How to keep your head above water by being grateful

Resolution is a word that is dreaded by many and that can be charged with stress. You might think that your resolution list is just one more thing you have no time for.

Or, since we are already well into this New Year, perhaps you’ve already thrown out your list of resolutions and feel you’ve let yourself down. Now, before you start going down the rabbit hole with Alice and end up in Wonderland, take a minute to take stock of what you have accomplished, who you are today and where you want to go tomorrow.

Deep breaths. Seriously, take a deep breath right now and let it out very, very slowly. Feel better? Good. Do this whenever you’re feeling like you’re being pulled under … just take a step back, close your eyes, and feel yourself breathing in the here and the now. I’m no yogi or wellness guru, but experience has taught me that we need to pay attention to the stress-o-meter within ourselves and take care not to let it get too high (or break the meter entirely).

A great way to prevent escalating stress is to have a “grateful diary.” Take a daily planner and, either at the beginning or the end of each day, write a small phrase, sentence or word that answers: What awesome thing happened today? What am I thankful for today?

The idea behind this is that when you’re having a bad day, you look back on your diary and feel empowered to reflect on the sunnier moments. Bringing up good memories is bound to make you feel good. 

While you don’t have to write in it daily, you can also take your endeavor to be more grateful in 2016 to social media. This not only helps you “ground” yourself, but also helps to create empathy with your followers.