Practicing Gratitude during Transitions

The entire month of November seems to overflow with messages of gratitude and while those messages are meant to add a little positivity into our lives, being grateful can be a challenge when you are going through a major life transition.

However, practicing the art of gratitude becomes even more essential during stressful moments. Experts agree that staying focused on what you are thankful for keeps you hopeful, grounded, and more resilient.

Here are three ways you can practice gratitude even if you are not feeling very grateful:

Keep a Journal of Challenges

At the end of each day write down three things that challenged you: a conversation you had with your soon-to-be-ex, coming home to an empty house, etc. Instead of focusing on the failure of your challenge, focus on the opportunity that it has presented and celebrate the progress you’ve already made. Gratitude isn’t about fixing a problem, but reorganizing your thinking.

Write Letters of Thanks (even to your ex!)

In today’s fast moving world of technology it is easier for us to send a quick email or text to thank someone, but when we take the time to actually write down the words it gives us pause; a time to reflect on what this person really means to us. Make a goal to send five handwritten notes of thanks by the end of November. And at least one of those notes should be to someone you find difficult—including your ex- (or soon-to-be-ex) spouse. When we can look back and reflect on how even our broken relationships have had a positive impact on us, it helps us heal.

Appreciate YOU

Gratitude isn’t just about appreciating the people and things around us it is also about appreciating ourselves. It is important to allow yourself time each day to do those things that nourish your body, mind, and spirit. Meditate, exercise, or just spend time laughing at funny pictures. When you take the time to do something nice for yourself, you are better able to address the needs of others.

They say that gratitude and fear cannot exist at the same time—a great thought for when life is giving you more lemons than you would like. While we are somewhat programmed to focus on all that is broken or lacking in our lives as we go through life transitions, shifting our attitude towards being thankful fills us with hope and opens us up to new opportunities.