Why We Practice "Grateful" Hour

This month at my house, we've started a new routine in the evenings that seriously rocks. 

It all started with this frustration from my husband and I that neither of us find it easy to put work down. He gets home from work and then is immediately fixing something on the house or out in the garage doing car work. I get caught up in finishing my design projects, cooking, cleaning and giving kids baths. Then we all end up in front of screens to rest and feel like we never even see each other. A lot of nights are filled up with events or classes and the stress of a constantly busy life takes over.

So this month we started practicing what I call the "grateful" hour. Basically it's just an intentional time to all be together in the same room and purposefully enjoy the moment. It's a way to be happy about what we've accomplished for the day. 

Here's what it looks like at our house...

*Cozy dim lighting/candles to kind of chill everyone out before bedtime.

*Worship music playing in the background or my husband might pull out his guitar or banjo.

*No screens - tv, ipads, phones are all off or out of the room to help us actually notice each other's existence:)

*Comfy clothes or I put the kids in jammies.

We are both introverts and recharge by kind of doing our own thing rather than being social. So we don't always spend this time talking. It looks different based on the day. I might read or do devos. He might play games on the floor with the kids. Sometimes we just cuddle up on the couch and watch the kids have loud dance parties.  

The number one thing I love about it is that it encourages me to stop and be thankful. I'm usually forcing myself to be still and not get things done. It helps me notice the details of the moment like holding my hubby's hand or playing with my little girls hair while reading her books. 

Want to try it? Pick a time of day that works best for you. We usually hang out while dinner is in the oven or after dinner before the kids go to bed. It doesn't work perfectly every night and doesn't always last a full hour. But even taking a few minutes and finding one thing to smile at makes a difference for me.