I was chatting with some of my girlfriends recently and they each shared with me actions that they take each day to focus on the positive and to stay grateful and appreciative of the little things that make a difference in their lives. I loved this idea and so wanted to share some of their daily exercises with you.
#1. Write down 3 ‘sunshines’ from your day in a diary or calendar. (We have a bit of an obsession with A5 moleskine diaries at my workplace. Seriously, everyone has one. Mainly because they have a handy lined page next opposite the days of the week so you can write notes but sorry, I digress). Anyhow, my friend S writes 3 positive experiences or things that she has appreciated throughout the day next to a small sun in her diary and reads through them at the end of the week. A simple idea yet one I’m going to try for myself this week.
#2. Another friend, J, writes down her 3 things on Facebook at the end of the day. She only did this for a week but I really enjoyed reading her posts and it made a change to the usual notifications that come up on my feed. It also really encouraged me as I read it. J is very creative and she sometimes does this with photographs that she has taken instead of using words which may be more your thing.
#3. Finally if writing or logging things in a diary isn’t for you, why not spend just 2 minutes at the end of the day (or even during the day), reflecting on 3 things that you have appreciated?
The main idea of this activity is to remain thankful and positive. It is not meant to be another task on your to-do list each day because if it becomes that, you won’t enjoy doing it after a while I’m sure. However you engage with this though, I would challenge you to give it a go in some form as it’s made a positive difference to my life recently. I don’t personally always write mine down but I do try to stop and think throughout the day. Even if it’s only for a few seconds.
Here’s 3 things I’m grateful for today:
– The sunshine. Clear skies make a big difference to my mood during the day.
– Flowers that were sent to me from my niece and nephews for my birthday.
– Some thoughtful messages from friends that I am in a whatsapp conversation with this week.
Claire Parkin Interior Design 
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