Stress and anxiety are common with PD. One goal we have is to arm you with strategies and practices to combat these symptoms. Today we will focus on developing a gratitude practice.
So often in the hectic pace of life it is easy to focus on the negative or what is not going well. A daily gratitude or thankfulness practice can help shift your mindset from those negative thoughts onto the positive. By getting into the routine of recognizing daily 3-5 things you are grateful for you have the ability to redirect your attention to things in your life that bring joy.
Another benefit of a daily gratitude practice is that it can help you look for the small positive things that happen every day. This could be...
funny joke that made you laugh
someone holding a door open
a great workout
getting a card or email from a loved one
good cup of coffee
A gratitude practice can be simple and does not need any special tools or equipment. You just need a pen and a notebook. There is research that actually shows thoughts stick with us better when we write them down, which is why I encourage you to write down your practice daily. This should only take a couple minutes but will have benefits throughout the day. You can write down literally anything that you are grateful...there is no judgment and no one will be looking this over besides you.
Another way to build this into you day is saying one thing that was a high or that you are grateful for everyday. We do this at the dinner table every night. We each go around the table and share our high.
Try it out this week. Every day write out 3-5 things that you are grateful for!