Our leadership abilities depend on how well we take care of ourselves.

Mindset is one of the most important areas for leaders to focus on. It’s right up there with eating, sleeping, and moving.

Research finds that a regular gratitude practice

can improve your mental and physical health. It can also help you to sleep better, improve your self-esteem, and increase your mental strength. The list of benefits is growing.

A morning gratitude practice

can help you get a mindset of positivity and energy that will help you to power through your day as a leader. A meditation like this can immediately affect you mentally and physically. And, if you do it several days in a row, don’t be surprised if you start to feel spontaneous joy.

This can be invaluable for you

when it comes to facing challenges with a sense of strength and optimism, and getting through obstacles and difficulties with grace.

If you don’t have a few minutes to sit and meditate, you can simply start thinking of things you’re grateful for as you get ready in the morning. It’s not as powerful, but it surely helps to get the positive mindset on track.

This video is a very short example

of the kind of gratitude meditations I do. This one is only 6 minutes long, which is just enough time to skim the surface of this kind of meditation. You can continue on your own for longer, if you wish.

You can do it with me now

or anytime you need a little guided meditation. Just press play on the video above.

I’d love to hear how it affects your mind and body.

Let me know in the comments below.

References:

Psychology Today “Seven Scientifically Proven Benefits of Gratitude” April 2015, https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/what-mentally-strong-people-dont-do/201504/7-scientifically-proven-benefits-gratitude

Greater Good Magazine “How Gratitude Changes You and Your Brain”, https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/how_gratitude_changes_you_and_your_brain

Harvard Health “Giving Thanks Can Make You Happier” https://www.health.harvard.edu/healthbeat/giving-thanks-can-make-you-happier