful autumn leaves, our health, friends and family,  delicious food, a favorite sweater, our pets (below is my cat Lucy who I am especially grateful for).  What’s on your list?

Some Ways to Practice Gratitude 

•  Keep a gratitude journal in which you list things for which you are thankful. You can make daily, weekly or monthly lists. Greater frequency may be better for creating a new habit, but just keeping that journal where you can see it will remind you to think in a grateful way.

•  Make a gratitude collage by drawing or pasting pictures.

•  Practice gratitude around the dinner table or make it part of your nighttime routine.

•  Make a game of finding the hidden blessing in a challenging situation.

•  When you feel like complaining, make a gratitude list instead. You may be amazed by how much better you feel.

As you practice, an inner shift begins to occur, and you may be delighted to discover how content and hopeful you are feeling. That sense of fulfillment is the power of gratitude at work.