As fall comes to an end and the weather evident of the colder months creeps in, November swings in like a superhero to the rescue. Suddenly everyone around us is counting their blessings and thinking about the things for which they are grateful. Don’t get me wrong, this is spectacular. It is great that people step back during this month to self-reflect and give gratitude, but this is something we all should be doing year-round. Every single day that we wake up is another day that we have to be thankful. Not to worry though –this is no crime. Mostly everyone falls guilty to getting caught up in life’s problems, events, and ongoing everyday tasks, to points where we just forget that there is so much to be grateful for. With that being said, I am going to share some tips on how to be more thankful year-round, not just during the Thanksgiving season.

1. Keeping a gratitude journal: I know this sounds corny, but trust me it really does wonders. A gratitude journal is simply a little book (or even just be blank piece of paper) where you take a few minutes each day to write/jot down a few things that you are grateful for in your life right now. In doing so, you will be more mindful of all of the good things in your life. Plus gratitude journaling is also proven to increase happiness because when you’re aware of the great things in your life, you feel more fulfilled.
2. Be thankful for the small things: It is not unlikely that all of us have had those days where things just weren’t going great for us, so we sat back and thought why me? why can’t things just go my way? I wish my life was better or something along these lines. While it is natural and just happens, I am here to tell you that it does not have to be like this! When we are feeling down or are having a bad day, we should try to focus on the little things in life that we tend to overlook. For instance, the dog that runs up to you and is so excited to see/greet you everyday when you come in the door; the parent/guardian that is there to kiss you goodnight or grant a hug when you’re in need; maybe it is the friend that always talks to you when you are just bored out of your mind. The small things like this are precious and if we are more appreciative and mindful of these little things, life will be that much happier.
3. Remembering the hard times you’ve been through: To be grateful in our current state, it is most helpful to recall the hard times that you’ve experienced in life. When we remember and recollect on how hard things used to be or have been in different seasons of our lives, we get to see how far we have come.  Taking moments to recall when things were not so great in life gives us all the opportunity to remember that our situations could be worse. So being grateful can come more easily if we are sure to never forget where we have been and the hardships we have endured.

I hope that these bits of advice are helpful to you. Tis’ the season to be thankful, but it doesn’t have to stop once Thanksgiving ends!