“Be grateful!”

“Have an attitude of gratitude!”

“There’s always something to be grateful for.”

We hear people say these things all the time, especially around the holiday seasons, but if we’re really honest with ourselves, an attitude of gratitude isn’t always easy to have and might take a little bit of practice.

How do you practice gratitude? We’re glad you asked! In case you missed it, Harbor.vet partnered with Dr. Marie Holowaychuk for a few 30-Day Challenges to practice well-being, and one of those challenges was focused on Gratitude & Mindfulness. We’ve built out a workbook to help guide you through the entire practice, and wanted to share a few of our favorite practices to give you a sneak peak.

Practicing Gratitude & Mindfulness

Day One

Gratitude is one of the most powerful emotions and has the potential to over-ride other negative emotions such as anger, frustration, sadness, or envy.
If you can truly embody gratitude, you can overcome the difficult emotions that arise when you criticize yourself or your life for not being “better”

Take a moment today to acknowledge one thing you are truly grateful for – either by writing it down, telling a friend, or sharing it with your family!

Day Five

Research suggests that a gratitude practice is most powerful when written.
You may choose to keep a journal in which you list at least one thing that you are most grateful for each day or perhaps write a card to tell someone why they are appreciated.

Which form of written gratitude – journaling, writing a card, or sharing a post on social media – will you try today?

Day Six

Everyone wants to feel appreciated and acknowledged for the work that they do.
Veterinary care providers are no different – receiving thanks from a client, co-worker, boss or colleague can make a tremendously positive impact on a person’s job satisfaction.

Consider sending a WAVE as part of the Harbor.vet initiative to spread gratitude and joy in the veterinary profession – Visit Harbor.vet/WAVE to learn more!

Gratitude & Mindfulness Workbook

Practicing gratitude and mindfulness feels great, right? If you want to see and learn more ways that you can practice gratitude, check out our full 30-Day Challenge here!