How To Practice Gratitude Every Morning In 3 Simple Steps

Its no secret that practicing gratitude comes with a great deal of benefits.

Gratitude can help us to see the world as a cup half full, instead of half empty. It can also help you focus on the good, to see things more clearly and to bring more joy back into the everyday. 

Its such a simple ritual, yet I find that If I go a few days without reflecting on what is actually good in my life and the world around me, I begin to overlook the simple pleasures in everyday moments.

Thinking about everything I am grateful for, like my cozy coffee on a cool brisk morning, and how the rain will help my flowers and trees grow, and just being grateful that my family is healthy and thriving. 

Today I woke up an hour earlier just so that I could cook my kids a hot lunch for school. You could say its a chore, but alas, I was thinking about how grateful I am to have the flexibility in my life to get up earlier than usual, feeling rested and be able to provide my children with something as simple as a healthy, organic and hot lunch on this cool rainy day. 

At the end of the day, life is all about our own perspective and how we see the world.

Theres so much noise out there, especially on social media and particularly on short form video to be exact. While I am not immune to the distraction, the noise that is constantly inundating us with information we may have not even intended to consume. Most of it feels pointless, hopefully funny for a good little laugh and yet, sometimes the content leaves us feeling like there are so many terrible things out in the world. 

The truth is that gratitude is not just about making a list of things to be thankful for. It is about slowing down enough to genuinely notice what is already wonderfully present and good in your life now.

Gratitude is right in front of you, you just have to see it. 

Practicing gratitude every morning doesn't have to take long either, you can do it in just a few minutes, on the drive to work or even those first few moments after opening your eyes while you are still laying in bed. 

This simple practice 3 step gratitude routine can be completed in approximately five minutes, and works even if you are busy or in a hurry. 

Ps. The rose in the image below is actually from my garden. I decided to grow a flower garden so that I seemly always have fresh flowers to bring to the dining table, something I dreamed of doing for many years. I am very much grateful for the true manifestation of these little rosey beauties. 

1. Begin By Asking Yourself This Question

Skip Checking Your Phone When You First Wake Up. Did you know that the first thing you give your attention to shortly after waking up can influence the direction of your thoughts and potentially your entire day?

When your phone gets your attention first, your morning can oh so quickly become shaped by other people’s needs, updates, opinions, and expectations. Yikes. That is already sounding stressful! 

When you wake up in the morning, before you check your messages, email, calendar, or social media, give yourself a few quiet minutes. and ask your self "What is already good in this moment?"

Maybe your home is still and silent and your bed is cozy and warm. Perhaps you hear your wonderful children beginning to wake up. Maybe the rain is tapping against the window, or the smell of coffee is drifting down the hallway. 

If you need to write the question down on a sticky note or on a piece of paper to set on your bedside, do so. Whatever will help you get into the habit of waking up and bringing to light your very own gratitude. 

An old, wise friend of mine from many years ago once told me that the best moments in the everyday are the ones shortly after waking up. Lay there for a while and snuggle up. Think happy thoughts when you first wake up and you'll live a happy life. 

It sounded so simple, and yet it was pretty transformative. I tried this little tip the very next morning, and the next, and next, and to my delight, I actually felt better. I also learned to slow down too. 

For several years I had instinctively felt like I was running around in a manic rush trying to do it all. I believed that jumping out of bed the second I woke up would make me more productive, yet it fact, the opposite seems to ring true. 

Taking in a few moments with simple, thankful thoughts of gratitude for my self in the morning has made me a happier person. I learned to slow down and smell the roses, all while seeing the world through my very own shaded, rose colored glasses.   

2. Name Three Specific Things You Are Grateful For

Grab your journal, your cozy cup of coffee and write down three specific things you are grateful for. The trick is to actually be specific, thoughtful and detailed. Feel free to elaborate and reminisce over what you are grateful for. 

For example, instead of writing,

1. My coffee.
2. My Job
3. My family 

Try to reflect a little bit deeper as it will help you to better connect and remember specific moments in more clarity. 

Try writing:

1. I love how the cup of coffee warms my soul in the morning and gives me the energy to tackle the things that I can throughout my day. 
2. I am blessed to have a job that offers me the flexibility to pick up my kids from school and work while they are working. 
3. I love my family and seeing the kids playing so well together yesterday filled my heart with warmth. 

Tell yourself little, dreamy stories about your own life and your everyday. Its amazing how transformative and impressive this simple daily routine can become. 

Writing something down helps you recognize it, but this next step is what helps you actually feel it.

And it only takes twenty seconds.

3. Turn Your Gratitude Into an Action

After you have completed your 3 thoughts of gratitude, its time to put them into action. Simply ask yourself:

How can I respond to this gratitude today?

Choose one item from your list each day and put it into a simple action. 

A few examples of this look like: 

If you are feeling grateful for a friend, you can take a simple action by sending her a thoughtful text message.

If you are feeling grateful for your home, spend few minutes caring for it. Perhaps take out the trash or wipe down the counters to give them a fresh clean shine.

If you are feeling grateful for your body you can take action by continuing to care for it. Drink a tall glass of water, take a walk to get some fresh air, or give yourself permission to rest today. Listen to your body and take the action that needs to be met. 

If you are grateful for your children, its truly possible to put your phone down and give them your full attention. Its well deserved, I am sure (;

These are just a few examples of ways you can take your gratitude routine from simply being on paper to manifesting more of it by continuing to create a positive reinforcement in your actual day to day life. 

3 Step Gratitude Routine Recap 

Here is your complete three minute morning gratitude routine:

Step one: Notice it.
Pause before checking your phone and recognize one good things in your life that are  already present.

Step two: Feel it.
Return to a meaningful moment and write down the details you want to remember and be greatful for.

Step three: Live it.
Choose one action or intention that allows your gratitude to shape the rest of your day.

Notice it. Feel it. Live it.

Util next time. XOXO