1 00:00:03,440 --> 00:00:06,720 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of I Heart Radio. 2 00:00:09,400 --> 00:00:14,200 Speaker 1: Good Morning, This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. 3 00:00:14,840 --> 00:00:19,279 Speaker 1: Today's tip is to find a gratitude partner. Share what 4 00:00:19,320 --> 00:00:22,520 Speaker 1: you're grateful for with a friend or family member who 5 00:00:22,560 --> 00:00:26,079 Speaker 1: in turn shares what he's grateful for with you. By 6 00:00:26,120 --> 00:00:30,040 Speaker 1: doing so, you'll help each other notice and appreciate what's 7 00:00:30,040 --> 00:00:34,080 Speaker 1: good in your lives. Today's tip, like several others this week, 8 00:00:34,440 --> 00:00:37,880 Speaker 1: comes from Sonya Luba Mirsky's book The How of Happiness, 9 00:00:38,280 --> 00:00:42,280 Speaker 1: a scientific approach to getting the life you want. According 10 00:00:42,280 --> 00:00:47,240 Speaker 1: to Luba Mirski, gratitude contributes to happiness for a few reasons. First, 11 00:00:47,400 --> 00:00:52,239 Speaker 1: she writes, grateful thinking promotes the savoring of positive life experiences. 12 00:00:52,800 --> 00:00:55,960 Speaker 1: By relishing and taking pleasure in some of the gifts 13 00:00:55,960 --> 00:00:59,240 Speaker 1: of your life, you will be able to extract maximum 14 00:00:59,240 --> 00:01:04,560 Speaker 1: possible sat faction and enjoyment from your current circumstances. In addition, 15 00:01:04,640 --> 00:01:09,200 Speaker 1: she notes, gratitude boosts self worth we realize how much 16 00:01:09,200 --> 00:01:13,960 Speaker 1: we have accomplished and how much others have done for us. Further, 17 00:01:14,440 --> 00:01:18,640 Speaker 1: gratitude nurtures relationships because it helps us feel appreciative of 18 00:01:18,680 --> 00:01:23,240 Speaker 1: each other. Gratitude also helps us avoid downwards social comparison. 19 00:01:23,880 --> 00:01:26,280 Speaker 1: We're less worried that someone else is better off than 20 00:01:26,319 --> 00:01:31,000 Speaker 1: we are because we're grateful for our own circumstances. Having 21 00:01:31,040 --> 00:01:34,319 Speaker 1: a gratitude partner is one method for boosting your gratitude 22 00:01:34,600 --> 00:01:39,000 Speaker 1: and in turn, boosting your happiness. Here's how it works. First, 23 00:01:39,040 --> 00:01:42,800 Speaker 1: as your grandmother probably encouraged you to do, count your blessings. 24 00:01:43,560 --> 00:01:47,720 Speaker 1: Perhaps every morning or every Saturday afternoon, you identify good 25 00:01:47,760 --> 00:01:50,600 Speaker 1: things in your life that you're grateful for. Maybe it's 26 00:01:50,600 --> 00:01:53,480 Speaker 1: the relative harmony in your household despite being in each 27 00:01:53,520 --> 00:01:57,440 Speaker 1: other's company. Maybe it's having a stable job that you 28 00:01:57,440 --> 00:02:00,840 Speaker 1: can do remotely. Maybe it's having enough food or the 29 00:02:00,920 --> 00:02:04,639 Speaker 1: mild weather that lets you enjoy exercising outside, or video 30 00:02:04,680 --> 00:02:08,760 Speaker 1: calls with your best friends from college. Name your blessings, 31 00:02:09,560 --> 00:02:14,560 Speaker 1: savor them, and then Lubamerski encourages finding what she calls 32 00:02:14,600 --> 00:02:17,720 Speaker 1: a gratitude partner with whom you can share your blessings list. 33 00:02:18,440 --> 00:02:21,320 Speaker 1: You might text your gratitude partner a simple