Appreciation for the blessings we possess is the hallmark of happy contented people. You don’t have to be involved in elder care in Toronto to practise gratitude every day, but it surely will benefit any caregiver. The struggles and the stress that come from elder care can make anyone feel overwhelmed and alone. It’s easy to look at everything in your life as the glass being half empty.

Let’s look at how to practise gratitude every day in your own life and maybe even pass it on to your senior loved one. Gratitude can be contagious.

It’s A State Of Mind

We all know that person who is perpetually happy and upbeat. Nothing gets them down. If you would ask them why, they would most likely say, “I have so much in my life: good friends, my health, my family and I’m grateful for it all.” There it is: the secret to happiness. Well, maybe not, but you get the point.

Gratitude becomes a state of mind. But be aware that it doesn’t just happen. One must be proactive. One must focus on the good things in life. Like any skill in life, it requires practice.

Specific Ways To Practise Gratitude Every Day

• Buy a pretty journal and begin to write down one thing each day. Elder care in Toronto can be frustrating and of course time consuming. It may seem you have no time for yourself or your immediate family. So don’t make it a chore. Simply write down a simple thing each day. You can re-read them each night or morning (whichever time is better for you), but try not to be grateful for the exact same thing twice. This makes you pay attention to what’s happening around you.

• Focus on simple but positive things every day. For example, “The weather was beautiful, so we were able to enjoy…” or “My children cleaned up the kitchen tonight without being asked because they noticed I was tired.”

• Write a note to someone and tell them why you are grateful they are in your life. Or tell them in person.

• Concentrate on smiling more.

• Always give affirmation for a job well done.

• Avoid watching movies or shows with a negative plot. Remove these from your life.

• Post a positive thought on social media at least twice a week.

• Notice the beauty in nature, music that you love, or a pet who makes you laugh.

• Share your journal entry every day with your senior loved one, especially if they tend to get depressed. Encourage them to tell you something they are grateful for. Then begin a gratitude collage, looking together for photos to cut out and paste on the collage.

Gratitude activities are ways to share your practices with others: your family, your children, your co-workers. Elder care in Toronto may not get easier, but it will help you through the toughest days.

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