While the holidays can be joyful and the perfect opportunity for creating wonderful memories, they can also be stressful for many. Finding a way to draw on your inner strength to get through is crucial. Practicing gratitude is one way you can shine some light into your life and celebrate what you do have.

We’re not saying that practicing gratitude is easy. It takes work and a conscious effort to make it a habit and part of your life. But it’s so worth it. An article on gratitude points out that gratitude has such a positive psychological impact that it can change your brain. 

Practicing gratitude is, ultimately, a change in mindset. The following gratitude techniques can get you geared up and ready to be grateful. 

Gratitude techniques

Try one, try all — do what makes you most comfortable and is most likely to stick. A gratitude habit is a mindset you’re aiming for. You’ll find that once you apply these techniques, you’ll start seeing things differently.

Gratitude journal

It doesn't have to be a long journal entry. There's no "Dear Diary" format or anything. A gratitude journal can be whatever you want it to be, just as long as it's convenient enough for you that you'll do it daily. You can even draw a picture if that appeals to you. Just make sure to make it a daily habit and focus on the details of why you're thankful for something and what about it really makes it a great part of your day.

Gratitude rocks

Have you noticed the happy little rocks you’re finding along hiking trails and in parks? This is a fantastic trend, and it’s a great way to get your kids involved in gratitude. Have them write down a bunch of happy little thoughts on rocks, and then plant them around your neighborhood. Check on your rocks regularly. You’ll see that they get collected by people who really need a good pick me up. You’ve not only boosted the gratitude in your home, but you’ve now shared it with someone else who needs it.

Gratitude tree

Gratitude jars are a fairly traditional way of celebrating gratitude. Every time you think of something you’re grateful for, write it down and drop it in the jar. But we love the idea of changing that up a bit for the holiday season. Put up a tree just for gratitude. Then have your entire family get in on the fun. When they think of something they’re grateful for, they can write it on paper and use a ribbon to tie it to the tree. Or you can buy ball ornaments, and they can write right on them.

Gratitude prompts

Create a list of prompts that you can use, at the end of each day, to come up with three things in the day that you’re grateful for. Prompt suggestions could be:

♦ I’m grateful for hearing this today.
♦ I’m grateful for seeing this today.
♦ I’m grateful for this person today.
♦ I’m grateful I got to do this today.
♦ I’m grateful for tasting this today.
♦ I’m grateful for helping in this way today.

Come up with more prompts that fit your family and use them to end the day with gratitude. The great thing about this is once it becomes familiar, you start thinking of things all day long that you’ll use at night. This keeps you in a mindset of gratitude.

And while you're working on gratitude prompts, it's a good idea to take the opportunity to give yourself some love. Hair La Vie makes this easy for you with their selection of products that are designed to nurture your hair from the inside to the tips of your strands. A good place to start is the Foundation Collagen Elixir. The elixir uses a unique combination of beauty-boosting collagen, keratin, and prebiotics that work naturally with plant-based superfoods to provide you with the complete Foundation of beauty and wellness your body, skin, and hair will thank you for.

Friendly gratitude

Thanksgiving through the New Year is a wonderful time to begin your gratitude habit, but it’s also a great time to share your gratitude. How about gratitude posts on social media. Go a step beyond the traditional countdown to Thanksgiving. Make your gratitude expression person-specific. Call out your friend for a nice thing they did. Thank someone for always being there for you. Tell a person how much their posts brighten your day. Share the love and give gratitude to others. It does more for them than you realize.

Final thoughts

These are tricky times. Staying in and staying safe are top priorities for everyone, but it gets harder and harder as the days, weeks, and months pass by. Now with the holidays upon us, it's essential that we bring some joy into our lives.

The best way to combat the struggle is to open your heart and mind to gratitude. Be willing to embrace the things you do have, and stop dwelling on what you don’t have or what’s missing this year. It will get better, but in the meantime, developing your gratitude can change your life. It’s not just for the holidays — it’s a new way of approaching every day with happiness and joy and then spreading that feeling to others.