This week in the ‘Your Wellness Toolbox’ Facebook Private group we are pulling out the Gratitude tool, encouraging us to use it every single day.
A really simple and fun way to practice Gratitude is to create a Gratitude Vision Board. You can then use this every single day with little effort.
The first Gratitude Board we had happened by mistake and it was only when we moved to a new house and I hadn’t immediately put a new one up that I realised how much it had been lifting me on the down days. Vision boards are powerful positivity tools, this Gratitude one is so simple yet delivers a regular reminder of all the lovely people and good times in our lives that we are grateful for.
In 2012 there was a whiteboard on the kitchen wall in a house we rented so to fill the blank canvas I started to stick up Thank You cards we received, photos of fun times, invites to happy events. Everything up on the board was positive and every time I walked into the kitchen (or did the washing up – admittedly a rare event for me) it was there right in-front of me to make me smile and reminding me to be thankful for the past, present & future.
So, after quickly realising the power the previous board had been having on me, I picked up a new whiteboard in IKEA, popped it up on the new kitchen wall and it quickly filled with all things positive and all things gratitude. Just the process of doing it made me feel so good, then every-day I was receiving both conscious and sub-conscious happy thoughts when I looked at the board.
What you see is what you feel. What you feel you focus on. What you focus on becomes reality. I do not think it’s a coincidence that when I added dreams & wishes to the board, they quickly started to become a reality.
When we moved again into our ‘Forever Home’ (this was not on the cards in such a short time - we owe that one to the Gratitude vision board), I planned to create a Gratitude & Positivity Vision Wall for the family. It took me a while, but the children now have one in their play area (which they appreciate on a regular basis – the 3 year old often pulls down the 6 years olds creations) and we have one in our dining room (see picture), a space we use every-day. This one cost less than £8 from Amazon for the cork boards (that have sticky stuff on the back, so they are easy to attach to the walls) and the pins.
You don’t need an actual whiteboard or cork-board, just a dedicated wall or space in your house that you see daily where you can stick up photos of loved ones, positivity quotes that inspire you, affirmations, Thank You Cards, funny memories, postcards from your favourite places or even where you dream of going etc.
Or if you spend a lot of time at a computer screen you could create a Gratitude Screensaver, or if you do a lot of commuting why not stick some positivity and gratitude to the inside of your sun visor in the car or in the lid of your suitcase.
The fun bit is putting it together as you reflect on the happy times and think about good times that are ahead (…think some of us may want to put a picture of the pub up…ready for 4th July 2020)
Get creating and enjoy… and be thankful.