You have probably heard of both meditations and affirmations, although you may not know exactly what they are or how they work. They may even seem a little too new to you, but do not underestimate their power yet. These two practices are actually quite simple to supplement your routine or even to use in a particularly stressful moment to gain perspective. Look below to learn how you can use gratitude meditations and affirmations to strengthen your mind at any time.
What are meditations?
A meditation is actually just a practice where you take a quiet time to be mindful and focus your attention on a specific thought or topic. It is a moment of silent reflection that focuses you on the here and now. Gratitude meditations involve focusing your thoughts on being grateful for the details of your life or situation, including those that may not seem so positive. Your gratitude journals can even be considered meditation. Any contemplative, purposeful time designed to be grateful can fall into this category.
What are affirmations?
Affirmations are short, concise and positive sentences that are intended to specifically influence the way we think and feel. These can be done in a conscious or unconscious way. What we think has a great influence on how we feel and behave. The regular introduction of these positive messages into your life can help you to internalize them and live accordingly. Gratitude affirmations focus specifically on being grateful and appreciative.
How to use them
Both meditation and affirmation can be easily put into practice. They can be used almost anytime and anywhere. When you think of meditation, you might think of a long, intense ritual. In reality, you do not need to spend much time in meditation to take advantage of its benefits. Just sitting quietly for a few minutes and thinking about what you are grateful for can help you to center yourself and gain a new perspective, which often makes you feel better. If you would like a little more structure or time, you can look up guided gratitude meditations online or get a meditation application to try it out. When it comes to affirmations, a good practice might be to combine them with your gratitude diary. Write down positive messages that relate to your life and that can inspire or motivate you. You may want to keep them in a separate journal or store them online. Then you can pull out your collection of affirmations for a pick-me-up when you need one.
Gratitude meditations and affirmations are simple tools that are of great use. It only takes a few minutes to practice them, and you really don’t need any special equipment. Try them out if you feel you could use an injection of gratitude in your life.
Leave a Reply