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Want to Feel Better? Read this Gratitude Meditation Before Bed

Let’s be honest: everyone gets down in the dumps sometimes, whether they are little kids or full grown adults. So feeling a little nervous or even a little depressed is nothing to be ashamed of. And when you’re young there are a lot of things to worry about: your friends, your school work, your parents or just things you don’t fully understand yet. It’s totally natural to feel the way you do, but it’s important to learn how to make yourself feel better, so this anxiety and depression doesn’t linger.

You can do this through meditation. I already know what you’re thinking: meditation? Isn’t that something that people in yoga classes do? Or hippies? Well, yes, but it’s also something people of all types do around the world to feel better about themselves and their lives. It helps them slow everything down and really put their lives and the people in their lives into perspective.

Thank You- Express your Gratitude

If you’re up for it, you can meditate every day when you wake up in the morning and then before you go to sleep at night. Or even during the day when you are feeling anxious or upset. If you’re up for learning this helpful tool, keep listening.

While there are a number of different ways to meditate, one of the best ways to help deal with anxiety and depression is through gratitude. What does that mean exactly? Well, having gratitude is taking a few minutes to think about all of the good things in your life, the things you have going for you, the things that made you life enjoyable. Remove all the negativity from your thoughts and make a list of the three things that happened today, or yesterday, that you are truly grateful for.

So close your eyes and find your center. Concentrate on your breathing—deep breath in, deep breath out. Deep breath in, deep breath out. Now, as you continue to do that, lets come up with the first thing you are grateful for from your day or the day before. This doesn’t have to be a big thing from your day. It could be an amazing thing you ate at lunch or dinner, or it could be finding twenty dollars on the ground. It could be a conversation you had with someone at school or how you enjoyed watching a funny video on your computer. Think about what that first thing you are grateful for could possibly be. Remember it and continue breathing, deep breath in and deep breath out.

Now let’s move on to the second thing on the list that we are grateful for from today or yesterday. Remember, it doesn’t have to be anything big or anything that anyone else appreciates but you. But it should be something that makes you happy and that made your day better. Deep breath in, deep breath out. Think of something you saw that was really cool, like someone skateboarding in the park or a striking sunset. It could even be an amazing or inspirational video you saw on the Internet today. Remember it, savor it as you continue breathing, deep breath in and then deep breath out.

Last one. You have your first two things you are grateful for, now think back on your day and find one more thing you are grateful for, one more thing that made your day more enjoyable or that you are happy to have in your life on a regular basis. Remember, it can be something small, like a bird with beautiful colors that was sitting on a tree or your dog greeting you when you came home. Think about it with each deep breath in and deep breath out.

Now, still concentrating on your breathing, think about all three things you are grateful for from your day and look forward to seeing them in the future. Take a final deep breath in and exhale… Now open your eyes. Feel free to write the list of three things down. Or just remember them. But you should try to find three new things to be grateful for the next day and then the day after that. You’ll find that there are no shortage of things to be grateful for in your life, as long as you concentrate on them, rather than the negative things.

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13 thoughts on “Want to Feel Better? Read this Gratitude Meditation Before Bed”

  1. Most people (like me) teach to start your day with a gratitude list or meditation. Now I think ENDING the day with this exercise can be just as powerful. Maybe even more powerful since your unconscious mind will process during sleep whatever you think about in the last minutes before sleep. Better to focus on what went right in your day rather than stressing about what didn’t go right. Your next day will be better for this. Thank you for this insight.

    Reply
  2. Yes, be grateful. But, do not forget to extend your gratitude in your ability to give to others. Your inner self ecstasy is your greatest gift.

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  3. I’m only a 14 year old you all know at this age teenagers have lots of problems in this life of teens like me but after reading this and tried it… it actually felt good about my self.

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  4. I’m 14 years old and a girl. You guys know how teenagers have a lot of problems in their life today like teens like me and you guys where teenagers before so you should know how all teens feel. But after reading this article and tried taking deep breaths in and out than I felt much better about myself. I think all of people will feel better about theirselves after this process.

    Reply
  5. Omg can u do more stuff Like this please because I feel a lot of Anxiety And I’m always worried and im so sorry and so sensitive so yea btw ureally helped me out love u thanks

    Reply
  6. Omg can u do more stuff Like this please because I feel a lot of Anxiety And I’m always worried and im so sorry and so sensitive so yea btw ureally helped me out love u thanks
    You really helped me out I’m nine years old btw

    Reply

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