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Welcome to #ThrowbackThursday! Every Thursday we’ll be celebrating the wisdom of our foremothers with some themed tips from the Great Depression era. Feel free to get in on the fun! Write your own Throwback Thursday tips on our Facebook wall, or tweet @CatchyFreebies with the hashtag #ThrowbackThursday. If we choose your tip for a feature, we’ll send you a sample from our stash! 

On this #ThrowbackThursday, we want to practice a little good old-fashioned gratitude. Mindfulness, or the conscious practice of being aware and present in the moment, is a hot topic right now. By opening our mind to our surroundings without judgment, we can set ourselves up to spend more time appreciating what we do have instead of hankering for miscellany that isn’t in our budgets.

Here are some simple ways to practice mindfulness in your daily life:

• Start your day with a meditation – it doesn’t need to take long. Take deep breaths and envision your morning and the rest of your day. Then slowly clear your mind, being patient if you get distracted. Focus on your breathing; by putting all your attention on your breaths, it’s a lot easier to find mental clarity.
• When you find yourself getting overwhelmed (by your wonky budget, by the growing pile in your grocery cart, by the endless task list that only seems to grow), just stop for a minute. Look around you – what is there to see? Absorb the natural and human elements in your surroundings and let your mind empty. Once you feel calm, return to the tasks at hand one at a time, and try to find the joy in them.
• Take some time each day to visualize your goals. What is it you really want right now? You might find (like this frugal blogger) that your craving for an overpriced snack is an impulse that will pass, so you can focus on bigger, more important dreams.
• If you notice some toxic thoughts of ungratefulness creeping up, sit down and write a list of your favorite things about yourself, or what you are most grateful for, or weaknesses you could work on. By reframing your present and giving yourself a concrete idea of what you have, you can move forward with confidence and an appreciative attitude.
• Before bedtime, take a few minutes to recount all the joyous things that happened to you throughout your day. Consciously meditate on the things and people in your life that bring you happiness, and try to choose one thing to accomplish the next day. Simple, straightforward goals that can help you achieve your dreams will give you sweet dreams and help you prepare for the next day

Find some more resources and mindfulness practices here, and don’t hesitate to share yours! What are your favorite ways to practice mindfulness? How does practicing mindfulness help you become more frugal? Leave us a comment on Facebook or send us your thoughts on Twitter @CatchyFreebies using the hashtag #ThrowbackThursday!

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