One thing I try to remind myself constantly, actually, is to be grateful for what I have. Because whatever we focus on becomes our reality. And I think that's so important because we could look at one situation and interpreted completely differently. So at any given point in my life, I can focus on all of the negative aspects and be miserable about it. Or I can realize all of the wonderful aspects and be completely happy about it and grateful about it. And so I think the exercise of being grateful reminds me that, wow, I have so much and I'm, I have so much abundance in my life.

And I think that really just changes my perspective. gratitude. The mind is a survival machine. As a result, it constantly anticipates worst case scenarios and broods over potential. threats and problems, even if there is no immediate hazard to one's health. This constant hyper vigilance can put the body in a perpetual state of fight or flight response with elevated stress hormone levels.

The long term effects of this kind of wear and tear on the system can be diseased. Focusing on gratitude can be a way to counteract one's habitual, obsessive negative thoughts. If you notice your mind playing out a negative thought pattern, take a deep breath, count down from five to 154321. Then think about something you're exceptionally grateful for. It can be something as simple as your health, the wonderful feeling of taking a deep, satisfying breath, the comfort of having foods to eat and a roof over your head, or perhaps family and friends. Concentrate on the feeling of how wonderful these things make you feel.

Eventually, gratitude will become a habit. It can be very beneficial as well. To make gratitude a part of your daily meditation routine, I personally take about 10 minutes during my morning meditation to feel grateful for the wonderful blessings in my life.