Life can he hard, messy, draining, and weight crushing. Sometimes it feels like you’ve been hit by a bus. Bruised and tired, you sometimes get angry and ask yourself why is this happening to me? I find that even on my hardest of days, if I can change my attitude to one of gratefulness, I can better assess the situation, I feel better and feel like I can manage what is happening with more clarity.

Not only does remaining thankful help during those bad times, but it helps during the good as well. If you think about it, we really do have much to be grateful for in life. Below are some ways to help change your attitude and mindset to one of gratitude.

Gratitude Journal

One of the simplest ways to help you remain thankful and positive is to have a gratitude journal. This journal can be written however you want with lists, pictures, statements, or a more traditional version recording events of the day and recognizing moments. Honestly, this journal can be whatever you want it to be. Once you’ve started to write down things or events you are grateful for, you start to see good moments in your life more often. This also helps you to see how much life has to offer.

Don’t Compare

Another way to help you remain thankful is to not compare yourself to other people. This can be hard, really hard, especially when you wonder why some friends, neighbors, or co-workers have something you don’t and you feel like you should. Always remember that everyone is on their own path doing their own thing, and sometimes opportunities come up for some and not others. You are not your friend, neighbor, or co-worker. If you want something similar, work to make it happen and be grateful for the things you’ll learn along the way.

Gain Perspective

Gaining perspective just means you’ll view your life or a situation differently. It means put yourself in someone else’s shoes, or try to see the bigger picture. It means view your life or problem differently, and you might gain a new perspective on what is happening. Gaining a new perspective always helps with maintaining a grateful attitude because it helps you to see things differently, and sometimes viewing life from a different angle brings new understanding.

Serve Other People

Small acts of service and kindness can make a huge impact in your life. Focusing outward instead of just on ourselves helps us to be happy and thankful. This can be volunteering at food shelters to saying hi to those around you. It can be done for random strangers you’ve never met before, or to your closest friends and family. Service is anything to anyone, and it feels really good to think of others for a change. It also helps remind you of the positives in your own life and how much there is to be grateful for.

Humble Yourself

It seems more people feel entitled to the things they have or want. Just because they graduated college means they should get the first high paying job they found. Or because they are who they are, they deserve everything they want. This is not conducive to creating an attitude of gratefulness. Humbling yourself allows you to receive more opportunities and experiences in life. It reminds you to work hard, be kind, and remain thankful.