Hello, and welcome. I'm Julia Cartwright, and I'm so glad you're here with me today for Gratitude Practice: Daily Mindfulness Reflections for Happiness. Take a breath. Just one. There we go.
You know, late November has this particular flavor to it, doesn't it? We're in that stretch where the year is winding down, the days are shorter, and honestly, it's easy to slip into that groove where we're running on fumes, checking boxes, and forgetting to actually notice what's working. If you're feeling that subtle exhaustion today, that sense of being on a hamster wheel, I want you to know you're not alone. And that's exactly why we're here together.
Today, we're going to practice something beautifully simple but genuinely transformative. It's called the Gratitude Anchor, and it works by tethering your awareness to three specific moments of goodness that already exist in your life. Not the big dramatic stuff necessarily, but the real, textured moments.
So let's begin. Find a comfortable seat, somewhere you can sit with your spine gently tall but not rigid. Your shoulders can be relaxed. Your hands resting wherever feels natural. If you're standing, that's fine too. Just find your ground.
Now, let's settle the nervous system with some easy breathing. Breathe in through your nose for a count of four, and exhale slowly through your mouth for a count of six. The exhale is longer, which signals safety to your body. Let's do that three times together. In for four. Out for six. Again. And once more.
Now, bring to mind something small from today that actually landed well. Maybe it was the warmth of your coffee mug in your hands. Maybe someone made you laugh. Maybe you finished something you were dreading. Don't judge it. Don't think it needs to be profound. Just feel it. Notice where that goodness lives in your body. Your chest? Your belly? Sit with it for a moment.
Now find another one. This time, something from this week that made you feel capable or held or seen. Let that settle in.
And finally, reach back further. What's something about your life right now, even amid the chaos, that you actually appreciate? Your home. A person. Your own resilience. Whichever one calls to you.
Hold these three moments together for just a few breaths. You've just created your personal gratitude anchor, and you can return to it anytime the hamster wheel spins too fast.
As you move through today, I'd love for you to notice one more moment of goodness. Just one. Notice it fully. That's your practice continuing.
Thank you so much for spending this time with me on Gratitude Practice: Daily Mindfulness Reflections for Happiness. Please subscribe so we can keep finding happiness together. You deserve this.
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