T, Take in, the first vital sign, means to absorb, understand, and experience. The key to flourishing is to Take in what is nourishing. Take in for well-being by noticing what’s important to you and where it shows up in your life.Take in this beautiful time of year.
This blog focuses on Take in. Beyond what you eat and drink, you take in through your senses. What do you listen to? What do you read? Where do you focus? Notice beauty, joy, friendship and moments of ease. Take in these positive experiences during the day. Pay attention to what is important to you, your values and strengths. When life is full and busy, it is easy to overlook these.
Practicing Gratitude can help you to take in what’s going well. Gratitude is one of the most powerful emotions to increase well-being.
Here are some ideas for how you can bring gratitude into your life.
- 3Ws – What Went Well in the last 24 hours? Daily looking for 3 things that went well and writing them down with one sentence of description. My clients say this is one of the most effective tools they use to shift to a more positive mindset.
- Say Grace – You can use your own words when you anticipate or experience something you appreciate. Some times that might come to mind are when you notice something of beauty, when getting together with friends, meals and special occasions. My personal grace before eating is “I’m glad we can share this meal together.”
- A morning practice that includes gratitude – Many spiritual disciplines offer ideas. Here’s what the 14th Dalai Lama wakes up with: “Today I am fortunate to be alive, I have a precious human life, I am not going to waste it.”* A Jewish wake up statement is, “Thank you God for returning my soul to me, Your trust in me is great.” What could you say that would remind you to take in the good that is available to you this day?
If you have a gratitude practice that works for you, great. If you’re looking for a way to take in more of the positive in your life, experiment with these and others; see what suits you.
To develop your well-being, contact me.
Revitalize Your Life,
Dina, Well-Being Coach
203.744.YOU3 (9683)
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*from, Elizabeth Blackburn PhD and Elissa Epel, PhD, The Telomere Effect, Grand Central Publishing, 2017, p. 120
