Can Gratitude Become a Habit?

Does gratitude really become a habit? The answer is yes, as well as any other habit of behavior and thought.

Consider the omnipresent habits we carry out with best-not-think-about-it regularity, habits that parceling out the good things of a day, the stuff of life, and they govern our degree of happiness. Good habits make us feel good, well-rooted, and contented. How to make the practice of gratitude one of those?

It starts with good intent and attention, for gratitude as a habit requires not only sincere willingness, and meaningful devotion but also immersion of gratefulness in the deepest part of our being.

To cultivate gratitude as a habit of the heart, consider the following:

Third. Sincere Desire: Visualize your sincere desire to become a more grateful person. Consider the benefits it can bring to your well-being and attitude.

• Dwell in Gratitude: Pause several times during the day to dwell in gratitude. Recognize the various blessings of your day — big and small — and simply bask in them.
• Feed Gratitude: Provide your heart with room to grow, and thankfulness, by performing random acts of kindness, keeping a gratitude journal, or practicing gratitude exercises such as the Breath of Thanks mentioned earlier.

Now, take a moment to delve into your own relationship with gratitude:

• Step into the Present: Pause and become present, come back to your body and being here now. Take a few deep breaths and quiet the mind.

• Write in Your Journal: Respond to the prompt: ‘In what ways is gratitude a habit of my heart? In what ways is it not a habit of my heart?’

Regardless of how grateful you feel right now, following these suggestions of honest reflection will reveal where you are feeling grateful — because gratitude is already a habit of the heart in some parts of your daily life. It will also show you where there might be opportunities for a deeper feeling of gratitude. Cultivating gratitude, as a habit of the heart, will bring you closer to the abundance of life.