Workshop Review: Gratitude Party

Huge thank you to my friend Joe Sweeney for the photos!
Check out more on his gratitude practice on his website here:
www.thejoesweeney.com

On Wednesday, I had the privilege of hosting a party at Dream Bank. Not just any old party, but a gratitude party!

We've all been hearing a lot about gratitude lately. These days, there's a lot of science and a lot of evidence to support the fact that gratitude is good for us.

It can make us more optimistic, improve our overall well-being, increase our 'happiness baseline' (what's said to be our genetically predetermined 'normal' level of happiness that we return to regularly), and strengthen our friendships and romantic relationships.

It can help us succeed in our careers, find mentors, and become more productive.

And, the most fascinating part from my perspective - it can help us live longer. It can improve our sleep, reduce our pain, decrease the number of times we go to the doctor, and even make us exercise more. 

Clearly, it's a useful thing to do. 

But how do we actually incorporate it into our daily lives? 

Easy, really. Here are a few of my favorite ways.

1. A Gratitude Journal

A number of my friends keep gratitude journals and report some pretty incredible results from doing so. I've done it on and off over the years, and have to say, I agree. Not only does  journaling about gratitude give us perspective and have the ability to increase our optimism over time, but it also can serve as a useful tool to look back on during rough patches. A regular journal works great if you like to use paper (I recommend something beautiful like this that you love to write in); otherwise, if you're more drawn to electronic solutions, my favorite gratitude app is this one, which is beautiful to use and also provides space to upload photos from your day.

2. Hand-Written Letters and Notes of Gratitude

This is what Wednesday's party was all about! This is as simple as it sounds - write a note or a letter to the people in your life you're thankful for. Feel free to include the obvious people like friends and family - and also allow yourself to expand your list to include the less-obvious people you interact with regularly at the coffee shop, at the parking garage, or at the reception desk.

To take this to the next level, instead of mailing the letter, hand deliver it, and read it to the person out loud. Skeptical? Check out this video; you might change your mind. 

3. Get Creative

Unleash your inner artist by getting crafty. Consider creating your own gratitude calendar, creating a jar of gratitude, or compiling and sending someone a 'box of delight.'

4. Just Think About It

No stamps in the house, or not feeling crafty? That's okay. Just thinking about what you're grateful for brings us a lot of the same benefits. Reflecting each night before bed or when you wake up in the morning, or mentally thanking someone during the day are both great options that don't take up any time or require any supplies.

Want to learn more about gratitude? Consider stopping in at Dream Bank in the next couple months to check out the gratitude exhibit or another gratitude talk.

Have your own strategies for cultivating gratitude? I'd love to hear about them in the comments!

Workshop Review: De-Clutter the Small Stuff to Make Room for What's Important

Last week, I had the pleasure of hosting a workshop with Vicky from Grid Organizing. We spent time talking through how we spend our time and how we *want* to spend our time, leaving participants with a few tips for honoring what's most important to us in our day-to-day routines.

We talked, we laughed, we ate some cheese, and we connected over some of the things we all feel passionately about - making time for the important things.

Here's what a few of the participants had to say.

Huge thank you to everyone who joined us for these events!

Molly Coughlin:

"Vicky and Sarah's workshop provided  refreshingly straightforward, practical strategies for getting more out of your days (and years). The group setting led to great conversation and insight into how peers manage similar challenges. All in all a very productive session!"

Jason Schatz:

"The workshop was a refreshing, inspiring, and above all a fun night with some great people. How we spend our days adds up to how we spend our lives, and if there's something more important than that, I don't know what it is. The workshop gave me the space and guidance to really focus on how I use my time and how it relates (or doesn't) to what I value. It was wonderful to spend an entire evening exploring something so fundamental. Best of all, I got to do it in the company of some really great people doing the same thing--sharing insight, honesty, and a lot of laughs. Making personal progress is so much easier (and way more fun) in a supportive group than trying to go it alone. Sarah and Vicky did an impressive job balancing light hearted discussion with more focused exercises and concrete actions for getting closer to where we each wanted to be. They made it look easy. It was a great night, and in the days since I've spent way more time on things that excite me than things that distract me, which is always a good feeling.  It's amazing what a little discussion and reflection can do when you need a little nudge (or even a big one)."

Heather Green:

"Vicky and Sarah did a wonderful job making the group feel comfortable, relaxed and open in our chaotic lives. The workshop was valuable in determining what roles in life I play while pointing out the gaps between my everyday life versus what I want to do. We often forget how many hats we wear and don't give credit to ourselves for the vast roles all of us uphold. The workshop provided a wonderful foundation point of goal alignment, prioritization and values."

Jordan Rothenberg:

"I'm really glad I attended the workshop for two reasons. Reason one: the exercises enabled me to put my time, both past and future into perspective. Sarah and Vicky did a great job of introducing the exercises, making the group feel comfortable and providing real examples for us to work with. Reason two: I now have an actionable list of steps I can take, today, to start making the strides I need to make to achieve my goals for this short, crazy ride called life."

Kourtney Franck:

"I really enjoyed the workshop, and found it very helpful in regards to time management.  The things we discussed during the workshop helped me focus on if I had really been spending my time on the things that were truly important to me, and how I could change things in order to spend more time doing what I enjoy and accomplish my goals at the same time.  It was also really nice to hear about others' experiences as well as share my own in regards to our goals, daily commitments, and time-management struggles."