Test: What’s your instant energy booster?

More energy might not be the first benefit that springs to mind when you think of reasons to get into a gratitude habit, but it’s a form of extreme self-care that can have a lasting impact on wellbeing, boosting energy in the process. If on paper there’s much to appreciate about your life, it can be frustrating that your thinking mind still drifts towards problems or stress, draining your energy levels in the process.

A daily gratitude practice means consciously giving more mental airtime to what is going well or aspects of your life that bring you joy, balancing the mind’s energy-zapping negativity bias in the process. It’s also about staying in close touch with what really brings you meaning and pleasure, which can help you make the right choices to support your wellbeing and your energy. A regular gratitude practice also helps build resilience against challenges and setbacks, boosting mood and energy in the process.

Try adding to a gratitude list in the notes app on your phone or in a journal once a day, or simply mentally running through a gratitude list last thing at night. And don’t be surprised if this simple habit proves to be the catalyst you need to pay more attention to your self-care in general, raising your default energy levels in the process.