Start The Week With Gratitude — Mondays With Mattea

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Whether you’re coming out of the weekend feeling refreshed or stressed, it’s important to get the new week started with a positive, healthy mindset.

Today, I’ve got gratitude on my mind, and a few things I’d like to share with all of you about why a daily gratitude practice is so important.

With the hustle of our everyday lives, it can be easy to let gratitude fall to the wayside. Whether you’re feeling overwhelmed with anxiety, stress or are feeling unsettled about where things are in your life, it’s important to remember gratitude is essential, and can actually help you overcome these negative feelings.

Being grateful doesn’t have to be difficult — it just has to be intentional.

Start by taking notice of, and making time to actually appreciate the small things you experience every day. It’s important to our happiness, plus it will lower your stress and build a foundation for a successful recovery.

Something that works great for me when I’m feeling down is to write a list of the things I’m grateful for. When I write it down, it allows me to visualize it. And visualizing something helps me become more aware of the blessings I have while refocusing my thinking, turning negative thoughts into positive ones. This is important as you work to stay in the healthy mindset that recovery requires!

You might find a few of these things helpful as you start working on a gratitude practice:

  • Keep a gratitude journal. Grab a notebook and a pen and save it for gratitude only. You can write in it every night, every morning, or keep it with you in a backpack or purse as you experience small moments of joy throughout the day.

  • Keep a positive attitude. This might seem easier said than done, but does it have to be that difficult? All day long, try to become aware of your attitude. Start making small steps each moment to refocus your thoughts on something positive, remembering what you’re grateful for. In the long run, this will help you make a positive, grateful attitude your new norm.

  • Reach out to positive healthy people. Who we surround ourselves with matters. If you’re finding it difficult to stay positive and grateful, take a look around you. Could you add new, positive friends to your life? Think about a person you admire or want to get to know better, maybe from treatment or a meeting, and keep their attitude in your life — and learn from it. Even a one hour coffee with a positive person can reset your day in a healthy way.

These are just a few ideas to get you started. What works best for you?

Remember, it’s a new day, a new week and you can always shift your mindset. So today, start your week with a moment of gratitude. What are you grateful for today? How will this help you focus the week ahead in a positive way?

Mattea Schmitz is the CEO of Common Ground. Every Monday, we sit down to hear her inspiration for the week and share it with others. Stay tuned for more recovery inspiration next week!