Today, guest writer Lydia Newell of Works for Me Coaching shares a simple gratitude practice that she uses in her everyday life to help her to continually notice what she is grateful for.

What a time to be alive!!

As we start to move out of the forced global pause, I’ve been taking some time to reflect on lockdown - the highs, the lows, and what learning I want to take away from this time.

Something that has been so important for me throughout lockdown, is a habit of gratitude.

It’s been said before, and I will certainly not be the last person to talk about it. An attitude of gratitude changes things. It changes how you see the world, how you see yourself, and how you respond to whatever life throws your way.

Gratitude is one of the most effective methods I’ve found to lift my mood, even on rubbish days or during a global pandemic. At any one time, if I chose to think about it, there literally are so many things I can be thankful for. But it is a choice. It’s a conscious decision to focus my attention on the things I appreciate, rather than the things I find challenging.

When I was training to be a life coach, the trainer taught us a game called ‘Top 3 things’. The idea is that the moment you wake up, you think of 3 things you’re grateful for (e.g. good sleep, roof over my head, hot shower). Then through the day, be on the lookout for things you’re grateful for, and decide if they will knock any of your 3 things off the list.

So for example, as I go through my day I might have a cuddle with my son, and that might replace being grateful for the good night sleep I had the night before.

Then by the end of the day, you’re left with your top 3 things you’re grateful for that day.

Try it - what are your top 3 things so far today?