Today’s blog was written by CFSSC Clinician Kelly Major, MSW, RSW.

Living in the 21st century comes with many challenges and life stressors. Many people find their days filled with never-ending to-do lists of things they would like to accomplish while trying to manage the barriers that come up when trying to work towards their goals. However, there is a simple yet effective tool that can help relieve stress, improve our mood and help us view life in a more positive light. Gratitude.

Gratitude is defined as “the quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness”.

So why is it important to incorporate gratitude into your daily routine? Many people find themselves focused on the areas of their life that they would like to improve or on the negative things that occurred during their day. Throughout the chaos of life, it is important to take a moment to reflect on our accomplishments. The G.L.A.D gratitude skill can easily be incorporated into your day-to-day life and will only take a few minutes each day to complete.

Take a few moments at the end of your day to reflect on the following areas:

Gratitude

One thing that you are thankful for that is relevant to your day. Examples include things like having clean water to drink, shoes on your feet or being thankful for a close friend

Learned

One new thing you learned today. Examples include learning something about yourself, a new fact about the world or a something new about a coworker or neighbor

Accomplishment

One small accomplishment. Examples include ordinary acts of self-care (getting out of bed, showering, getting enough sleep) to reading a chapter out of a book or completing a goal

Delight

One thing that brought you delight. Examples include anything that made you laugh or smile, hearing a song you like, tasting something delicious or noticing the nature around you.

By working your way through the G.L.A.D gratitude skill each day it can offer you a chance to notice some of the positive experiences that are around you every day.