Hey, did you hear?  Litsa and I are on day 4 of our ’16 Days of Gratitude’, which we’re doing to help us and our readers battle the holiday womp womps.  Today I’m grateful I made it through my first session with a personal trainer without passing out.  I tried to act all tough and then hid in the locker room for 20 minutes afterwards until my legs returned to their solid form.  I’m going to be pretty ungrateful tomorrow when I can’t walk but I guess I just have to keep reminding myself that exercise is good for your physical and mental health…yeah yeah.

Anyway, Litsa and I are not awesome with the gratitude.  We want to be, but between work and family and life and stress we just tend to lose sight.  So, to help everyone stay on the path to gratitude, today we’re going to forego our usual Friday Favorites and instead bring you ‘Gratitude Tips from Around the Web’.  Wheee!

1. Write a simple, sincere thank you to brightens the day of someone who has done you a kindness. Plus, it gives you a small amount of time to really focus on your gratitude for that kindness. Pay particular attention to those easily over-looked people in your lives, like the particularly helpful cashier, your bus driver, or the waste disposal team in your neighborhood. [Big Hearted Families]

2.  Pick three good things that you see or experience during the day, then write them down.  You can also throw a quarter or a dollar in a jar. When it’s filled, treat yourself, or better yet, someone else. [livescience]

3. Make a whimsical photo album to enjoy. Include silly pictures of yourself or friends, and take a look back at it every so often. Turns out,nostalgia really can warm the heart: Research has found a sentimental longing or wistful affection for the past can warm up the body. In addition, looking at the past in a rosy light, such as with silly photo journeys, can really boost happiness. [livescience]

4. Shift your mantras to simply ask for HELP TO RELEASE any fear and anger. [MindBodyGreen]

5. Studies show, the best way to make gratitude a habit is to spice it up with different types of gratitude practice. Choose two, three, or all of the exercises below to get you started. They’re all beneficial, so choose those that most resonate with you, and feel free to “mix it up”. The best gratitude practice for you is the one you will stick with. [Dr.Christina Hibbert]

6. Post words, photos, and objects of gratitude in your home. [Dr. Christina.Hibbert]

7. Accept What Is, Right Now: Making yourself or others wrong helps no one’s progress, and yet sometimes it’s the best we know. Once you accept what is and make peace with it, you can operate and make decisions with a clearer head. It also makes letting go of the past, forgetting mistakes, and dropping any perceived hurt sense that much easier. [JayevaJohnson via Medium]

8. Make It “A New Day:” Let’s say you react with bitter tears, you mouth off like a hothead, or you otherwise seem to disappoint yourself in any given situation. Now, what? So what? Shrug it all off and make it a new day, right now. Whether that mental change happens in the early morning, late afternoon or middle of the night, just begin again. We can always begin anew. That’s why we call spiritual practices practices. [JayevaJohnson via Medium]

9. Practice HALT.  Stop everything and take a moment to assess to tend to my personal condition: [livingwithgratitude]

• If I am hungry, I make time to prepare or purchase a quick and healthy snack and beverage.
• If I am angry, I temporarily walk away from my stressful or difficult situation in order breath, count to ten, relax      and regroup.
• If I am tired, I briefly withdraw for a quick nap or quiet time and rejuvenate from my hectic schedule.
• If I am lonely and feeling isolated, I lift my spirits by making plans to visit a neighbor or friend.

10.  Keep a gratitude journal.  All it requires is noting one or more things you are grateful for on a daily basis.  [Unstuck]

11.  If you identify something or someone with a negative trait (the cold conference room), switch it in your mind to a positive trait )the conference room with a great view). [Unstuck]

12.  Give at least one compliment daily.  It can be to a person or it can be asking someone to share your appreciation of something else.  [Unstuck]

Okay thats all we’ve got for today.  Come back and see us again real soon!