There is reason why something as simple and basic as gratitude needs to be emphasized in modern day context. Our generation is experiencing an unprecedented pressure to succeed and better our lives. Hitherto it was about earning bread and butter but today we are worried about instagramable pictures and the shape of our nose. With social media making it possible and almost compulsive for us to constantly peak into other people’s lives, comparisons and a resulting dissatisfaction are inevitable. This is despite our knowing that what is put out and up on these platforms is more often than not, a distorted and pretentious version of truth. Yet we suffer.

Haven’t you noticed feelings of lack, envy and dissatisfaction surfacing and lingering on in the background of our mind, post a session through the social media? It is as if there is something wrong with our life right now that needs to be fixed. Or, as if our to-do lists keep bugeoning day by day without much being struck off them ! Do you honestly think that all this pressure and need to correct and want more is real or just a by product of the social media ? While there is nothing wrong with being ambitious but hasn’t it taken the form of feverishness for most people? Haven’t we been tossed from one goal to another, from one consumable to another without really pausing in between to relish and feel truly grateful for all that we receive during the day? In a full day packed with goals and achievables and scrolling and planning and gossiping and fretting, where is the room for feeling grateful? Modern living has pushed us away from sunsets and roses; from leisure and kindness and so we are not naturally experiencing gratitude any more. But , we need to consciously make room for it lest we will be ruining our mental and spiritual health.

Have gratitude for all that you have and you can be happy exactly as you are. – Mandacy Ingber

Gratitude is the not so secret ingredient that has the power to turn around the experience of our life. It is the single most powerful tool that we can use to boost our mental health and that too at a surprisingly fast rate. All it takes is awareness and little bit of practice !

Here’s a practical step by step routine that you can immediately apply to start seeing results:

• As soon as you wake up in the morning and before you even open your eyes, smile and place your hands over your heart. Take a long deep breath and feel gratitude for the body that you have got. Glide your loving attention from your toes up till the head and try sending love and gratitude to each body part as you keep your eyes closed. You may chose your own pace while doing so. Even if your attention drifts , gently bring it back to your body until you actually feel a release and comfort in your body. Even if you are sick, feel gratitude that at least you are alive and are able to think! Now this might seem very difficult to some but I guarantee that it is just the first time that will be the hardest. The more you keep doing it, the easier and more natural it will become for you to actually feel it! This is a beautiful technique to connect with your body and fuel it with love and gratitude before you actually start using it right away. You will notice that your body will reciprocate the love you infused her with, throughout the day. It is a great way to build the connection that we have lost with our own bodies. Everybody responds to love and our own bodies are no exception. Try this every morning and you must feel a difference.
• As you wake up and start with your day, before jumping into your tasks, train your mind to say three ‘wow’ sentences. Like one of them could be, “Wow, it is such a beautiful weather today. Look at the lovely colour of the sky and the pretty roses in the garden.” Turn those sentences into paragraphs and say them loud enough for your own self to hear them. Let your mind know each morning that all is well around you !
• Before you sleep, say three ‘wow’ sentences again. This time, recollect all the good that happened to you during the day, howsoever trivial it may seem. Build those sentences into paragraphs. You will be amazed at the snow ball effect of your thoughts and the beautiful feeling of gratitude that will naturally envelop you as you savour the beauty of the day! Remember we just have to give our mind a beautiful focal point every time it wants to build a story.
• After you have enjoyed feeling gratitude for the good in your day, repeat the morning exercise of gliding your loving attention throughout your body and you shall peacefully drift into sound sleep.

Yes, I know all this seems easier said than done! We have a bucket full of problems in real life. We may be too worked up to fit in any other activities in our day. That is precisely why I have suggested practices that take up only the beginning and the end part of your day. Nothing additional in between. You may have a habit of using your phone in order to unwind before bed or first thing in the morning. You can still continue doing that for now. Just add these practices .

All change happens outside the comfort zone. That is why we need to begin small and we must begin with awareness of why we want to make a shift. We need to ask ourselves some good questions like .. are we happy in becoming the person we are becoming? What is the quality of experience of our life? Are our activities compulsive or conscious choice ? Do we even believe that we can live in a better way or have we accepted the poorness of life as normal just because many people around us experience it ?

I am in no way suggesting that we ignore the negative experiences and problems of our day. All of them need to handled and digested. But, first thing in the morning and last thing in the night are not meant to process the negativities, simply and scientifically because these times are actual portals into our sub-conscious mind that is primarily shaping the course of our life ! We have the entire day to play life life and deal with all its problems with all our might, but we must retire and surrender and feel grateful before dozing off. We must feel grateful before beginning our day.

You will see that as your keep practising, this will become your source of energy. You will feel supported and cared for. Just keep working on the beginnings and endings diligently. It has worked like magic for me and for many of my people and there is no reason why it won’t work for you. This is the simplest way to bring back gratitude into your life.

P.S. Multiply your chances of actually doing it by setting up a gratitude alarm around your sleep time now! Begin tonight.