30 seconds of gratitude- my favorite way to end the day...

Have you ever stopped at the end of the day for just 30 seconds and thought, "what am I grateful for today"? I don't really get those moments until I crawl into bed after a long day, but practicing this was the best advice I received a few years ago from an executive coach. 

We can all get caught up in our to-do's, what's going on with our kids at school, a looming deadline for a project at work. But, we don't always allow our minds to wander off and think about what happened in a day that was really good.

You have seen it in movies where the family is sitting around the dinner table and each person has to talk about a high and low point of the day. That is awesome, but first, before you can bring others into this practice, you have to figure it out for yourself. Don't get me wrong, I want to know what was good and bad about my family's day, but sometimes you have to focus on you---and guess what my friend, that is completely fine.

Now, some people will tell you to keep a gratitude journal that you write in each day. I tried that but I couldn't keep up with it quite honestly. Instead, I just either take that 30 second pause each night when I go to bed or, if I am at work and think of something, I make a note in my phone. I really love ending my day this way because I am thinking happy thoughts, if you will, before my tired brain drifts off to sleep.

I challenge you to give this a try for 1 week - just 7 days, or 210 seconds of your week. You reaping the benefits of this practice is worth 210 seconds of your week. Take care of yourself, your mind and your heart- you are worth it.