How to Build More Gratitude into Your Wellness Practice

November is the time of year when we tend to slow down and reflect on what makes us feel grateful.

Maybe it’s the thought of being with your family and eating some of your favorite holiday comfort foods together… 

Or thinking about how grateful you are to have such amazing patients…. 

Or recognizing that you have the opportunity to do what you love and really make a difference in people’s lives…

Regardless of where your mind takes you, I have to say I think you’re pretty amazing. As a practitioner myself and a business coach for other wellness practitioners, I know you have some pretty high standards. It takes some hutzpah to do what we do!

With everything that’s happening in our world, it’s easy to overlook how much of an impact you’re making on the people you serve. We get caught up in the busy work of running a practice and often forget to pat ourselves on the back for a job well done. Expressing a little more gratitude for yourself and your abilities won’t hurt anyone!

What you do is important and how you show up every day matters. 

So, let’s take a few minutes to learn how we can begin practicing a little more gratitude for ourselves as we round out the year.

Here are four simple but heart-centered ways to build more gratitude into your daily life.

1. Be Kind to Your Mind by Creating a Daily Affirmation Routine

Because you put a lot of pressure on yourself, you may be beating yourself up whenever you think you fall short. Negative self-talk is a surefire way to burn out and leave you feeling beaten down and unappreciated.

One way to nip that in the bud is to create a daily affirmation routine that encourages, supports and strengthens your mind. You don’t have to jet off to a far-away, expensive retreat or design some elaborate routine with sound bowls and incense to get you there. 🧘🏻

These steps will help you begin to practice personal daily affirmations and express more gratitude in your life in no time:

1. Grab a piece of paper or journal and divide it into two columns. On the left side, write down all the negative thoughts you have about yourself and your practice. Be honest with yourself and don’t hold back.
2. For each negative thought, write out its positive opposite on the right side, even if it doesn’t feel true… yet. 😇
3. Turn the page and begin writing them as affirmations by starting the sentence with “I” or “My.” Make sure all your statements are in the present tense. And write them as though you’re already experiencing them right now and are grateful for them.
4. Once you’ve finished, grab your phone, and record them using a free recording app. For extra credit, turn on some nice 432 hertz music in the background to get you in the zone and connected with the words you are saying. It’s important to fully feel, believe, and visualize your affirmations as being an actual part of who you are.
5. On your way to work and before bed, put in your headphones and listen to what you have to say about yourself and believe it to be true!

This affirmation routine doesn’t have to be lengthy to be effective. Five minutes or less is enough to do the job. Over time, this simple exercise can help you go through your day with more compassion towards yourself and will undoubtedly change the way you show up for your patients. This alone is priceless!

2. Reflect on Your Year

At the end of each year, carve out a couple of hours and look back at all you’ve accomplished. Yes, it’s helpful to look at what didn’t work and also what you want to do better. But don’t forget to spend some time focusing on what went well:

• How you overcame that financial hurdle earlier in the year
• How you raised your fees and felt confident doing it (#hugewin)
• How you kept your practice open and actually grew this year compared to last!

And then, once again, give yourself some kudos for being resilient and committed to continual growth!

3. Decide What’s Next – Then Plan for It

After you’ve mentally reviewed your huge wins during this past year, it’s time to look forward to what you want to achieve during the next year. Find a spot to get quiet and remove all distractions. Then ask yourself:

• What successes do you want to take with you into the next year?
• What habits, systems, or situations need to be left behind?
• What things are you excited about implementing or including in the new year?

But don’t stop there. Pull out a calendar and start mapping out your year. If you need a little inspo, here’s a blog I wrote to help you set goals and get your next year mapped out and ready to go.

4. Care for Yourself While Running Your Practice

Healthcare practitioners are experiencing burnout like never before. So, make sure you’re taking really good care of yourself, both personally and professionally. Surround yourself with people who inspire you to grow and want the best for you, and see how expressing more gratitude for them can do for your business. Look at what boundaries you need to create and then communicate them clearly. 

Did you work too many nights or weekends last year and you don’t want to do that again? Then brainstorm a few ways you can delegate and have a better work/life balance.  

• Consider hiring a VA for a few hours each week to take some of the work off your plate. 
• Maybe it’s time to bring on another practitioner. 
• Or maybe you just need to create some systems and streamline how you operate your day-to-day practice

Did you give away a bit too much of your time, answering emails or making phone calls after hours without charging appropriately? Now’s a perfect time to reset those boundaries and clearly communicate your expectations.

Here are a few resources to help you do just that:

• “How to Set Clear Boundaries With Your Patients” Podcast
• 4 Steps for Creating Healthy Boundaries With Your Patients” Blog

As a practitioner, you’re always encouraging your patients to take better care of themselves. It’s high time you give that same gift to yourself!

Create a Practice You Love and Couldn’t be More Grateful for

It takes grit and determination to build a wellness practice that brings you joy and lights you up every day. And while it can be challenging at times, the personal fulfillment you get is well worth it. 

But you don’t have to walk this journey alone. I’m here to support you, and so are other practitioners. If you’d like to be part of a community of like-minded practitioners, just like you, who are all working on growing their practices and implementing more gratitude into their personal and professional journey, I’d love to have you join me.

Head on over here to join. I can’t wait to see you there!