Developing a Gratitude practice is one of the simplest and yet most powerful ways to change how you feel in an instant.

It may sound simplistic, however, when you are grateful, even for the littlest things in your life, you will find joy in small things, excitement in the simple pleasures and your life will expand more and more.

When you start to focus on the good things in your life, rather than overwhelmingly negative aspects, your life begins to change.

Research shows that a gratitude practice is much more effective if you are really specific about your subject so for example, instead of saying 'I am grateful for my family , my relationship, my job blar blar blar...' - try taking one thing and getting REALLY specific, about it, and writing a couple of sentences about the subject in your journal or notebook.

Keep it simple, and gradually expand the practice.

Bringing this practice to top of mind reinforces it, and gradually over time changes your mindset.

Here's an example of my gratitude topics from a few years ago (still true today.)

'I am so grateful for my No 1 son who texts me every week, even though he is on the other side of the world!

How he makes me smile with his wacky view on life. I love that he is so talented and is not afraid to share his talent with the world.'

'I am so grateful for my beautiful daughter, who I love watching grow into her life, is gradually becoming more and independent. I love listening to her read her story books with such expression you would think she was part of the story! I love how she always tries her best to do new things even if the safe routine things are more of what she really wants to do.'

See the difference?

Makes me smile to read it even now a number of years later....

By being really specific, you 'anchor' how the emotion feels, and so you can easily recall it at a later date. These days I love to include essential oils with my gratitude practice.

To do this, have a favourite oil on hand to use either aromatically or topically, while you are writing or thinking of your gratitude topics.

My favourite oils to use for gratitude are: Wild Orange ( the oil of abundance) and Bergamot (the oil of self acceptance)

Gratitude is one of those wonderful emotions that builds on itself and makes you feel fabulous.

Ok.. Lets talk about what happens if you fall off the wagon, and you stop your gratitude practice?

After a period of days, weeks or even months, you somehow get out of the routine of gratitude, somehow you forget, and time slips by and wham! you realise you haven't consciously practiced for weeks!

Instead of beating yourself up and making yourself wrong, all you need to do is start again! Start where you are at!

Simple! so easy, so gratifying!

So how about you start today? Try the lovely diffuser blend below!

Till next time

sending love and gratitude

Julie x