A Morning Gratitude Habit

A few simple steps each morning can turn gratitude into a habit that you don't have to think about--but will benefit from every day.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:02):
Welcome to the Gratitude Diaries, a production of My Heart Radio. Hi.
I'm Janis Kaplan. Thanks for joining me for another episode
and another chance to think more gratefully. Today's tip if
you're looking to make this your happiest year ever, start

(00:22):
a gratitude habit that you can continue every day. I've
been talking the last couple of episodes about using this
post New Year's week as the classic start of New Year,
New you. Whether you take that first week in January
idea seriously, skeptically or with a bit of tongue in cheek,

(00:44):
it is a chance to think about the small changes
that can make you happier. As a listener to this podcast,
you're probably already convinced that being grateful will make you happier.
But the problem comes when gratitude isn't natural to a
situation and you just tend to forget about it. The

(01:04):
day gets busy, kids are underfoot, money is tight, and
when we get frustrated and grumpy, gratitude is sometimes the
last thing that comes to mind. So the trick is
to turn gratitude into a habit that you don't have
to think about. It's not your fault if you're not
grateful enough. You need to set up your environment with

(01:26):
reminders that may gratitude part of your day. A study
this year out of the Netherlands found that creating a
good habit really doesn't have all that much to do
with self control. The researchers at you Tracked University invited
people to select a behavior that they wanted to turn
into a good habit over the course of the study.

(01:48):
It had to be something they didn't do yet but
could perform on a daily basis. They were then given
a special app on their phone which gave them a
reminder every morning of what they wanted to do and
the context in which they were to do it. At
the end of every day, the participants reported whether or
not they had done what they intended. Over three months,

(02:11):
most of the participants showed a very significant increase in
habit strength. The researchers said they were surprised that people's
self control didn't seem to have much to do with
the changes. Instead, the monitoring and the reminders are what
made the difference. If the habit you're trying to develop

(02:32):
is gratitude, this model is a great start. You simply
want to make gratitude a habit, So give yourself a
reminder every day. Maybe put a little note card next
to your bed that says, I'm going to be more
grateful today. Look at it as soon as you wake up.
Say the words allowed into the mirror before you get

(02:52):
into the shower. The behavioral researcher B. J. Fogg, who
teaches at Stanford University, advises that having a pause to
start like that to the day can turn positivity into
a habit. He says that when he gets up every morning,
he says out loud, today is going to be a
great day. After he had made himself do that for

(03:13):
a while, it became such a habit that had actually
changed his attitude. It frames the day more positively and
gives you more energy to make good things happen. He
advises making that grateful or happy comment about the day
ahead even on days that you're not sure are you
going to work out? Quite right? If it does feel

(03:34):
like the statement is going to be too phony, you
can adapt it a little bit and say something like
today is going to be a great day somehow. You
don't have to go overboard, but I do like starting
the day with a positive statement that reminds you to
be grateful. Psychologists talk about having an anchor or queue
for any habit that you're trying to form. For example,

(03:56):
if every time you open the refrigerator you see a
bowl of fruit, it reminds you to eat something healthy.
Simply waking up in the morning looking at that note
card next to your bed can be your queue, a
reminder to be positive and hopeful and grateful about the
day ahead. So today, think about the little reminders about

(04:18):
gratitude that you can build into your day. Put that
little note card next to your bed, look at it
first thing in the morning every day for the next
week or two. Stick with it, and gratitude will become
a habit that makes you happier every day. Thanks for
joining me. I'd love to hear what you're doing right

(04:39):
now to feel more positive and hopeful about one You
can reach me at the podcast link at www dot
Gratitude Diaries dot com or the contact link at Janice
Kaplan dot com. Thanks and have a great day. The
Gratitude Diaries is a production i Heart Radio. For more

(05:01):
podcasts from I Heart Radio, visit the i Heart Radio app,
Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your favorite shows, h