GRATITUDE
Gratitude is a helpful mental performance skill that boosts optimism, resilience, and focus by promoting positive emotions and supporting healthy brain chemistry through increased heart rate variability and the release of dopamine and serotonin.
Consistently practicing gratitude helps rewire your brain, strengthening neural pathways that reduce stress and negative thinking while enhancing emotional balance and mental clarity. Over time, this rewiring makes it easier to shift away from anxiety and self-criticism, improving your ability to perform under pressure, recover faster, and maintain energy.
Practice gratitude with this meditation.
SIMPLE WAYS TO PRACTICE
WRITE IT DOWN.
Each morning, start your day by writing down 3 things you’re grateful for every morning (at least 2 weeks)
BRIEF REFLECTION
Spend 30 seconds each day reflecting on who/what you are grateful for. Maybe you do this when walking to your car or practice.
APPRECIATION EXCHANGE
Express genuine appreciation to at least 1 person each week. Tty to be intentional & specific,
JOURNAL PROMPTS
Journaling about gratitude helps make the practice more intentional and impactful. Writing things down reinforces positive thought patterns, trains your brain to notice what’s going well, and builds mental habits that support focus, resilience, and emotional balance. It’s a simple, consistent way to shift perspective and improve overall well-being.