I like this practice because it reminds you of all the little things in your day there are to be grateful for. Having this reminder just before sleep, helps the mind stay with the positive aspects of your day and feel peaceful. I believe it leads to a better and more restful nights’s sleep. I hope you find it helpful.
Each night at bedtime, review your day from when you awoke in the morning until bedtime. Name all of the things that you are specifically grateful for on this day. It could begin with a great cup of coffee, a snuggle with your kiddo or partner, a yummy breakfast. And so forth. This sets the tone for going to sleep with a grateful and peaceful mind.
Avoid generalizations such as “I’m grateful for my family,” and instead say something that specifically happened today such as “I’m grateful that Chris made me breakfast.”
You can also turn events that you normally would perceive as neutral or negative into positives with this practice. An example of this could be oversleeping and barely having time to throw some clothes on before a Zoom meeting. In your gratitude practice, you could be express gratitude for the extra sleep and that you didn’t miss the meeting.
This shift in perception helps us to see our day in a better light and future events through a more positive lens.
You can modify your evening gratitude practice by either writing this into a journal or saying it aloud, taking turns, sharing your gratitude list with someone else. I sometimes do this with my son as I am tucking him at night. Or you can voice record it or type it in to one of your devices. (However, I strongly recommend being device-free for 30-60 minutes prior to sleep.)
Try this every day for two weeks. You should very quickly begin to see a shift in attitude and an increase in feelings of optimism and appreciation.
I wish you good sleep.
