The idea of living a life of gratitude often sounds super “spiritual and grounded.” If your life is as chaotic as mine, it might sound downright unattainable most days. It’s not easy to walk around thanking God for all the little blessings we see when we are so focused on our daily responsibilities. What’s even harder is pausing long enough to recognize those blessings. So here’s a few ideas to add a little gratitude into your daily life.

1. Write down at least one thing every day that you are thankful for. If you are a planner person, take a pause in the morning or at the end of your day and just write down one thing you are grateful for that day. For me, it’s often a beautiful sunrise, a healthy baby, or a good dinner.
   
   
2. Review these notations once a quarter. If you find yourself in a negative headspace one day, that might be the time to pull out your planner – or whatever you recorded them in – and scan all the little blessings you recognized in recent days. I can almost guarantee, you’ll find a smile.
   
   
3. When you find yourself getting frustrated about something – your teen left your tank on empty and you’re already late for work? – take a few seconds to find the positive. Now, I don’t mean in a fake sense of brushing off real issues and feigning positivity. I just mean, if the situation is more of an inconvenience in the greater scheme of your life, work on reframing your perspective. For example, your teen left the tank on empty, but you have the money to fill it. Or, maybe you just pause and thank God that you’ve got a child that still needs you and still brings joy to your life.
   
   
4. Start a gratitude journal. You might do this once a week or once a month, but having a place to write out all the things you’re grateful for is another excellent way to record and remember your multitude of blessings. If something really exciting happens or your family has a big win, take the time to journal about it in detail. When you review these pages later, it will compound your gratitude and joy.
   
   
5. Find one person each day to thank for something. Did your spouse make you coffee? Did your coworker take on a project to relieve your workload? Did your 10-year-old finally shut off the game and take out the trash? THANK THEM! Not only does this help you remain grateful, it will undoubtedly brighten their day.
   
   
6. Pause more often. That sounds unrelated, but it’s not. If you pause, you can savor the little moments. When you sip a cup of coffee, when you finish the dishes at the end of the day, when you feel the warmth of your favorite blanket on a cold evening. Pause. Let a moment of appreciation pass for this simple pleasure before you move on with your day.
   
   
7. Lastly, end your day with a brief prayer of gratitude for something God is doing in your life. Some days, that might simply be, “Thank you that I had another day to live and worship You.” You’re not always on cloud nine in life, but you can always find something for which to be grateful.
   
   

Article written by: Anna Wetherington. Anna lives in Valdosta, GA with her husband and daughter.