“When you love what you have, you have everything you need.”

Just coming off of the wonderful Thanksgiving holiday that we spent with our little family doing our own traditions and memories, I want to keep this spirit of gratitude with us as we head into the busy holiday season that quickly becomes all about Santa and presents. I love that we get to focus on being grateful before we start thinking about gifts we want because it helps us to remember everything that we have and that it’s really all that we need. We always have a gratitude tree in our house during November that I just make out of paper and then each day we each add a leaf to it with something that we are grateful for written on it. It’s been a good practice for the kids to have to think of something that they are grateful for. Sometimes they are silly like they say they’re grateful for their favorite toy or that they got to eat a treat that day, but either way I just love that it’s making them stop to think about how much they have. I’ve put together a list of things that are easy ways to bring more gratitude into your life and hopefully focus on the true meaning of Christmas this December as we celebrate the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ which is the greatest gift of all.

family Christmas card photos on the beach

FIVE WAYS TO PRACTICE MORE GRATITUDE IN YOUR LIFE

1 | Write Thank You Notes [The act of saying thank you can help you better appreciate the gifts you receive. In addition to gifts, try thanking someone for being a good friend or helping you in an intangible way. As your relationships are strengthened, your gratitude will also increase. It could also be something as simple as sending a meaningful text to something telling them how much you appreciate them.]

2 | Make A List of Things you Have instead of What you Want [This time of year is often focused on receiving gifts. To increase your gratitude, make a list of things you already have. Count your blessings and record how it makes you feel to have these things in your life.]

3 | Practice Acts of Kindness [The holiday season is a wonderful time to help others who are less fortunate. Volunteering, donating canned goods and toys, or baking cookies for a neighbor are simple and easy ways to show others that you care. As a bonus, while these acts of kindness serve others, they also help to boost our mood and gratitude.]

4 | Meditate or Pray [If you are religious, praying can often help cultivate gratitude and help us focus on things outside of ourselves. Much in the same way, meditating can help us to reestablish priorities and remind us of what we have to be thankful for. It also helps me to be more present in the moment.]

5 | Focus On Your Health [If you are in good health and can get outside, then go out and enjoy some fun things in nature. It helps me to be more connected with what really matters most in this life when I am enjoying experiences rather than focusing on things and really trying to be present in the moment. We have so much to be grateful for that we can walk, run, ride bikes, swim in the ocean, go for a hike, play in the grass with our kids, dance in the kitchen. Be grateful for your body everyday and all it allows you to do. When I put focus on trying to be as healthy as I can and giving my body grace for all that it does for me everyday then I’m not so distracted by what I don’t have.]