Your questions answered on A Thankful Heart course

A Thankful Heart 21-day course that will help you to create a happiness habit with gratitude practice, starts on Monday 16 May. If you’re thinking about joining the course have a read of this Q&A…

Why is the course 21 days long?
There are two reasons A Thankful Heart is three weeks long: 21 days is considered enough time to create a habit, and research studies have shown that the benefits of gratitude practice such as increased happiness and lowered stress levels can be felt in three weeks of practice.

I don’t have time to add another thing like gratitude practice into my day.
Practising gratitude takes less time than you think, only a few minutes a day and the benefits to you vastly outweigh the effort. Saying you don’t have time for gratitude is like saying you don’t have time for happiness.
Gratitude practice doesn’t require a big time commitment and this course needs only ten minutes of your time each day. As your gratitude habit becomes more established you’ll find it easier to recognise what there is to be thankful for in your day. And your happiness will increase.

What do we get in the course?
A Thankful Heart begins on Monday 16 May and the day before I will send you an email introducing you to gratitude practice. Then, from Monday 16 May until Sunday 5 June I will send you an email every morning with that day’s gratitude prompt. Most of the emails will include material to read and a few of them will include audio recordings to listen to. The emails are for you to keep, print, file forever and you can download the recordings to save too. After the course finishes you’ll receive an e-book of all the written materials in one, tidy PDF.

What do I need for this course?
• Ten minutes a day for 21 days.
• A phone, tablet or computer to receive and read the emails and listen to the audio recordings.
• A notebook or gratitude journal to write in.
• A desire to live a happier life and a readiness to create a gratitude habit.

Why should I practise gratitude?
Because it will make you a happier person. It’s that simple. Gratitude enables you to focus on the positives in your life and the impact on this is huge. Research over several years has found that practising gratitude regularly:
• makes you more resilient and able to deal with life’s challenges
• lowers stress levels
• decreases feelings of depression
• increases feelings of happiness, hope, optimism and enthusiasm
• makes you more helpful, generous and feel a greater connection with others
• boosts your immune system

Is gratitude about thanking God or being in debt to someone?
Not at all. Gratitude has nothing to do with religion and it’s definitely not about feeling in debted to anyone.
Gratitude is simply recognising something positive in your life and appreciating it. Gratitude practice means making time on a regular basis to recognise, appreciate and be thankful for the good in your life.

There’s nothing good happening in my life, I don’t think this course is for people like me.
Whatever is happening in your life, however a tough time you might be experiencing, there will be something to be grateful for each and every day. A Thankful Heart will empower you to see the positive when you feel surrounded by negatives, and by doing so you’ll make your own life happier.
Gratitude is about being aware and appreciating the tiny, seemingly unimportant moments in our days that are good. It’s not about celebrating big achievements or bringing new shiny things into our lives.
A cup of tea, the sun shining, a tasty lunch, a funny film, your train running on time, a stranger holding the door for you – all these small moments are worthy of your recognition and gratitude. Through gratitude practice you’ll notice these little things, be thankful for them, and so show yourself there is good in a difficult day. And it’s this awareness of the positive that gives your happiness level a boost.
A Thankful Heart course is for people just like you, by the end of the course you’ll see just how much good is in your life.

A Thankful Heart starts on Monday 16 May and runs for 21 days. You can find out more about the course, and take your place, on the course page here. There’s also a peek at the first introduction email you’ll receive here.