list, such 34 00:02:21,360 --> 00:02:25,800 Speaker 1: as one sunny day means I can walk outside, two 35 00:02:26,320 --> 00:02:30,280 Speaker 1: job security. Three Amy asked me to teach her to 36 00:02:30,360 --> 00:02:33,240 Speaker 1: use the sewing machine. My twelve year old wants to 37 00:02:33,240 --> 00:02:36,280 Speaker 1: spend time with me. Or maybe you create a shared 38 00:02:36,280 --> 00:02:38,960 Speaker 1: Google doc that you each have access to and you 39 00:02:39,000 --> 00:02:42,760 Speaker 1: log your blessings there. Or perhaps you have a grandchild 40 00:02:43,040 --> 00:02:45,480 Speaker 1: or another special child in your life who is learning 41 00:02:45,480 --> 00:02:48,560 Speaker 1: to write. Each week you send him a postcard with 42 00:02:48,600 --> 00:02:51,160 Speaker 1: what you're grateful for and invite him to write you 43 00:02:51,200 --> 00:02:54,360 Speaker 1: back with what he's grateful for. What a fun way 44 00:02:54,400 --> 00:02:58,160 Speaker 1: to nurture your relationship and his writing skills all at once. 45 00:02:59,240 --> 00:03:02,520 Speaker 1: Of course, you could record what you're grateful for independently, 46 00:03:03,040 --> 00:03:07,560 Speaker 1: but having a gratitude partner creates accountability. A partner also 47 00:03:07,639 --> 00:03:11,040 Speaker 1: doubles your exposure to good things because you become aware 48 00:03:11,200 --> 00:03:14,840 Speaker 1: of what your partner is grateful for. If she's thankful 49 00:03:14,919 --> 00:03:18,040 Speaker 1: that the honeysuckle vines are about to bloom, you can 50 00:03:18,120 --> 00:03:21,840 Speaker 1: keep your eyes and nose open so that you're ready 51 00:03:21,880 --> 00:03:24,519 Speaker 1: to save for them as well. If she has fallen 52 00:03:24,520 --> 00:03:27,760 Speaker 1: in love with a new podcast, well maybe you should 53 00:03:27,840 --> 00:03:31,960 Speaker 1: check it out too. So today think about who might 54 00:03:32,000 --> 00:03:35,320 Speaker 1: become your gratitude partner, and then let me know how 55 00:03:35,320 --> 00:03:39,240 Speaker 1: it goes. You can reach me at Before Breakfast podcast 56 00:03:39,560 --> 00:03:43,920 Speaker 1: at ihart media dot com. In the meantime, this is Laura, 57 00:03:44,520 --> 00:03:47,200 Speaker 1: Thanks for listening and here's to making the most of 58 00:03:47,240 --> 00:03:57,240 Speaker 1: our time. Hey, everybody, I'd love to hear from you. 59 00:03:57,240 --> 00:04:00,000 Speaker 1: You can send me your tips, your questions, or anything else. 60 00:04:00,840 --> 00:04:04,440 Speaker 1: Just connect with me on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at 61 00:04:04,480 --> 00:04:10,000 Speaker 1: Before Breakfast pod. That's b the number four, then Breakfast 62 00:04:10,360 --> 00:04:13,160 Speaker 1: p o D. You can also shoot me an email 63 00:04:13,200 --> 00:04:17,039 Speaker 1: at Before Breakfast podcast at i heeart media dot com 64 00:04:17,080 --> 00:04:19,560 Speaker 1: that Before Breakfast is spelled out with all the letters. 65 00:04:20,200 --> 00:04:22,279 Speaker 1: Thanks so much, I look forward to staying in touch. 66 00:04:28,080 --> 00:04:31,200 Speaker 1: Before Breakfast is a production of I heart Radio. For 67 00:04:31,320 --> 00:04:34,360 Speaker 1: more podcasts from my heart Radio, visit the i heart 68 00:04:34,400 --> 00:04:37,760 Speaker 1: Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your 69 00:04:37,800 --> 00:04:38,520 Speaker 1: favorite shows.