Gratitude is life changing. Literally. By practicing gratitude in your everyday life, you can transform your attitude, and life, into a more positive one. One that is infectious for other people to be around. One that brings joy everywhere you go.
When you practice gratitude you change your life for the better. You focus on appreciating the things you do have instead of the things you don’t. So what are three great ways you can start practicing gratitude today? Keep reading.
Say Please and Thank You
This is not just one of the easiest ways to instill gratitude in yourself, but it’s also just good manners. Saying please and thank you to someone, even for quick and simple things like holding a door for you, or putting food on your plate in the lunch line, changes your day and theirs for the better.
Show people that you appreciate even the little things they do for you. Doing so will instill an appreciation of those little things in you.
Compliment Others
Complimenting others shows them that you care about and appreciate them. Compliment people on things they can control, not on things like their looks. If someone has really great style, let them know that. If one of your teammates in kickball makes an awesome play, compliment them on it.
You’ll brighten someone else’s day, and part of gratitude is putting that good energy you cultivate with gratitude back into the world.
Good Morning/Night Gratitudes
Practicing gratitude immediately when you wake up in the morning, and right before you go to bed at night, has been shown to boost your overall serotonin levels, which is the chemical our bodies produce when we’re happy.
This is a really simple exercise you can do whether you’re at home with your family, or at summer camp with your friends. Before you go to bed at night reflect on at least one thing that happened to you during the day you’re grateful for, and when you wake up in the morning find one thing about the morning you’re grateful for.
It can be anything that you feel made a positive impact on your life, no matter how seemingly small.
CTA
Gratitude might be one of the most powerful tools we can use to change our mindsets and our lives. And camp is a great place for kids to learn how to practice gratitude. Being away from home helps them to appreciate the little things they take for granted, and living with other kids for the summer helps them to appreciate people’s differences.
Gratitude is a tool we help our campers learn at Camp Cody. To learn more about how our camp can help your child grow as a person, contact us today.