How Gratitude Can Shape Your Life And Affect Your Health Positively
We celebrate Thanksgiving in Fall each year, but there’s no reason why you should wait until then to be thankful. Living your life with an “attitude of gratitude†can deliver tremendous benefits for your health and wellbeing. There’s actually quite a large amount of scientific evidence available that people who practice gratitude as part of their lifestyle enjoy more well-being than others.
How Gratitude Affects Health
Psychology research?shows gratitude is strongly and consistently associated with greater happiness. Expressing gratitude helps us feel more positive emotions, relish our good experiences, improve our health and wellbeing, deal constructively with adversity, and build stronger human relationships. All these actions help you with boosting your happiness levels and managing depression correspondingly.
When we make practicing gratitude a part of our daily routine, it helps us achieve a?life full of joy, passion, and grace. Here’s how:
#1: Keep a Journal
It’s easy to forget all the reasons you have to be grateful, especially when you’re having a bad day or dealing with life challenges. Make a point of writing down three items you’re grateful for every day, and review the journal whenever you’re feeling down. This helps to remind you of the blessings in your life, keeps you positive, and inspires you when you need it.?Various studies?have shown that when participants recorded what they were grateful for, they achieved lasting improvement in their happiness score.
#2: Express Appreciation
When you’re grateful for something, say so. Not only will it help the recipient of your gratitude to understand and benefit from your appreciation, but it will also help to confirm it for your subconscious mind. The best way to get more is to give more, and unless you show your gratitude to others they aren’t likely to show theirs to you.
Here are some of the ways you can show your gratitude and appreciation:
- Do something thoughtful. Not just the regular stuff you do every day, but something that you know will make them feel special. It can be simple, such as writing a little note and slipping it into your spouse or child’s lunch bag; calling a friend to see how she is feeling, or ordering some tasty goodies online as a surprise for an elderly parent. Be grateful for the people in your life, and tell them so.
- Give someone your time:?We’re often so wrapped up in the cost of everything that we forget the most precious thing we can give costs us nothing: our time. Is there someone who routinely wants more of you than you’re able to give? Put your needs aside and focus on understanding why they do that. Are they lonely perhaps? Do they care about you and want to be a part of your life? Whatever the reason, if time is all they are asking for, then give them some and be thankful that you are able to do so.
- Smell the roses:?Few things contribute to making you feel good as much as enjoying the good things in life does. Whether you’re literally smelling the flowers, sharing a coffee with someone, or enjoying a luxurious?grounding bath?or foot massage, be thankful for the ability to afford to live your best life and to do these things.
- Be pleasant:?The old saying that “it costs nothing to smile†might not be entirely true, but what is accurate is how much a smile can make a difference to your day. Smiles are contagious, and if you start giving them away they’re likely to come back to you 100-fold. Be thankful that you’re able to smile, especially on days when perhaps others are not.
- Give compliments:?Everyone loves to be noticed, and the people who care about you are no exception. Look for and pinpoint something you admire about them—a talent, skill, or strength you admire, the way they think, their dedication to their work or commitment to their beliefs—and tell them how inspiring you find it.
#3: Walk the Talk
Talking about your gratitude and appreciation is great, but you’ll benefit even more if you walk the talk. Choose someone whose actions have affected your life in a positive way and pay them a gratitude visit. Think of a way to acknowledge them specially for what they’ve done. This could be picking some wildflowers and taking them along, baking a special treat, or singing outside their window. As long as your intention is to bring them unelicited joy,?you’ll both benefit.
#4: Look for the Good
There’s a saying that goes “Don’t look for things other people are doing wrong; try to catch them doing something?right.�You can apply this by watching for chances to acknowledge those around you and seizing opportunities to say “thank you†to them or to provide positive feedback. Most of the time, we give negative feedback easily but are seldom as quick to?embrace positivity. If you received advice from someone close to you, make a point to tell them that you made use of the information and how it affected your situation. Thank them for sharing their knowledge with you and let them know you appreciate it.
#5: Remind Yourself Regularly
When life gets in the way and things become crazy, it’s easy to forget the good stuff that you have going on. That’s where your journal can come in useful. Even if you aren’t necessarily able to sit and review it, however, reminding yourself how fortunate you are and taking the time to “count your blessings†will lift your spirits and pull you out of a negative slump. And once your?blood is pumping, your heart is singing and you’re at peace with the world, you’ll find you infect others the same way and the blessings will flow back to you.
Practice Makes Perfect
Try it today. Practice an “attitude of gratitude†for a week and see how it makes you feel. Let the people in your world know how grateful you are to be alive, how much you appreciate them and enjoy their presence. Being grateful reminds you of the positive things in your life, relieves stress, and increases peace and happiness. Living your best life isn’t just about being grateful, though, but about finding ways to express it.
For more information on how developing an attitude of gratitude can benefit your health and wellbeing, please?click?here?or?schedule a time to chat?with me.?Click here?to download our?Positive Life Planner,?and discover how to transform your life and start bringing your dreams to fruition.
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