Connecting to something bigger than yourself-- a deity, religion, a higher call-- can help center you and give greater meaning to life. 
​Choose a spiritual connection that fits you. 
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Are you taking care of your spiritual self? 
Take this short quiz and find out. 

Meditation/ Prayer

Practice Gratitude
Simply being thankful and expressing appreciation can have HUGE positive effects. Practicing gratitude improves mood regulation, social bonds, sleep, physical health, and can make you feel more optimistic and hopeful. 
Gratitude reverses our priorities to appreciating people and the things we have or do. 

        How to make gratitude practice work: 
  • Be authentic, don't pretend you're grateful if you're not.  This is not a time when "fake it until you make it" will have a positive effect.
  • Don't use comparisons that invalidate your feelings. Statements such as "at least I have a job" about a job you is draining you won't help, and can keep you from facing real issues or problems. 
  • Start small and be specific, it will help you internalize the positive effects and stay focused. 
  • Shared gratitude has a bonus effect. Letters, emails, or texts expressing gratitude to another person increase the positives if brings to you while giving a boost to the other person. Brain scans of people who wrote gratitude letters where found to have increased prefrontal cortex activity even 3 months after the letter was written (Brown, Wong; Indiana University).
  • Remember AND... you can be grateful AND be upset. It's important not to bury how you feel. 

    Ways to get started: 
  • Write a thank you note, email, or text.  Just the act of writing it will start reversing negative thoughts. Sending the message provides a bonus to you and the receiver. 
  • Mentally express appreciation. The goal is to train your brain to find moments of appreciation, then mentally express them in words. A great time to practice this is right before bed to re-center your thoughts and prep your brain for good sleep. 
  • Gratitude Journal, on paper or an app.  Recording what and who you are grateful for each day is a key to continuing the positive thought practice, and it provides a record you can look back on. 
  • Practice "Three Good Things."  In this activity you write down three things that went well today and why. You can make your own version of this activity that works for you.  The goal is to make this a habit you practice every day. 

How grateful are you?  Find out by taking a quiz from Greater Good.  It will also give suggestions for upping your gratitude practice.  Gratitude Quiz

Connect with Nature
​Research has shown "a strong connection between time spent in nature and reduced stress, anxiety, and depression"
(Harvard Health Publishing, Harvard Medical School). The visual aspects, as well as the sounds or lack of sound, of nature calms the body and distracts us from negative thought. 
How and how much: 
  • 20-30 minutes, 3 times a week to get started. Build in a weekend outdoors when you can.
  • Walking, sitting, cycling, the goal is to spend time in nature, alone or with others. 
  • Take in the visual as well as the sounds, or lack of sound. 
  • Unable to be part of nature? Bring nature to you through plants, photos of outdoor spaces, and nature sounds.
  • Your goal- to make connecting with nature a part of your lifestyle. 

Attend Spiritual Events

Read Daily Inspirational Messages