When I began writing this post, I looked at my title, “Gratitude” and rolled my eyes. I encounter that word everywhere as well as “mindfulness”, “meditation”, “self-care”, etc. While these are all wonderful practices that make me feel grounded and at peace, just the words and the frequency of their use is beginning to annoy me. And I buy into that crap, so I’m sure people who don’t are tired of hearing about how yoga and all the practices above are your answer to many mental health concerns, including depression. Just do this and you’ll be happy. Ugh. Not true for everyone.

I am looking for a new word for my daily gratitude practice. I write my daily goals and my daily gratitude each morning so that I can frame the day with intentions and worshiping the every day delights that can be overlooked. I also have a gratitude journal which guides me through different exercises each day. My favorite activity so far has been an exercise in the five senses called “Sense Happiness” in which I am asked questions focusing on appreciating each of my senses. Which was surprisingly thought provoking. The questions and my answers on January 4, 2018:

Something wonderful I touched today was…
The hand of a grieving friend

Someone I enjoyed talking to today was…
My coworkers and Malcolm

A sound I heard today that will stay with me was…
The sound of my attempts to save two spider plants by using the steam from boiling water for several hours.

The best thing I smelled today was…
My clean apartment when I came home.

The most beautiful thing I saw today was…
A mother proud of her baby girl

This is still my favorite exercise when I’m feeling grumpy or unmotivated. Instead of listing the first few things that came to mind, this exercise challenges me to dig deeper.

Have you tried this activity? What are you favorite forms of practicing all the words I wrote above that I won’t mention again? What word do you like to use for this type of practice?

Mae