How do we live with gratitude?
We often discuss the importance of social and emotional learning, but there are other essential life skills that both kids and adults need to develop and practice on a regular basis. One of those is gratitude. Gratitude, defined in the simplest form as “the quality of being thankful,” is more important than ever in today’s context. With so much trauma, unrest, friction, and uncertainty in our world, showing appreciation, for even the smallest things, can be helpful in bringing happiness and light in these difficult times.
Stop for a second and think. What are you grateful for today? Is there something you will be grateful for tomorrow? Next week? Maybe you are grateful for the support of a colleague, helping problem-solve a challenge. Maybe it is the listening ear of a friend or relative who always answers calls and texts. Or maybe it is something as simple as a warm cup of coffee on a cool fall morning. It is easy to get caught up in hectic schedules, especially with school and work and life seeming to be constantly changing. By taking a step back and recognizing the people and things that make us grateful, we can recenter gratitude in our daily lives. Gratitude can be measured in a number of ways, big and small, physical and emotional, and there need not be a limit to what makes you feel gratitude.
A great way to center practicing gratitude in your daily routine is writing down at least three things you are grateful for every day. Whether it is a specific positive person in your life or your favorite self-care activity, taking time to acknowledge fulfilling aspects of our lives is essential to overall well-being. Start the day by writing down these things so that you begin each morning with a positive and fulfilling mindset.
If you’re an educator and work with kids you might be wondering, how do I incorporate practicing gratitude into the lives of my students? You can perform a similar activity with your students, whether that is at the end of the day. Simply asking them to think or write down two to three things that they are grateful for can help remind them of the positivity in their lives. You can take it one step farther and have them share out one thing they are grateful for each week, and in doing so, students may gain a deeper appreciation and understanding of gratitude by recognizing the positive things they have in common with their peers.
Check out these other resources:
- Edutopia’s “Gratitude: A Powerful Tool for Your Classroom”
- Wide Open School’s “Holiday Gratitude Activities”
- We Are Teachers’s “Meaningful Gratitude Activities”