How to Practice Gratitude while Running
This time of the year always encourages us to think about who and what we’re grateful for—we even have an entire holiday dedicated to gratitude. Lately, however, many of us are struggling to feel thankful. We are contending with not seeing loved ones in many months, living under the stress of a global pandemic, striving for social justice initiatives, and, on top of all of that, we still have to push through the challenges of everyday life. It’s difficult to find the silver lining in a year filled with sadness. And yet, it’s more important than ever to recognize what we’re truly thankful for.
Many of us probably found ourselves feeling very reflective over Thanksgiving. It was the first time we’ve spent the holiday without family, and, although we miss the sense of security and coziness that comes with indulging in enormous slices of pie and heaping plates of turkey while being surrounded by my loved ones, perhaps this year has taught us to be more grateful on this particular Thanksgiving than any in the past.
At City Running Tours, our favorite way to kickoff Thanksgiving is with a Turkey Trot. In normal circumstances, we’d probably be running a local race with family and friends. This year, though, we were completely alone. We didn’t have race bibs; we didn’t see anyone dressed as a turkey and still somehow running faster than us, and, maybe worst of all, there was no pumpkin pie waiting for us at the finish line. But, as we were was running, maybe we surprised ourselves and didn’t feel sad or disappointed, like we expected. Instead, we might have found ourselves simply feeling excited to be healthy, safe, and able to experience the magic that is running.
One of the most beautiful aspects of running is that it provides a space for us to leave the stresses of the world behind, and to focus only on our physical bodies, the thoughts in our minds, and the scenery surrounding us. A solo Turkey Trot gave us an opportunity to reflect on the things in our life that we’re truly grateful for, and it may have made us wonder why we hadn’t ever used our runs as spaces to regularly and actively invoke positivity and gratitude. As a result, we’ve compiled a list of simple activities that can be done while running to promote thankfulness and happiness in all aspects of our lives.
Focus on the world around you
Many of us go through the motions of our days without stopping to acknowledge the beauty of the world around us. Running provides the perfect opportunity to feel thankful for our environments. The next time you go for a run try to actively notice the scenery surrounding you. What is beautiful about it? We are lucky to have paths and trails and streets on which to run, and recognizing that can promote a positive and encouraged mindset.
Thank your body
There are so many people in the world that are not physically able to run, so those of us that are should feel grateful for that. We have the opportunity to use our muscles and our lungs to create power. Even the most uncomfortable runs are reflections of our bodies’ perseverance and resilience. Those long runs and speed days might be completely mentally and physically exhausting, but there are many people who could never even dream of accomplishing them.
Make a mental list
Sometimes the best runs are those easy miles where we don’t have to think about anything in particular. We can just zone out and move our bodies. Sometimes, on runs like those, it’s fun to play little games, or reflect on things that are happening in our lives. An easy way to turn a run into a reflection of gratitude is to make a list in your head of all the things you’re thankful for. Simply start by thinking “I am grateful for…” and fill in the blanks. Try to get creative and think about both big and little things you’re thankful for, such as “I am thankful for the support my family provides me” and “I am thankful for the cookie I’m going to eat after dinner tonight.”
Practice noting negative thoughts
Many of us are not very aware of the thousands of thoughts that pop into our heads throughout the day. We have become accustomed to our inner dialogue, and we might not notice the true tone of that mental conversation. Especially in times of difficulty, it’s quite normal for our thoughts to be more negative than positive, and that doesn’t serve us. While it’s challenging to go through our day trying to keep tabs on what we’re thinking all the time, it’s not so difficult to take a couple minutes during a run to concentrate on the nature of our thinking. Try to actively take note of your internal conversation. Do you think things like “running is tiring, I wish I could stop?” If you do, try to find a positive spin on that thought such as, “running is tiring, but I’ll feel better for having done it.” You’ll find that learning to seek the good within the bad can create positive change in many aspects of life.
The Takeaway
This entire year has consisted of incredible challenges, and many of us are struggling to find happiness and gratitude amongst the disappointment. But, for every difficulty we face as individuals, there is always someone who has it worse. As we transition into the holiday season, we want to be more reflective on all of the amazing opportunities and people we have in our lives, and running gives us a perfect space to do that. These simple gratitude practices can not only lead to a successful and fulfilling run, but they can extend beyond the run and permeate into the other aspects of our lives. In short, running can help make us better and more thankful people, and that’s one of the many reasons why we at City Running Tours think everyone should do it.
