The Gratitude Challenge

Oh great another challenge. Life’s pretty challenging as is, I get it, and we have stresses of our jobs, relationships, putting up with our in-laws, etcetera.  What if I told you that this challenge was a bit different, what if it’s a challenge to reduce all that stress, improve your health, relationships, jobs and more! What if this challenge changes life for the better?

That would be pretty amazing to change your life around wouldn’t it? The challenge its self is pretty straightforward: to be more grateful. Yes! That’s it!  It all sounds pretty easy but it can get pretty challenging especially the amount of will power required, but first… lets see what this challenge can do for us:

Relationships:

 

Both with yourself and others being grateful can have a huge impact and will change how you see things and how others see you. Gratitude has been said to be a relationship strengthening emotion.  It makes us more sensitive to situations, makes us feel less lonely, more thankful, more outgoing, more compassionate, and ultimately creates more positive social behaviours and eliminates our destructive behaviours.

 

If you have depression you may realize that you're in this cycle of feeling alone, but always wanting to be alone, it's self destructive and we can work on changing all that.

Physiological:

 

Being grateful will make you more alert, more energetic, enthused, and more attentive. You'll also have more joy and pleasure. Overall you'll be happier and want to look forward to your days as opposed to waking up and counting the days until the weekend.

Physical:

 

I knew for a long time researching mental disorders that they can create physical symptoms. Our feelings are called feelings for a reason, because we can feel them.

Being grateful you may find yourself exercising more, sleeping better. You will find your self-having less general aches and pains like stomach or head aches. You will reduce blood pressure.  One cooler thing is you’ll see a ten percent increase in overall sleep duration!

I don’t know about but I could always use more sleep.

The Challenge:

The challenge is a 21-day challenge to change how you think, to change your life. If you plan on starting this challenge congratulations! This is the first step towards your new life!  The rules are simple follow the guideline day after day.  If you fail to complete a day you must restart the challenge.  After each day write down what you’re grateful for in a journal or on a calendar. Don’t be afraid to review it form time to time.

Tip: Be sure to feel the gratitude in every part of your body, mind and soul. Try to radiate how grateful you are to the universe.

Day 1:
Make a social media post on what you’re grateful for today. It can be as small or as big as you want. It can be one thing, or many.

Day 2:
Use the alphabet as a fun and quick format for making a list of things for which you feel grateful. Share this list with your social network through email, a blog post or a Facebook, Twitter or even an Instagram image.

Day 3:
Write about something you feel grateful for in your life today in your journal / calendar

Day 4:
Write a short message of thanks for some of the “negative” things in your life.

Day 5:
 Take a few minutes to call someone you haven’t talked to in a while. Tell them how much you appreciate them.

Day 6:
Take a picture of one thing, person, place or specific moment that makes you feel grateful. Share it with your social network and make it known that you are grateful for it.

Day 7:
Take five minutes to write about how grateful you are for all of the wonderful things that you currently have in your life. Don’t long for what you don’t possess—instead, take stock of all the blessings you already enjoy.

Day 8:
Send thank you notes to five people who deserve a little recognition.

Day 9:
Enjoy the people around you. Take a moment to appreciate their unique talents, abilities and personalities.

Day 10:
Pick one of your five senses to focus on each day. Take note of how many gifts come to you via that single port of entry. Write about this experience.

Day 11:
Try to see the world through the eyes of a child. Think about the things you take for granted on a daily basis, and then express gratitude for everything down to the basic necessities that sustain your current life.

Day 12:
Go for a walk in nature and reconnect with the simple things in life.

Day 13:
Pick three friends or family members you see regularly. View their actions and gestures through a positive lens, assuming their goodness and witnessing their best intentions.

Day 14:
It’s been two weeks since you started The Gratitude Challenge. Write about how The Challenge has changed your perspective thus far.

Day 15:
Take the time to focus on yourself.

Day 16:
Appreciate and give thanks for your unique personality, skills and talents.

Day 17:
Stand in front of the mirror for five minutes and focus on at least five things that you love about yourself. Write them down in your journal.

Day 18:
Write about something you feel grateful for in your life today; share it on your social media.

Day 19:
For the past three days, you have focused on appreciating what makes you unique. Write about all the things that make you so lovable. Fill a piece of paper if you can.

Day 20:
Take a moment to appreciate your personal style, talents and charm. As The Challenge winds down, write a thank you note to yourself.  You deserve it!

Day 21:
Thank yourself for taking the time to stop and focus on all the little things for which you feel grateful. Reflect on the 21 days of The Gratitude Challenge and what this process has meant to you

Source(s):
Alberta Health Services
Gratitudechallenge.com
The Secret by: Rhonda Byrne