Share What You Are Grateful for Every Night
Keeping a gratitude journal is not a silly “laugh, love” habit; it is a scientifically proven way to improve your mental, emotional and even physical health. This is also kind of a difficult habit, and it can seem silly to go it alone. If you live with a partner or other loved one, try this best method from blogger Raymond .
At the end of each day, talk to your partner (or other family members) about three things each of you liked or appreciated that day. That’s all you need to do to become a little happier.
If the ritual begins to feel forced (especially on a bad day), you are allowed to first call “grunt” what you are unhappy with. But if you do it as a bedtime ritual, you and your partner have probably grumbled a few times already.
Acknowledgments can be of any scale. Any scale, really, says Raymond:
Maybe the sun was just shining beautifully in your coffee cup, and maybe that didn’t stop the insurance company from fooling you and your best friend getting mad at you and your boss getting fired today.
This is usually won.
If you do not live with loved ones, but you have close friends, you can develop a habit with them. This is especially useful if you have a friend with whom you want to talk more often.
As Ramone says, it is easier to form a habit of speaking than keeping a journal or daily meditation. “It’s a social habit,” says Ramon. Plus, many of you remember that. (My wife immediately accepted this ritual, and usually she’s the one who turns us on.)
Perform the ritual during an already established evening routine: at dinner or while brushing your teeth. If you do this after the usual conversations at the end of the day, you are less likely to stray from the topic during the gratitude.
My wife and I love to say thanks in bed as the last thing we say to each other before saying good night and reading our books. Our e-books. Okay, our Twitter feeds. You may have bad habits, but at the same time develop good ones.