Practicing sustainable activism to avoid burn out © Diana Award 2020

DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME

A MINDFUL GUIDE TO PRACTICING GRATITUDE

MENTAL HEALTH & WELLBEING

Practicing sustainable activism to avoid burn out

BENEFITS OF PRACTICING GRATITUDE

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

INTRODUCTION

Practicing gratitude helps you feel better and see the good things in life. The power of gratitude gives social leaders the edge needed to quickly pivot during stressful situations, such as losing an important member of your team or missing out on that funding bid you were really hoping to win. It allows you to focus not only on the present and how you can turn things around, but on hidden opportunities to be grateful.

While we tend to only think and talk about gratitude during the holiday season or when a significant event occurs, gratitude doesn’t need to be limited to these two scenarios. You can be storing up a large reserve of positive energy, generated through practicing gratitude, all year long. As a leader you can use this

A Mindful Guide To Practicing Gratitude

SIX WAYS TO PRATICE GRATITUDE DAILY

1_ NOTE DOWN THE THINGS YOU AREGRATEFUL FORThis approach might seem difficult and ineffective at first, but science has proved that by writing down five things you are grateful for each day, you motivate your brain to think in a positive manner. This practice will help you think positively in your everyday life as well. At the end of each week, read through your journal and remind yourself what you have been grateful for recently.

2_ MINDFUL MEDITATION Block out 30 minutes of your day during which no one can disturb you, just for yourself. Use this time to focus on the present moment and think about what you are grateful for. If you struggle to practice meditation by yourself, you could try a short meditation video on YouTube. We recommend ‘The Honest Guys’ who create easy to use guided mindfulness and meditation videos.

3_ CELEBRATE WINS BOTH BIG AND SMALLWe all love celebrating the significant milestones, and you shouldn’t stop doing that. But the massive breakthroughs don’t happen daily. However, each day, you encounter small victories and happy moments. With that in mind, make sure you capture those small wins and acknowledge their importance. One way of capturing these small wins is to make yourself a gratitude jar. Find an old jar or similar container and cut or tear up lots of small pieces of paper.

Building your capacity for gratitude isn’t difficult. It just takes practice. The more you can bring your attention to that which you feel grateful for, the more you will notice to feel grateful for! If you’re ready to tap into the power of gratitude, here are six simple ways you can practice gratitude day in and day out:

Every time you achieve a small victory or a happy moment, capture this on a piece of paper and pop it in the jar. At the end of the year you will be able to empty out your jar and reflect on all the small wins that you had probably forgotten about.

4_ SCHEDULE SOME TIME FOR YOURSELFTake the time to do something you enjoy doing. If you are stuck for ideas, try something new! Experiment with different hobbies and see which one you really enjoyed participating in. Don’t worry if you try something that you don’t enjoy. Finding out what you don’t enjoy is as important and finding out what you do.

5_ SHARE YOUR GRATITUDE WITH OTHERS Research has shown that expressing gratitude can strengthen relationships. So, the next time someone does something you appreciate, be sure to let them know. For example, if you catch a team member doing something awesome, don’t hesitate to let them know that you appreciate their efforts. Those seemingly unimportant words of encouragement will add-up over time.

6_ TRY A GRATITUDE APPWriting isn’t for everyone so if you are someone who spends a lot of time on your phone, why don’t you try downloading a gratitude app. There are many free apps out there and one we’ve used before is called ‘Morning!’. With an app you can set yourself reminders to complete your gratitude journal at the same time everyday and it can also give you prompts if you’re struggling with what to write.

energy to ground yourself when life gets stressful. It’s important to remember that each new day gives you something to be grateful for and a little bit of gratitude goes a long way.

Research suggests that leaders should cultivate gratitude because it breeds engagement, more positive interactions, and builds resilience. What’s more, gratitude helps you acknowledge your accomplishments.1 It allows you to not become consumed by your successes or failures, and in turn you can concentrate on making the world a better place for those around you.

© Diana Award 2021

Practicing gratitude has incredible effects, from improving our mental health to boosting our relationships with others. Explore ways you can be more appreciative in this mindful guide to gratitude.

1 https://medium.com/@DrNicoleLipkin/why-leaders-should-cultivate-gratitude-362203ea0641

Practicing sustainable activism to avoid burn out © Diana Award 2020

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