How to Appreciate Everyday

What do you actively appreciate in your world?

How much of your daily life do you take for granted? We have so much going on that it can be easy to stop noticing and appreciating some of the little marvels that happen every day. It is usually only when we have been without something for a while that we actually consciously appreciate it.

Perhaps there has been a fuel shortage, a power cut or our boiler broke. Maybe we have been unwell, or unable to see the people, or do the things, we enjoy. How long do we stay appreciative for when these little treasures return to us?

Remember that little buzz you get when you have managed to get the petrol you need, or you take a hot shower after your boiler has been broken? Well, how would it be if you were to get a few bursts of this feeling of appreciation through your day? It would probably make you feel great, boost your energy and massively help your mood. Sounds like it might be a good thing to try.

The magic trick in this is to actively notice some of the amazing things we have available to us every day. There are actually so many to choose from that if you focussed on all of them your brain probably wouldn’t get the chance to do much else!

One way to approach this is to notice something in each new ‘scene’ in our day. If you think of your day like a television programme where we move between different ‘scenes’, you could notice something you appreciate as you enter each one.

As you….

  • enter the shower, you could appreciate the miracle of hot water at the press of a button.
  • get dressed, you could appreciate the beauty of your clothes, or the comfort they bring, or the warmth.
  • open the fridge or kitchen cupboard, you could appreciate the array of yummy foods you have to choose from.
  • start the car, the delight of being able to sit in comfort and warmth and drive to somewhere you need to be.
  • turn on your computer ….the list of what you can appreciate here is endless!
  • arrive home, appreciate that you have a place where you can relax, or enjoy the ambience of.
  • get into bed, you could appreciate the comfort and warmth, or just sleep itself.

First, we need to be present in the moment so then we can notice the wonderous gifts that surround us every day. To boost our emotional energy, we then need to go beyond the thought and experience the feeling of appreciation in the moment. In the same way that repeated thoughts create more established neural pathways, making it easier to think that thought, the same is true with emotions. The more we experience an emotion, the easier it is for our body to produce it.

Appreciation works wonders for our emotional energy, giving us an emotional lift or boost. If you would like stronger emotional energy, you could decide to notice a few things a day, feel that appreciation and watch your emotional energy soar.

Would you like to hear about more ways to boost your emotional energy and understand how strong your emotional energy is? Why not take our quiz to get a better understanding of your personal energy and find out which of your four energies most needs a boost?

Download the free My PowerBar app for joy booster tips here.