Learn to be grateful

When you think right, you will feel right. It is quite simple really: control your thoughts and mental well-being follows. The treatment of anxiety and depression utilising CBT is all about controlling your thoughts and focusing on helpful thoughts.

The big question that I am often asked though, is how do you control your thoughts? It is not by sheer willpower or concentration I assure you. Rather, it is from training your mind to think differently. In more technical terms, it means rewiring your neurons.

The way you do this is by thinking new thoughts which are helpful to you enough times that your old thoughts fade away. The key points here are that you need to find helpful thoughts to replace your unhelpful thoughts and then you need to practice the helpful thoughts over and over until they become your usual way of thinking. It is not difficult, nor does it take brute strength. It takes patience and perseverance.

Being grateful is a skill that can be learned. Here are some strategies that will assist you.

How to train grateful thoughts:

Set your alarm to go off every hour.
When your alarm goes off, ask yourself “What do I have to be grateful for now”?
Focus on small things that you usually take for granted such as a comfortable chair, being out of the rain, the fact it is raining and there is no drought, having a job, being able to see and write etc.
Choose 3 things every hour. They can be the same ones as before or new things.
Write them down.
Keep your journal with you as much as possible.

Gratitude practice can be part of mindfulness. When you start to feel that you do not want to go to work today, stop and write down 3 reasons to be grateful that you have work at all. Instead of dreading the future (going to work), be fully present in the moment and what you can be grateful for.

When you do this as a mindfulness exercise, you will notice your anxiety reducing.

Below is a brief sample of a gratitude diary. For a full copy click here Completed Sample of Daily Gratitude Diary Page

Daily Gratitude Diary

Date: 27th January, 2015

Three things I am grateful for right now:

9:00am – I woke up healthy; sun is shining; food to eat

10:00am – My brain is working; fingers moving; eyes can see

11:00am – Time without baby; comfortable chair; air conditioning

12:00pm – Lunch to eat; sun is shining; work to do

1:00pm – Learned something new; joked with a friend; have friends

Click here for a sample of a Blank Daily Gratitude Diary Page you may download for your own use.

If you’re struggling with anxiety and would like to learn more tools to manage and overcome these feelings, we have a strong team of Clinical Psychologists, Registered Psychologists and Psychotherapists who can help. Contact us or call us now on 02 9328 5899 for more information and to book today.

By Renee Mill|2022-07-14T18:11:28+10:00January 27th, 2015|Mindfulness|

About the Author: Renee Mill

Renee Mill -- Anxiety Solutions CBT Director, Principal Clinical Psychologist, Supervisor and Best Selling Author -- has counseled hundreds of individuals, couples and families for over 30 years. She cares deeply about her clients and has created a warm and safe environment for all thrive. Renee has worked intensely on creating a new technique for dealing with generalised anxiety disorder, social anxiety, fear of public speaking, performance anxiety and panic attacks. Renee’s other key areas of interest are depression, relationships and couple therapy, self-worth, parenting, resilience and well-being. Renee has published 3 best selling books and lectured in Australia, China, Israel, the United States and South Africa. She is well known on the speaker’s circuit and is often called upon by the media for her professional opinion. To hear Renee’s interviews or read her articles have a look at our Media Section.