When you’re stuck in a rut and struggling to feel joy in small moments in your day-to-day life, it’s only natural to focus on the future and tell yourself things will get better once you achieve your next goal — getting the promotion, finding a partner, losing a few more pounds…
But this mindset can actually make it harder for us to feel contentment in any aspect of our lives. After all, “most of life is lived between the goalposts,” TODAY contributor and psychotherapist Niro Feliciano said.
To counter this approach and pull yourself out of a rut, practicing gratitude can help you be more present and mindful, and better enjoy life as you’re living it.
To get started, Feliciano recommends asking yourself these two questions as a daily reflective practice.
Therapist Tip of the Day: Ask Yourself 2 Questions Daily to Feel More Content
A daily reflection focused on celebrating your wins can help boost feelings of gratitude and contentment, Feliciano says.
She recommends including these two questions:
What are you proud of?What did you enjoy?Why It Matters
Many people struggle with low self-worth, which can lead us to feel less fulfilled and more stressed. But research shows that gratitude and connection can combat this, along with improving mood and resilience, and even helping you accomplish goals faster.
It can feel difficult to start a gratitude practice when the world feels heavy and you’re unsatisfied in your daily life — but that means it’s arguable the best time to try it.
How to Get Started
When answering the questions that Feliciano suggested, keep in mind that your responses “don’t have to be impressive, just significant to you,” she explains.
“Some of mine have included meal prepping for the week, a kind moment with a stranger, and getting to the gym after weeks of not going. This simple exercise trains your brain to experience satisfaction without needing a finish line.”
And don’t forget to choose different answers to the questions as much as you can, to prevent the exercise from becoming redundant and less effective.
Other tips to start practicing gratitude include:
Writing down your responses in a journal or even an app on your phone.Making it part of your routine by doing it alongside something you already do every day, like making coffee.Be as detailed as possible.
TODAY’s Expert Tip of the Day series is all about simple strategies to make life a little easier. Every Monday through Friday, different qualified experts share their best advice on diet, fitness, heart health, mental wellness and more.