Posted: November 21, 2018 Contributor: administrator

Count Your Blessings: How To Stay Grateful When Life Gets Tough

It’s the season of gratitude right? Around this time of year, everyone is talking about who or what they are thankful for. Unfortunately, these sentiments are not voiced year-round, and a few days post-holiday season, we return to taking our everyday blessings for granted.

Life comes with a lot of curveballs. Whether it’s stress at work or school, our relationships, financial struggles or we’re just down on ourselves, we all seem to forget to take a step back and realize all that we have. Instead, we put energy into vocalizing all that we don’t have—enough money, time, clothes, etc. Finding time in our busy lives to sit back and show our gratitude can be tough, but we’re listing a few easy ways you can acknowledge your blessings and make them count:

• Make a list. The first step to staying grateful is to acknowledge all the blessings around you that so many others simply do not have. A roof over your head, a car, food to eat, access to contraception or feminine care products, an education, etc. These simple pleasures that we take for granted are the foundation for our daily lives. The rest is trivial. Physically writing down a list, however, can help engrave this feeling of gratitude in your head for longer than just a day or week. When you’re down or find yourself complaining about something small, pull out your handwritten list and be reminded of the opportunities you have in your daily life.
• Set a daily intention. Try setting a daily intention every morning when you wake up. For example, before hopping out of bed you can say the following aloud to yourself: “Today, I am going to be grateful for my coffee maker because it allows me to enjoy fresh coffee each morning.” This habit forces you to acknowledge all the little things that make you happy and make your day easier. Starting your day off with the right mindset can only set you up for success.
• Make time for family and friends. It’s pretty safe to say we’re all eternally grateful for the people we are closest to such as our family or best friends. Unfortunately, since everyone has their own busy, hectic lives, it can be easy to fall out of touch with those closest to us. Try reaching out to a friend you haven’t seen in a while and plan to do something together. We tend to put people on the back burner in the midst of our crazy lives, but in reality, they make us who we are and for that, we should be grateful.
• Buy a journal and use it.  Just like making a list, writing down your thoughts is an easy and effective way to remind yourself of all that you have. Plus, looking back on those journal entries will help keep you grounded—it reminds you of where you’ve been, what you’ve gone through, and the experiences you’ve had. Having a journal, in turn, means setting aside some time in your day to use it. Detaching from work, homework or your daily to-dos to put your mind to paper will be a healthy reminder of what’s really important to you.
• Put the phone down. Staying away from the screen will also help. We spend a lot of time on our phones, comparing ourselves to others that seem to “have more”. We create these false realities that we aim to live up to, and in doing so, we forget to look around and count our own blessings! The reality is that looking at your phone all day takes up precious time that could be spent reading a book, taking a walk, or hanging out with your family! There are things to be grateful for in every direction you look. Seriously—take a peek.

This holiday season, PRJKT RUBY is encouraging you to do a gratitude challenge. Implement our rules and count your blessings—whether that’s in the form of a list, a daily proclamation, or changing your lifestyle, expressing what you’re thankful for will change your mindset for the better. And of course, the law of reciprocity is always at play. The more gratitude you express, the more gratitude you’ll see around you.

PRJKT RUBY is grateful for all of you that make our mission a reality every day. To learn more about what we do and how you can help women in the developing world have access to contraception and family planning services, head here: https://www.take1give1.com/